Nosy Crow's Blog, page 146

Pip and Posy plush toys are now available from the Nosy Crow website

We are incredibly pleased to have made our first ever plush toys, inspired by Axel Scheffler’s best-selling Pip and Posy characters – and they’re available for sale now!

They are a BRILLIANT likeness of Axel’s illustrations, with all of his unmistakeable warmth and character. And they are beautifully made, wonderfully soft, and very satisfying to hold!

Here’s the Pip plush toy:

Buy Pip plush toy.

And here’s Posy:

Buy Posy plush toy.

Each plush measures approximately 20cm in height, is machine washable, and suitable for all ages.

The plush toys are available to buy separately, for £7.99 each, or as a set, for £14.99.

You can find out more about the Pip and Posy series here – and you can also buy beautiful limited edition Pip and Posy giclee prints, signed and numbered by Axel Scheffler, from the Nosy Crow website, here.

Win new books from Nosy Crow!

It’s time for our monthly book giveaway! We’ve got a bumper crop of new books coming out next month, including some FANTASTICALLY Christmas titles, and if you’re a resident of the UK or Ireland, you can win any of them simply by subscribing to our Books Newsletter and sending us an email with the book you’d like to win. Here’s what’s out next month – and what you can win:

We’re publishing two new books in Benji Davies‘ fantastic Bizzy Bear board book series – Christmas Helper and Space Rocket. These books are PERFECT for toddlers: Benji’s illustrations are bright, colourful and friendly, there’s lots for toddlers to get involved with in every book, and the sturdy mechanisms and chunky sliders will withstand the roughest treatment!

In Christmas Helper, Bizzy Bear has come to help Father Christmas get ready for a very special day:

Pre-order the book.

And in Space Rocket, you can join in the countdown and help Bizzy Bear’s rocket zoom into space!

Pre-order the book.

You can win the first two books in a brand new series for October – Listen to the… sound books, illustrated by Marion Billet. Adults and children alike will be enchanted by these charming board books which are distinguished by the exceptional quality of the sounds that bring every picture to life. Aimed at the very young, the books have a button on every spread which triggers one of six sounds that introduce a character or object. They’re incredibly simple but utterly seductive, purely because the sounds themselves are so beautiful. A delightful and compelling series that everyone in the family will enjoy reading again and again. The first two books in the series are Listen to the Farm and Listen to the Music:

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Pre-order the book.

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Pre-order the book.

Violet Rose and the Very Snowy Winter by Jannie Ho is out next month and up for grabs – the second book in the brilliant Violet Rose activity series. When Mia has an accident in the snow, Violet accompanies her to the hospital. Happily, Mia is soon on the mend, but Violet notices that the hospital is looking a little drab – perhaps it could do with some decorations to make it look more festive? Back at home, she and her friends get to work on garlands and cards, and they even make gifts for the hospital staff and patients! As Christmas approaches, life in Sunnyville becomes even busier – there’s the shopping to do, a concert to attend, and a feast to prepare. But disaster strikes when Sprinkles and Twinkles get lost in the snow – can Violet and her friends rescue them in time for Christmas?

A delightful, lavishly produced title, designed to get children reading, to inspire imaginative play and to build confidence in craft. Packed with activities, and with more printables on the companion website, this title represents real value for money. Here’s a look inside the book:

Pre-order the book.

We’re incredibly happy to be publishing Christmas for Greta and Gracie next month: a brand new picture book from award-winning author-illustrator Yasmeen Ismail. Greta and Gracie are sisters – Greta is chatty while Gracie is quiet and it’s all fine until, one day, everything changes. It’s nearly Christmas and together the sisters decorate the tree, shop for presents and even try a spot of ice-skating! But Greta, of course, always knows best – poor Gracie can’t get a word in edgeways. Then on Christmas Eve, while Greta is quietly sleeping, Gracie hears a funny noise . . . whatever could it be? She creeps downstairs to investigate, and the next morning her very special revelation leaves chitty chatty Greta lost for words! Here’s a look inside the book:

Pre-order the book.

You could win Poles Apart, written by Jeanne Willis, and illustrated by Jarvis – another truly BRILLIANT new picture book out next month. As everyone knows, penguins are only found at the South Pole. At least, they were until the Pilchard-Brown penguin family get lost on their way to a picnic and end up at the North Pole! Luckily, Mr White, an enormous polar bear, is on hand to help, and so begins a global adventure as he leads the Pilchard-Browns all the way home. Here are the opening spreads:

Pre-order the book.

You could win the first stunning paperback edition of Snow Bunny’s Christmas Gift, illustrated by Rebecca Harry. Little Snow Bunny loves nothing better than playing with her friends in the wintry forest. Every day holds the promise of adventure for Snow Bunny, Fox, Bear and Mouse. But one particularly cold day, no-one wants to play and Snow Bunny is left all alone. Whatever will she do? With a little luck and a lot of imagination, she makes cosy winter gifts for all her friends, just in time for Christmas Eve. Here’s a look inside the book:

Pre-order the book.

Hubble Bubble: The Wacky Winter Wonderland, written by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Joe Berger, is out next month – three more stories of magical mayhem from the creators of the BRILLIANT Hubble Bubble picture book and illustrated fiction series. Find out what happens when a naughty toddler waves Granny’s wand in a posh shop. Can Granny build a raft that doesn’t sink? And enjoy a visit to Winter Wonderland with some surprises in store… Here’s a look inside the book:

Pre-order the book.

We’ll be publishing The Moon-Faced Ghoul Thing, written by Barry Hutchison and illustrated by Chris Mould, the third volume in the brilliant Benjamin Blank series. It’s the Feast of Scarrabus, and Ben and his friends are out, stalking the dark streets, armed only with bags of sweets. But Ben doesn’t play by the rules, and soon the Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing is after him, dragging him into a dark realm from which there’s no return… Or is there? Here’s a look inside:

Pre-order the book.

You could win Dark Tree Shining by Paula Harrison – the sequel to Red Moon Rising, and the second book in an incredible fantasy series. Laney and her friends have to stop the Shadow Faerie hunting down the missing Myricals, or he will harness the power of the magical objects and rule the faerie world. And then darkness will reign… Here’s a look inside the book:

Pre-order the book.

And finally, The Secret Rescuers: The Sky Unicorn, written by Paula Harrison and illustrated by Sophy Williams, is out next month and up for grabs – another fantastic Secret Rescuers adventure. Ava is a dancer with a travelling troupe of entertainers. When Clover, a little unicorn, is trapped by Sir Fitzroy and used to lure the other unicorns into danger, Ava hatches a cunning plan. She and Sophy will disguise themselves and foil Sir Fitzroy’s plot, and the unicorns will be safe! Here’s a look inside the book:

Pre-order the book.

To win any of these books, all you have to do is subscribe to our books newsletter (if you’ve already subscribed you’re still eligible for this competition) and send an email to tom at nosycrow dot com with “Newsletter competition” in the subject heading and the title of the book you’d like to win, and your address, in the body of your email. So have a good think about which book you’d like to win (we can only accept one entry per person), and good luck – we’ll pick the winners at random next week.

Get a signed hardback Pip and Posy book for free when you buy a limited edition giclee print

There are just a few more days to take advantage of a very special Pip and Posy offer – we’re offering a FREE signed hardback copy of either Pip and Posy: The Super Scooter, or Pip and Posy: The Little Puddle, for everyone who buys one of our beautiful, signed and numbered, limited edition Pip and Posy giclee prints.

All you need to do to receive one of these signed books is add the title of the book that you’d like to receive in the ‘Order notes’ on the payment page.

These beautiful Pip and Posy prints are produced at a local Southwark press – printed on A3 (29.7 x 42.0cm) heavyweight (308gsm) Hahnemuhle German Etching paper with a hand-deckled edge finish. Each print is signed and numbered by Axel, and one of a limited run – and available exclusively through the Nosy Crow website.

Here are the five pieces of Axel’s art available as limited edition prints:

From Pip and Posy: The Little Puddle:

From Pip and Posy: The Super Scooter:

From Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day:

 

From Pip and Posy: The Scary Monster:

From Pip and Posy: The Big Balloon:

The signed editions of both Pip and Posy books are also available to buy separately – you can buy The Super Scooter here and The Little Puddle here.

This special offer will end this Friday (September 25th) – so if you’d like a beautiful, signed art print AND a signed book, don’t delay!

Brand new Hubble Bubble illustrated fiction – welcome to The Wacky Winter Wonderland!

Next month we’re incredibly pleased to be publishing Hubble Bubble: The Wacky Winter Wonderland, written by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Joe Berger – three more stories of magical mayhem from the creators of the BRILLIANT Hubble Bubble picture book and illustrated fiction series. Find out what happens when a naughty toddler waves Granny’s wand in a posh shop. Can Granny build a raft that doesn’t sink? And enjoy a visit to Winter Wonderland with some surprises in store…

These illustrated fiction Hubble Bubble books are PERFECT for newly-independent readers – the three stories in each book are just the right length to read on your own or together.

Here’s a very first look inside the new book:

The Wacky Winter Wonderland is available for pre-order now.

Warning! The Grunts are at large! Introducing The Grunts on the Run

Last month  we published The Grunts on the Run, the fourth book in Philip Ardagh and Axel Scheffler’s FANTASTIC series – and this is my favourite Grunts book yet.

Over the years, the Grunts have made more than a few enemies.  Now four of those enemies have escaped from jail, and they want REVENGE! Mr and Mrs Grunt, together with their stolen son, Sunny, must run for their lives. Or at least catch a train.

Their pursuers are hot on their (horrible) heels. But the Grunts have some good friends too (yes, really) and with courage, a big balloon and a lovesick rabbit on their side, they just might make it out in one piece…

It’s funny, silly, and clever – and brilliantly illustrated by Axel. This series is perfect for fans of The Twits, Mr Gum, or David Walliams – great for reading aloud or for reading independently.

Here’s what Love Reading 4 Kids have to say about The Grunts on the Run:

“The Grunts – Mr and Mrs and adopted son Sunny – are back, and as delightfully repulsive as ever … This new adventure sees them on the run from a group of criminals who hold the Grunts responsible for their misfortunes and culminates in a very funny chase involving a tractor, bunny slippers, a mummy on a sack and an enormous man in a bird suit … There are jokes to appeal to readers of all ages while the author’s asides alone are worth the cover price. Axel Scheffler’s illustrations catch the daftness of the story perfectly.”

And here’s a look inside the book:

You can buy The Grunts on the Run here.

Poles Apart

We have some wonderfully winter-y books coming out next month – and one of the picture books that I’m MOST excited about it is Poles Apart, written by the incomparable, one and only Jeanne Willis, and illustrated by the incredible Jarvis.

I am so glad that we are publishing a book written by Jeanne – I have very fond memories of being read Dr Xargle’s Book of Earthlets endlessly as a child – and Poles Apart does not disappoint: it contains all of Jeanne’s signature wit, imagination, and inventiveness, with wonderfully playful language, a fantastic voice, and a great story.

As everyone knows, penguins are only found at the South Pole. At least, they were until the Pilchard-Brown penguin family get lost on their way to a picnic and end up at the North Pole! Luckily, Mr White, an enormous polar bear, is on hand to help, and so begins a global adventure as he leads the Pilchard-Browns all the way home.

The book could NOT look more beautiful: Jarvis’s artwork is absolutely stunning and incredibly stylish – a perfect complement to Jeanne’s text.

And today, you can take a look inside the book for the first time! Here are the opening spreads:

Poles Apart will be in shops from October – you can pre-order it here.

The verdict on the first Nosy Crow Illustrator Salon

Illustration by Sarah McIntyre

Last night Kate and I made our way to The Book Club in Shoreditch for our first Illustrator Salon. Steven Lenton, illustrator of the Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam picture books and author-illustrator of Princess Daisy and the Dragon (and the Nincompoop Knights), had bravely agreed to be our guinea pig for the evening as our first featured illustrator, and so after a fortifying glass of wine and a quick debate between Kate and Steven about exactly WHAT Rob had done in The Archers,  we began the evening.

Steven proved to be a FANTASTIC illustrator for our sell-out crowd of fellow illustrators, students, publishers and picture book enthusiasts, talking about his early inspirations (particularly Mary Blair), his career to date, his creative process, the challenges of working in digital and on paper, the process of creating a picture book from start to finish (with all the highs and lows along the way…), the relationships he has with his editors, designers, and authors, the differences he’s found in working with a number of publishers, and his advice for illustrators looking to advance their career (go to bookshops and see what’s selling, try life drawing, draw every day, develop a style, and more).

The length of signing queue alone seemed to be a testament to what a success Steven had been – and here’s what some of those who’d been there had to say on Twitter:

Great evening at @NosyCrow Illustrator Salon with @2dscrumptious. Will never tire of hearing illustrators talk about their work and process.

— Katherine Woodfine (@followtheyellow) September 14, 2015

Excellent evening with @carol_earp at @TheBookClubEC2 for the @NosyCrowBooks Illustrator Salon! #event pic.twitter.com/AEIwyBaO5O — Holly Earp (@hollyearp) September 14, 2015

Great #Illustratorsalon with @2dscrumptious and @NosyCrowBooks tonight. So pleased to have also met @jabberworks. Hope for more.

— Tanya Efthymiou (@TanyaEfthymiou) September 14, 2015

Good night all. Really enjoyed the first @NosyCrowBooks illustrator salon, which I went to after meeting sister in law and niece in London. — Anne Booth (@Bridgeanne) September 14, 2015

Thank you @NosyCrowBooks and @2dscrumptious – wonderful first illustrator salon.

— Ipswich CBG (@IpswichCBG) September 14, 2015

A fabulous evening hearing @2dscrumptious talk about children’s illustration, thanks @NosyCrow, itching to crack out the dip pen — Jennie Vallis (@JennieVallis) September 14, 2015

Great evening at @NosyCrow illustrator salon v informative for someone starting out thanks @2dscrumptious see you @kidslitfestbath

— Nick Swift (@nickswift) September 14, 2015

Great1st illustrator’s salon with @2dscrumptious & @NosyCrow. v.interesting to see perspectives, processes & routes in. Inspiring stuff ;) — Sarah Horne (@sarahhorne9) September 14, 2015

And, very appropriately, illustrator extraordinaire Sarah McIntyre even drew Steven and Kate together:

Tonight’s #IllustratorSalon with Kate Wilson & Steven Lenton @NosyCrow @2dscrumptious #London pic.twitter.com/RdSbqX4IBA

— Sarah McIntyre (@jabberworks) September 14, 2015

We haven’t yet announced details of our next Salon event, but if you’re interested in attending, sign up to our mailing list and you’ll be the first to find out when a new date is confirmed:


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Thank you very much to everyone who came along for making the night such a success!

Nosy Crow on Instagram

In the spirit of arriving at the party fashionably late, Nosy Crow has joined Instagram!

We’ll be posting early looks at new artwork, beautiful books, crows, envelopes, and more – follow us here to stay up to date!

Get a FREE signed Pip and Posy book when you buy a limited edition giclee print!

It’s been a little over a fortnight since we re-launched our website, and today we have a VERY special offer available exclusively to customers of the Nosy Crow shop.

For the next two weeks (while stocks last), we’re offering a FREE signed hardback copy of either Pip and Posy: The Super Scooter, or Pip and Posy: The Little Puddle, for everyone who buys one of our beautiful, signed and numbered, limited edition Pip and Posy giclee prints. 

All you need to do to receive one of these signed books is add the title of the book that you’d like to receive in the ‘Order notes’ on the payment page.

These beautiful Pip and Posy prints are produced at a local Southwark press – printed on A3 (29.7 x 42.0cm) heavyweight (308gsm) Hahnemuhle German Etching paper with a hand-deckled edge finish. Each print is signed and numbered by Axel, and one of a limited run – and available exclusively through the Nosy Crow website.

You can find our full range of giclee prints here.

The signed editions of both Pip and Posy books are also available to buy separately – you can buy The Super Scooter here and The Little Puddle here.

This special offer will end on Friday September 25th – so if you’d like a beautiful, signed art print AND a signed book, don’t delay!

 

Open Very Carefully on the silver screen

You may or may not know that the fantastic Open Very Carefully by Nicola O’Byrne and Nick Bromley, has been chosen as this year’s Booktrust ‘Booktime’ book. It’s fair to say we were pretty thrilled in-house. And Nicky said…

“The books I read as a child have stayed with me my whole life and I’m so very excited that Open Very Carefully has been selected for Booktime. The thought that a book I had a part in creating will kickstart a generation of new readers makes me immeasurably proud. I’d like to thank Book Trust for this incredible opportunity; it is my hope that the children receiving this book will love reading and stories as much as I do.”

Well, today I attended a filming session for ITV news at Wix Primary School in Clapham – and, Nicky, I can report back that THEY DO!

Filming for news pieces often takes quite a lot of footage, for what might not be a very long feature on the news. And it’s fair to say that, however brilliantly efficient Lauren at ITV was – and she really was – the children did have to hear the story a few times. But, to gladden my heart, whenever it was announced that the story was to be read out again, there was a cheer! And a few ‘We LOVE this one!’s, too!

It was one of those days where everyone shone. Everyone did what they did brilliant. Emily ‘The Book Fairy’ read the story brilliantly. The teachers controlled the children brilliantly. Diana Gerald of Booktrust gave an brilliant interview. Harriet from Booktrust ran everything brilliantly. And the children’s enthusiasm? BRILLIANT. Of course.

My thanks to Booktrust and Wix Primary School for having me along for such a fun morning – and I hope EVERYONE loves their Booktime copy of Open Very Carefully. Open it – I DARE YOU!