Frances McKay Illustration

White Ravens Bologna Exhibition

Donough O' Malley is very happy to announce his inclusion in the International Youth Library's White Raven exhibition in Bologna.

RINGO THE RAVEN

A new Year and a new book illustrated by Henning Lohlein.

Henning's handsome Mr Fox

Julia Donaldson, children's laureate and author of the Gruffalo, chose "My name is Mr Fox" written by Shen Roddie and illustrated by Henning Löhlein, amongst her top ten favourite recent picture books, as published in The Guardian Saturday 22 October 2011. 

Meerkat Smiles, (I hope!)

 
Recently I have been very happily sketching meerkats, for a possible new project!!

Frances rang me up one day to ask, “How do you feel about drawing meerkats?” I answered, “Well, I’d definitely like to give it a go!” Especially as we are members of a small local zoo in East Sussex, that is particularly known for its meerkat family, and a its meerkat viewing dome, where my girls love to pop their heads through, to become part of the meerkat surroundings!

I’m an Ape-Man

(Click on the images to enlarge the illustrations)

I first met Jane Goodall at Heathrow airport with the publisher Michael Neugebauer. Michael had already published The Chimpanzee Family Book with Jane; had been to The Gombe National Park in Tanzania to photograph the chimps, and was already a supporter of Jane’s charity, the JGI. The possibility of my working with her came up and I was asked if I could draw chimpanzees. I’d never drawn one and perhaps I could have replied, “Yes, but I will need to see them in their natural habitat”. Being freelance, I simply said, “Yes, of course”. Jane and Michael flew off to separate and exotic parts of the world and I drove back home to my drawing board. It isn’t just the freelance thing though; I assume that I can draw anything because drawing is a process of discovery; and a good way to learn about an animal, for example, is to draw it. As well as doing various pieces for the JGI, I have since worked with Jane on With Love a book of true stories about the lives of chimps and Rickie and Henri, again, a true story about the relationship between an orphaned chimp and a dog.

The Electricity of Ideas - D J Connell on Creativity

I’m a novelist and write books for a living. But my first love was illustration.

I can’t remember learning how to draw. It was something that fell from the sky and landed in my lap.I was never formally taught techniques but as soon as I was old enough to hold a pen, I was drawing.

School for Princes, and the Mouse Who Saved Egypt

The Mouse who saved Egypt will be published by Tradewind Books in July 2011 in the US and Canada, September 2011 in the UK. Tradewind are small but publish interesting stuff and have a fab typographer!

Ben's Box

Ben’s Box’ is a book I have been working on with Frances. It focuses on a little bear named Ben who just wants to play. He spends his day trying to catch Florence, a bird who is hiding in his box. She flies out and he tries to follow her. Its text consists of mostly onamaterpiac words which are simply joyous. There’s not much else to be said about this lovely little story really. All I need do now is make sure all the drawings are as strong as they can be!