The Greedy Goat

This magical place is in the Czech Republic. I go there from time to time to walk, paint and write stories.

Sometimes I’m there on my own for weeks and the only company I have are deer from the wood and a goat.The goat comes to visit from a nearby farm. Goats are usually nosey and rather naughty. This one is not different. She goes everywhere and she eats everything.

I have to chase her away from the vegetables and flowers in the garden. The goat runs away and pretends to be scared, but as soon as I turn around, the goat is back.

As I go to this place to work and write new ideas, it wasn’t a surprise to me when a goat popped into one of my stories.

Let’s face it, goats are funny.Here is a picture of a goat by Josef Lada.  He did lots of drawings of goats and they are very funny. I love Lada’s work.

So one day I started sketching a story.

I knew right from the beginning that a picture of a goat eating a pair of boxer shorts must be in the book.I also knew, that if you do eat boxer shorts it will make you illand somebody, to whom the boxer shorts belonged would miss them.

Writing the book was great fun.I was very pleased when my publisher said that it’s going to be published.I love the moment when all the sketches and the text is finished and you can get on with the final artwork.I try to lock myself in and work and work.Working on this book was special, because I kept thinking of the real goat and of the place I love so much.I have already forgiven the goat for eating…everything.

Oh, by the way this is not the last picture in the book!

A couple of days ago a parcel arrived. It was full of freshly smelling books sent to me by my publisher!

I hope you will like the book.

Oh, one more thing. Look what lovely pictures were sent to me from the children in Field Place Infant School in Worthing.

The pictures were inspired by my books, which makes me very proud. Thank you for sending them to me!

And now for a bit of advertising:

The Family Literary Festival’s events at Shakespeare’s  GLOBE . Join us for a weekend of stories 29 – 31 July