About this deal
The Fellowship was created as part of Queen's University and the Arts Council's joint 10-year Seamus Heaney Legacy project supported by Atlantic Philanthropies.
I reverse the process, with the illustrations and characters first and then let the children choose if they want to end the story with a written sentence, an illustration or both. This is my fourth decade of illustrating children's books. It all started in the 1990s with Martin Waddell books using watercolour, which of course you couldn't rub out," he explains.Since being awarded an MBE by the Queen last year for his efforts during the Covid pandemic, 'The Body Coach' has been on a nationwide tour of primary schools promoting his new book. The Burpee Bears has been written in partnership withauthor Vivian French. It will beillustrated by artist Paul Howard. French is the author of more than 300 books and has beenawarded an MBE for her services to literature, literacy, illustration and the arts. She has also received the Scottish Book Trust’s outstanding achievement award and isthe co-founder of the critically acclaimed Picture Hooks scheme to help emerging art graduates find their feet in the world of book illustration.
In these uncertain times that we are living, books have the power to help support and empower children and assist them in building empathy and understanding of this crazy world. They are one of the most important parts of literature and perhaps one of the hardest to get right.
Publication Order of Burpee Bears Books
Earlier this year the Duchess of Cambridge chose to read the book on CBeebies Bedtime Stories to mark Children's Mental Health Week. I explain to them how to become a detective, looking for clues and descriptive words," says Howard.