Nosy Crow's Blog, page 7

The inspiration behind A Horse Called Now – a guest post from Ruth Doyle

Last month we were absolutely delighted to have published A Horse Called Now – a calm and reassuring story about overcoming worries and living in the present moment, written by Ruth Doyle & illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey. And today, we’re very excited to be sharing a guest post from Ruth!

—

I’m lucky to be able to share my life with three special horses and it was my big horse, Winnie who inspired me to write, A Horse Called Now. This book is also the culmination of many years of interest in mindfulness and mental health, as well as my understanding and experience of the healing power of both horses and the natural world.

Winnie the horse who inspired A Horse Called Now

While training as a nurse, I worked in a psychiatric hospital and was deeply affected by the patients’ stories. I began to truly appreciate the fragility of mental health and started to study mindfulness and more recently, equine therapy, as tools for mental respite and healing.

The world is facing a global mental health emergency with our children being particularly affected. The arrival and dominance of the internet and mobile phones, the pressures created by social media and our increasing disconnection from the natural world, have all contributed to this crisis. I started thinking that it could be helpful to write a story about living in the Now, as a method of controlling and soothing anxiety and how that might be done in a way that was accessible to children.

Enter, A Horse Called Now. I began writing the story after watching my horse grazing in her field. She was strong, gentle and present in the Now…the perfect name for a horse who would embody the power of living in the moment! I knew she was a good listener, immersed in the beauty of the natural world. I imagined what her sensory awareness might be. Horses use emotional responses from other animals and humans as information, and they can hear heartbeats from four feet away! All around her the wild rabbits were scurrying, rooks were squawking, and our pet sheep were noisily ‘baaing’. I wondered what she thought of their frantic levels of activity…

I knew that Now would want to calm the ‘boom-boom heartbeats’ of her animal friends by reminding them to relax into the moment. The animals around Now allow their fears to escalate and work themselves into a frenzy! She listens sympathetically but reminds the others that the things they’re worrying about, might never happen. She offers a soothing refrain to bring them back into the present, “At this moment, all is well.” Since writing the book, I often find myself using this mantra if I start to worry!

Anxiety causes so much suffering and yet often proves to be based on unfounded fears. Now suggests this to her friends by repeating that bad things, ‘might not’ happen. Her friends are terrified of perceived predators but by the end of the story, they have learnt that the animals they were so afraid of, feel vulnerable too. Fear is a universal feeling.

I hope that children will feel empowered after reading this story. Empowered to know that their fears are valid and that everyone is afraid sometimes but also to believe that they can find a way to manage some of those fears. Now teaches the others about being aware of their breathing, of letting, “feelings come and then go.” This idea of acknowledging, but not attaching to our anxieties, can be a useful tool for gaining a sense of peaceful control in fearful situations. It’s a technique that children can find helpful and reassuring and so I wanted Now to share this with her friends.

Understanding impermanence is another mindfulness technique that helps to give perspective to anxiety. Life is ever-changing and acknowledging that everything will eventually pass, even the scariest moments, can be a soothing and mindful practice. Now has learnt that, “Nothing lasts forever” and “…even the wildest storms will always end” and shares this understanding with her friends. I wanted to show how sharing fears with others can bring comfort and relief and I hope the book will open-up conversations – and the opportunity for mutual support.

My horses have helped me through grief, trauma and displacement. I’m always amazed and honoured when they choose to stand or walk with me, rather than roam their paddock, or continue grazing. All my animal friends have enriched my life and left huge pawprints in my heart but this book is dedicated to my little herd who have taught me so much and inspired a story which I hope will leave readers big and small, feeling empowered and peaceful.

Ruth’s two horses Diesel and Wilson

Thank you, Ruth!

Take a look inside:

The post The inspiration behind A Horse Called Now – a guest post from Ruth Doyle appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Kids’ Club January 2024

Welcome to another instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club: a monthly feature with lots of engaging activities for the young readers in your life! Each month we’ll post a creative writing prompt based on one of our recent publications, and some downloadable activity sheets for you to print for your little ones.

Write a Story

Our writing prompt this month takes inspiration from British Museum: Roman Soldiers – a complete guide to life in the Roman army, filled with fascinating facts and grisly detail, by Tegen Evans & Tom Froese.

Write a story where the main character is charging into battle as a Roman. What are they wearing? What weapons are they carrying? How many people are in their Legion? Who are they going into battle against? Use your imagination to think about how the battle will unfold and what tactics they might use.Activity Sheets

Young readers can organise your own Roman Army and find out some amazing facts about Roman soldiers in these free activity sheets! Download the resources here.

Be sure to let us know if your young readers and illustrators partake in our activities. Please do share drawings, book reviews, or stories with us via email or @nosycrow on social media.

The post Kids’ Club January 2024 appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Read an exclusive extract from Black Hole Cinema Club by Christopher Edge

We’re very excited to be publishing Black Hole Cinema Club in March – another edge-of-your-seat adventure from the award-winning author of Escape Room, Christopher Edge.

And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!

When Lucas meets his friends at the local cinema – nicknamed ‘The Black Hole’ – they’re excited about the movie marathon ahead. Non-stop action, blockbuster special effects and all the snacks they can eat. But as the lights go down, Lucas, Ash, Maya, Caitlin and Finn watch in disbelief as a jet-black tidal wave comes crashing out of the cinema screen and the five friends find themselves swept into an epic adventure.

Secret hideouts. Prehistoric monsters. Lost cities. Impossible missions. Being the hero of your own film should feel like fun. But as the cliffhanger scenes they’re pitched into become ever more perilous, Lucas and his friends start to wonder if these movies are really make believe. Can they save the day before the end credits roll? The fate of the world might just depend on it…

Read an extract of Black Hole Cinema Club here:

Black Hole Cinema Club will be published on March 14th – you can order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or from Amazon here. Do let us know on socials what you thought of the first few chapters when you’ve finished reading!

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our latest book news, including exclusive previews, giveaways, award news and more, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

The post Read an exclusive extract from Black Hole Cinema Club by Christopher Edge appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Thanks for the words: A tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah

Thanks for the words: A tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah.

I wasn’t lucky enough to meet Benjamin Zephaniah. I wish I had. I’ve worked in the children’s book world for nearly 30 years, both as an editor/publisher and as a poetry anthologist, yet somehow our paths never crossed. Zephaniah’s work has featured in ALL our poetry collections at Nosy Crow – they wouldn’t be complete without him – and, like all great writers and poets, I felt I knew him. I wanted to write today and say thank you for, well, everything. His brilliant poem, For Word, talks about gratitude and these are my favourite lines:

Thanks for words that do inspire
And those words that burn like fire

It’s these words and the way he put words together to make the world listen that deserves all our thanks.

Born and raised in Handsworth in Birmingham, England, Dr Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was heavily inspired by Jamaican music and street politics, and performed for the first time when he was just 10. He left school at 13 and began to develop a strong following as a young poet who was able to speak about the issues his community, and the world, were facing. Zephaniah moved to London aged 22, where he published his first poetry collection, Pen Rhythm and increasingly became known as not only a poet, but as a political and animal rights activist.

Zephaniah’s poetry gave people a new voice. His words whistled through you with the force of a hurricane, and he used form and content to thump a beat that was deliberately intended to unsettle and disturb. He was anti-establishment, and almost anti-poem, shaking it up brilliantly and persuasively, and we all loved him for that. His writing, whether novels, plays or poetry, doesn’t pull punches and is often hard-hitting and blackly funny.

Most of all, I loved the way Zephaniah wrote for children. He made it fun and accessible, often a bit silly and always full of multi-layered meaning. He wrote the sort of poems that showed children how powerful words can be, how bite-size words can make a reader feel something and, more than anything, make them feel BIG.

My absolute favourite is the Zephaniah classic which many children (and adults) love. Talking Turkey is the headline of his collection published in 1994, his first children’s book which was reprinted after only 6 weeks. Zephaniah was a committed vegan, and the poem is a brilliantly playful protest on the behalf of turkeys at Christmas. The holiday season is now upon us, and I like to think of those turkeys out with their placards, making a stand – defiant to the end, poking fun at tradition and demonstrating that things can be done a different way. In fact, just like Zephaniah himself.

Thanks for words that reach and touch
Thank you very, very much.

Lou Peacock

For Word © Benjamin Zephaniah, Funky Chickens, 1996

Image Credit: Adrian Pope

The post Thanks for the words: A tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Guest Blog Post from Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

‘The Suitcase’ (‘Der Koffer’) Adaptation from Picture book to the StageThe Journey

 

It’s very rare that you get a chance to see your own work re-imagined and transformed into something fantastically different.In early October 2023 I had the opportunity to see this happen at Theater Im Marienbad in Freiburg, Germany. The team there had adapted my book ‘The Suitcase’ (‘Der Koffer’) for the stage and were performing it for children and families.Having seen some beautiful performance photos and a trailer I was very frustrated not to be able to get to the premiere in June. So, when I learned that the play had a second run, I booked a train journey from my home in Limoges to Freiburg.I’m incredibly grateful to Theater Im Marienbad, the director Antonia Brix, the composer Simon Ho, the cast – Daniela Mohr, Julia-Sofia Schulze, Christoph Müller and Lisa Bräuniger, and the  theatre staff and crew – Sonja Karadza, Bernhard Ott, Emily Bourley, Sophie Jones and Mareike Mohr for their beautiful adaptation of this book and the warmth, hospitality and friendship they showed me in the run up to my  trip and during my weekend in Freiburg. I very much hope to go back one day and spend time with them again.The Theater Im Marienbad

 

     

The theatre is a converted 19th century swimming pool in a leafy street near the river. Like the city itself, Theatre Im Marienbad is a friendly and welcoming place. It’s very well-equipped and maintained by a dedicated team, putting on shows in two separate performance spaces, mainly for young people and schoolchildren.

 

The Play

 

I went to a Sunday afternoon performance, along with many families with small children in attendance. As it was the first time the theatre had invited such a young audience, Bernhard Ott of the theatre’s technical team had constructed tailor-made seating especially for it – long, low, padded benches (even taking their colour from the stranger in the book), to allow young children to spread out, move around and feel unconfined during the performance.

As soon as it began, I knew that it was going to be very special. The Fox, Rabbit, and Bird (played by Lisa Bräuniger, Daniela Mohr, and Christoph Müller) appeared, disappeared, and re-appeared from behind suspended white curtains around the stage, wandering, stalking, tiptoeing, playing with props and establishing what sort of a character each of them might be.

Then, the Stranger finally appeared (played by Julia-Sofia Schulze), pushing across the floor a battered old suitcase that appeared to weigh several tons. After a complex, choreographed passage of the characters and the case across the stage, the dialogue began, and the story started.

The Performance

 

The audience were engrossed in the actors’ wonderful performances. Younger members sometimes commented on the action or laughed at the animals’occasional silliness. Later in the story, the opening of the suitcase had been transformed from what is an unseen moment in the book to a longer, increasingly frantic and uncontrollable act of collective violence that results in the poor old piece of luggage and its contents lying smashed and trampled on the floor. In fact, the run of shows required a stock of over forty old cases, one for each performance. In the theatre, the moment brought an enthralled and uneasy silence, as the animals and audience absorbed what had been done, and realised there was no way that it could be undone. I realised I’d been holding my breath for the last thirty seconds of the scene.

 

The Costume Design

 

Designed by Emily Bourley, the costumes brought out each characters’ personality and appearance whilst avoiding the actors having to wear  cartoon-like animal costumes. They were dressed in human clothes with quirks and personalities of their own that, along with the actors’ mannerisms, implied each characters’ species and were an integral part of the actors’ performances.

The Music

 

Simon Ho’s compositions was evocative and beautiful. As they were cued from on-stage dialogue or action, the short pieces he’d written were used in randomised order. From performance to performance the actors could never know exactly which musical mood and atmosphere would accompany a scene.

Unpacking ‘The Suitcase’ for the Stage: Commentary from the team behind the Production:Antonia Brix, Director/Dramaturge:

When I asked about the production, I was immediately curious about this book that the actors had discovered. These are the best prerequisites for developing a play as a team.

When I had a copy of it in my hands I was thrilled by the well-constructed plot, the concentration on the essentials and the emptiness that offers a lot of freedom of association. ‘ The Suitcase ’ is an impressive and touching parable about being a stranger, about fears and friendship, destruction, making mistakes and making amends for them, and thus, of course, a highly topical subject.

Our big question at the beginning was whether we would succeed in transferring the freedom of association to the stage or whether we would get too involved in interpretation and lose the power of the book.

First, the whole team looked at and discussed the book page by page for three days. What happens between the pages? Is the damage, the violation of opening the suitcase, worse for the creature than his broken cup? Is it important for the audience to recognize the animals? Our costume designer, Emily Bourley, suggested creating the effect of recognition through the costume colours.

In the implementation, the animal characters were the starting point to develop quirky, surprising stage characters. Like the book, they are displayed on an empty stage, as if on a tableau. Over many improvisations, and always accompanied by Simon Ho ’ s music for the production, we developed scenes. For example: how do you open a suitcase like that when you have no idea how it works? During this phase, we were very much immersed in our own world, we laughed a lot, but we were also challenged again and again to endure the pain and uncertainty of “not knowing what to do next” in the scenes – in other words, not to have solutions at hand right away.

It was an intense and enriching time for all of us!

Sonja Karadza, Artistic director:

During a research tour through the wonderful children’s and youth bookshop Fundevogel, our four actors came across Chris Naylor-Ballesteros ’ book ‘ The Suitcase ’ . The next day they happily brought it to our session, and it turned out that they all wanted to do the book as a solo piece. The joy had the following background: In the past, our theatre didn ’ t make plays for the very young. We couldn’t find the right text and certainly not the right form to do justice to the artistic demands of the theatre. With this children’s book it was different, so much depth and complexity in such a simple story. We quickly decided it should not be a one-person show, but a large ensemble piece.

Who should direct it? We thought of Antonia Brix, a master in tracing and teasing out the complex in the seemingly simple and in taking her time and not overloading the situations. Two days before Christmas I called Antonia, and she picked up the book the same day in an equally great Munich bookshop and was immediately thrilled. Our Christmas Eve present: Antonia’s acceptance!

And not only that, Simon Ho, a virtuoso in composing stage music, agreed to work with us once again. A spontaneous idea had turned into a real project. Our technical director, Bernhard Ott, designed a wonderful atmospheric space, with a big surprise at the end that showed his passion for lovingly small details, a new home for the creature in all its details. Our event technician Emily Bourley designed enchanting costumes for it.

And if we were going to be bold enough to finally make a piece of work for this age group, then we also wanted to try out something else that was new, something for which this production lent itself very well. Our idea was to work with sign language on stage. Not as a translation service alongside what is happening on stage, but really integrated into the production by the actors. With wonderful help from Angelika Moser and critical guidance from Matthias Hanel, this attempt could bear fruit and become a small contribution to more inclusion in our theatre.

And then we had the great fortune of having the author come to visit, watch the play, and have dinner with us. You couldn’t wish for a better ending than this family Sunday and Chris’ presence.

 

Performance photos by MiNZ & KUNST photography: www.minzundkunst.com

The post Guest Blog Post from Chris Naylor-Ballesteros appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Kids’ Club – November 2023

Welcome to another instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club: a monthly feature with lots of engaging activities for the young readers in your life! Each month we’ll post a creative writing prompt based on one of our recent publications, and some downloadable activity sheets for you to print for your little ones.

Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra

This month’s activity is inspired by the hugely talented, best-selling poet, Nikita Gill, and her collection, Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra, illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

This stunning illustrated gift book of ancient Indian fables will open your world to mighty elephants and courageous mice, cunning crocodiles and clever monkeys, talkative tortoises and little lapwing birds; a world of wonder, wisdom and friendship, of helping others, speaking out, and finding courage.

Let’s Listen

In today’s exercise, we have prepared a special sample from the book, read by Nikita herself, to inspire your own drawings for the tale of The Monkey and the Crocodile! Press play below to listen.

 

https://nosycrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/animal-tales-audiogram-1.mp4Now, let’s draw!

In this reading, there are descriptions of the monkey, Red and the crocodile, Chomp. Try to draw these characters yourself based on what you hear and, if you want to create a background too, listen out for the descriptions of their surroundings!

You can listen to the full version of this story, and others from the collection, with our audiobook partner, XigXag.

Be sure to let us know if your young readers and illustrators partake in our activities. Please do share drawings, book reviews, or stories with us via email or @nosycrow on social media.

The post Kids’ Club – November 2023 appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Kids’ Club – October 2023 Edition

Welcome to another instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club: a monthly feature with engaging activities for the young readers in your life! Each month we’ll post a creative prompt based on our publications, with some downloadable activity sheets for you to print at home.

Design your own Monster!

This month, we’re taking inspiration from Kevin the Vampire: A Most Mysterious Monster, the first in a brilliantly funny fantasy adventure series from Matt Brown, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino!

Kevin Aurelius is just like any other almost eleven-year-old. Well, apart from his fangs obviously…  and he’s immortal. Oh, and did we mention he’s a vampire?

Read an exclusive extract here before downloading the Monster Fact File activity sheet to inspire your young readers to design a fun and friendly monster of their own!

 

 

Share your spooktacular monster designs with us on social media, tagging @NosyCrow; You never know, we might even share a selection on our channels!

Set up your own Spooky Reading Room

Nosy Crow has recently launched its Ambience Reading Room Playlist on YouTube, reading backgrounds inspired by our fantastic collection of stories. Simply set up on  your computer screen or TV and press play!

The first in our playlist is inspired by The Big Book of Mysteries by Tom Adams and Yas Imamura!

 

We hope you enjoyed this instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club! Let us know if there’s anything else they would enjoy by getting in touch via email or social media.

The post Kids’ Club – October 2023 Edition appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Nest Press: Nosy Crow publishes Snapper, the book to accompany the John Lewis Christmas advert 2023

Nosy Crow has created a children’s picture book based on this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert. Snapperwill be published today, Thursday 9th November, to coincide with the release of the retailer’s advert.

[image error]

This is the seventh time that Nosy Crow has been chosen to produce the companion picture book, eleven years since the publisher created the first in 2012. Snapper will be sold exclusively through John Lewis and Waitrose stores and via the John Lewis website.

As in previous years, the book ­­­­was produced on a tight schedule, with the John Lewis marketing team reading the outline of the story to Nosy Crow’s Louise Bolongaro so that they could construct the picture book around it.

Snapper is illustrated by Christine Cuddihy, an illustrator based in the Midlands, UK who is represented by The Plum Agency. Based on the John Lewis Partnership 2023 Christmas advert, Snapper is a heart-warming tale of acceptance and friendship, and how we can all grow our own traditions.

Alfie dreams of growing the perfect Christmas Tree. He plants a seed, and it grows, and grows, and GROWS . . . But with shiny leaves, a smiley mouth and an affectionate nip, it’s clear that Snapper is no ordinary tree! Can Alfie find a way to convince his family that, while he might be different, Snapper is the perfect tree for them?

 

Alan Wright, Partner and Category Lead for Toys and Books at John Lewis and Partners, comments:

“We are delighted to work with Nosy Crow yet again to create a stunning picture book which will be available in all John Lewis and Waitrose shops from 9th November. It is always a delight to work closely with the supremely talented Nosy Crow team and this title is just one of a number of Nosy Crow books available exclusively at John Lewis.”

 

Louise Bolongaro, Publishing Director of Picture Books at Nosy Crow and author of Snapper (as Lucy Feather), comments:

“It’s always such a privilege to be involved with John Lewis’s much anticipated Christmas advert, and we were delighted to be chosen to work with them again. The story of Snapper – the unusual, but utterly adorable Christmas tree – really spoke to me as an author. It’s all about acceptance, how to listen and respect the wishes of others, and how to celebrate Christmas in a way that’s right for your own unique and special family. These values really resonated with the Nosy Crow team – add oodles of fun and child-friendly humour, and, well, Snapper feels like the perfect Christmas gift!”

 

Christine Cuddihy

Christine Cuddihy is an illustrator based in the Midlands, UK who has been creating stories and illustrations as long as she can remember, having been inspired by the magical picture books she loved as a child. Her journey to a career in children’s illustration has been a long and winding path; she graduated in Fine Art from Falmouth College of Arts in 2007, and it was only in 2018 that her artistic pursuits eventually lead her to my ultimate passion – illustrating children’s books! Since then, she’s been lucky enough to work with some wonderful publishers creating books that children can adore for years to come. Her aim is to always to make sure every child can see themselves and their families represented in her work.

 

About the Book:By Lucy Feather and illustrated by Christine CuddihyPublication date: 9th November 2023ISBN: 9781805132912

Price: £9.99Format: Hardback

Available to buy from John Lewis and Waitrose stores and online

The post Nest Press: Nosy Crow publishes Snapper, the book to accompany the John Lewis Christmas advert 2023 appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Read an exclusive extract from Animal Tales from India by Nikita Gill & Chaaya Prabhat

We’re very excited to be publishing Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra next month – a stunningly illustrated gift book of ancient Indian fables, written by Nikita Gill & illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat.

And today we’re delighted to be sharing a preview of the book – you can read the first few pages below!

The stories of the Panchatantra have been read aloud and shared for thousands of years, kept alive by generation after generation of storytellers. In this captivating collection of ten animal tales, reimagined with warmth and wit by Nikita Gill, you’ll meet mighty elephants and courageous mice, cunning crocodiles and clever monkeys, talkative tortoises and little lapwing birds.

Discover a world of wonder, wisdom and friendship, of helping others, speaking out and finding courage.

Read an extract of Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra here:

Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra will be published on October 12th – you can order a copy from Waterstones here, Bookshop.org here, or from Amazon here. Do let us know on socials what you thought of the first few chapters when you’ve finished reading!

If you’d like to stay up-to-date with all of our latest book news, including exclusive previews, giveaways, award news and more, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

The post Read an exclusive extract from Animal Tales from India by Nikita Gill & Chaaya Prabhat appeared first on Nosy Crow.

Kids’ Club September 2023

Welcome to another instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club: a monthly feature with lots of engaging activities for the young readers in your life! Each month we’ll post a creative writing prompt based on one of our recent publications, and some downloadable activity sheets for you to print for your little ones.

Write a Poem

Our writing prompt this month takes inspiration from the rib-ticklingly funny A Whale of a Time – a brilliantly illustrated collection by Lou Peacock and Matt Hunt of 366 hilarious poems to keep you laughing all year round!

 

We think you’ll like this one, it will keep you laughing all year round. All you need to do is choose three random words and write a funny poem. The words can be things you see around you or the first three things that come to mind! Then, use these three words to write a tummy tickling six-line poem.

What makes you laugh and giggle? Maybe your pet, your friends, your favourite TV show. What makes them funny and how would you describe them?

Use your imagination to create the most outrageously funny poem you can! This poem can rhyme or it cannot, it’s completely up to you.

Share your kids’ creative writing with us on social media, by tagging us @NosyCrow! You never know, we might even share a selection on our channels …

Activity Sheets

More opportunities to create funny poems? Don’t mind if we do. Young writers can create a unique poem using titles taken from book spines, create a poem using random words provided on the sheet, draw a picture inspired by a poem and more in these free activity sheets! Download the resources here.

 

We hope you enjoyed the ninth instalment of our Nosy Crow Kids’ Club! Be sure to let us know if your little ones partake in our activities, and if there’s anything else you would like us to include, by getting in touch via email or social media.

The post Kids’ Club September 2023 appeared first on Nosy Crow.