Frances McKay Illustration

Happy Christmas 2017

Rosie Eve

 

Charlotte Cotterill

Kate Sheehy

 

Christina Bretschneider 

 

Henning Löhlein 

 

Happy Christmas and all best wishes for the New Year from everyone at Frances McKay Illustration.

 

Hack and Whack

I love Norse mythology, Icelandic sagas, and am fascinated by all things Viking, so it’s been a joy for me to write my first picture book featuring the worst Viking children…ever.

Hack and Whack are the terrible twins terrorizing their village, and I’ve loved imagining a Viking world where children are told off for sword-fighting on the table, but essentially run wild. All the normal constrictions of modern kids are brushed aside—these are Vikings.  They fight, they steal, they’re bold and they’re rude.  Children need a safe outlet for their emotions and aggressive feelings—what better way to explore their riotous natures than through literature?

 

was delighted when Faber’s Leah Thaxton suggested Charlotte Cotterill to illustrate, as I needed an artist with a wild sense of humour, and Charlotte has brilliantly captured all the antic fun of this book.  Long may Hack and Whack be on the attack.

 

Francesca Simon 

Hack and Whack was published by Faber and Faber on 5th October 2017.

 

 

Splendid Silliness: Elys Dolan's Knighthood for Beginners

Daily Mail, Best Summer Books
“Better known for her picture books, this first foray into young fiction by Elys Dolan is a laugh-out loud triumph. With plenty of wildly imaginative black-and-white illustrations, this is the perfect step up from picture books.”

Mail on Sunday, Best Summer Books
“This laugh-out-loud delight for young children is about Dave, the dragon who wants to become a knight.”

The Sunday Times, Children’s Book of the Week
“The inventive, zany text and captioned pictures are laugh-out-loud funny, and if you are not amused then, as Albrecht would say, you are probably a ‘dummkopf’.”

The Guardian, Children’s Book Round Up

“Full of splendid silliness, Elys Dolan’s Knighthood for Beginners will have readers cackling from start to finish. A highly illustrated hoot, full of outrageous medieval mash ups.”

The Financial Times

“Elys Dolan, who illustrates as well as she writes, seems to know just what tickles a kid’s funny bone, while imparting the message to be yourself, no matter what.”

The Press Association (syndicated in over twenty regional newspapers)
“Author and illustrator Elys Dolan (Steven Seagull Action Hero) has penned her first young fiction book –an epic David vs Goliath tale, that’s sure to treat the imagination and tickle the funny bones of all young readers. At its heart, it’s a story of friendship, finding your strengths and the love of books.”

The Guardian, Independent Bookshop Week
“Full of quirky detail and laugh out loud pictures.”

The Bookseller, “One to Watch"
“One of my favourite picture book creators (I’ve read Weasels and Nuts in Space aloud hundreds of times and they’re still funny) now turns her genius to young fiction with great aplomb. Both words and pictures zing with her distinctive bonkers humour; children will adore the slapstick silliness and there are crossover jokes aplenty for their parents.”

 

The Booktrust
“This book will make a fabulous first chapter book for a child to read alone. It is also a real laugh to read out loud, particularly the words spoken by Dave’s ‘trusty steed’ Albrecht.”

LoveReading4Kids
“In a nutshell: hilarious courtly adventure from one of our funniest, most inventive writer-illustrators. There’s something funny on each page either in the text or illustrations and this will have every reader laughing. Underneath the humour is a lovely message about being true to yourself.”

Books For Keeps
“Readers will love the fact that this hero is a dragon hooked on books. They will love his dedication to his quest. Most of all, they will love that he is called Dave.”

Parents in Touch
"A laugh-aloud book for newly confident readers, or for sharing aloud, this will have kids in fits of giggles - guaranteed!"

 

Frances McKay Illustration

"Champion!"

 

Daisy Doodles

I am delighted to announce the publication of my second picture book, Daisy Doodles (OUP) which has been a truly collaborative project.

 

Take one original idea from Pete Marley at OUP; add story and words by award winning author Michelle Robinson; have a day on location with photographer Tom Weller; mix together with my illustrations and digital wizardry to make a lovely little picture book!

 

 

The story centres on a real little girl, 'Daisy', who just loves to draw, finding herself stuck inside on a rainy day inventing a little friend in the shape of a very creative mouse, Pipsqueak. When magically comes to life, they embark in whirl of creativity which spills over into a fantasy world where they join their creations as illustrations themselves for an adventure, before they arrive home again to a bit of an untidy room and an understanding mum!

 

 

It was decided from the start that we would use photography for the 'real' world where we see Daisy drawing and playing, employing soft muted tones to reflect the rainy day mood, then switching to illustration in vivid colour when we enter little girl's imaginary play.

 

This was a very different type of book for me to work on as it involved not only the story boarding and and illustration, but for the photographic scenes, props were made, scenes planned, and photoshop skills employed alongside traditional drawing techniques to make the final spreads. Not to mention working with Kate and Pete at OUP, and the incredibly talented Phoebe who was perfect taking on the role of Daisy!

 

 

It was a real team effort which was a lot of fun, and has come together as 'Daisy Doodles', a lovely story which celebrates creative play and a child's imagination, whilst encouraging creative activities for young readers too.

 

 

Irene Dickson

 

Dreamer: Saving Our Wild World

Bee Willey's Dreamer is going down very well in the USA. The following is a review from the highly regarded School Library Journal.

"Once I had a dream, a special dream, a dream about our world." So begins a young boy's night of dream visits to regions around the world where animals and habitats are threatened or spoiled by human activity. A simple scheme of brief text in broad double-page views creates both an inviting journey and evocative lessons. "I dreamt I was a whale…and no hunters/chased after me." Sometimes the boy is an animal—a seal, an elephant, a panda. At other times, he dreams of the earth itself. "I dreamt I was a lake…/and no one filled me/with junk." A stream, an island, a rain forest, a valley pictured as a splendid Grand Canyon vista, and the air where "nothing blackened me" are other destinations. Each setting is beautifully conveyed in the mixed-media paintings, with lovely sweeps of color suggesting some backgrounds. The boy is always present as a relaxed observer or sometimes a tiny figure active among the habitat's animals. Small objects and animals judiciously placed add detail and bits of humor. These are particularly fun in the opening bedroom scene and the boy's concluding flight through space, paintbrush in hand. "I dreamt I painted a smile on the face of the earth/for all to see." A final page invites readers to dream of a better world and take action. Several statistical notes on wildlife losses are followed by a comprehensive listing of websites of international organizations. VERDICT A skillful blend of fiction and nonfiction that makes for thought-provoking bedtime reading and early classroom discussion.

Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

 

Dreamer: Saving Our Wild World by Brian Moses and Bee Willey.

Published by Otter-Barry Books

ISBN 9781910959596

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elys Dolan's New Series for OUP

As Charlotte Eyre reports in The Bookseller: Oxford University Press Children's has bought three young fiction titles by author and illustrator Elys Dolan.

The books will all be aimed at readers aged 7+. The first, Knighthood for Beginners, is about Dave the Dragon’s quest for knighthood with his trusty steed, a goat called Albrecht, and will be published in 2017. The second book Wizarding for Beginners will be published in 2018 and the third book will be in 2019.

Commissioning editor Clare Whitston, who bought world rights from Frances McKay at Frances McKay Illustration, said: “Brilliantly bonkers, always surprising, and never, ever boring – working with Elys is an absolute dream! I can't wait for kids to get their hands on Knighthood for Beginners and immerse themselves in the weird and wonderful world that Elys has created.”

This is the first fiction deal for Elys, who has published several picture books, including Steven Seagull Action Hero, Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Factory and Nuts in Space (Nosy Crow). 

 

Well done Elys from everyone at FMI.

 

 

 

Merry Christmas 2016

Tom Morgan-Jones

 

Sean Julian

 

Neil Price

 

Henning Löhlein

 

Bee Willey

 

Charlotte Cotterill

 

Jay Birks

 

Irene Dickson

 

Alan Marks

 

Nicola Pontin

 

Merry Christmas and all good wishes for the New Year from everyone at Frances McKay Illustration.

 

 

 

 

 

Animating Lordship Lane

I was thrilled to be one of the artists chosen to take part in the Animating Lordship Lane art trail last month. I was commissioned by Fantasy High Street to create a window display for Just Williams toy shop that responds visually to the business. My piece, Take the 5^th Exit, is a toyshop interpretation of the road itself. I cross the roundabout where Just Williams is located daily and thought this would be the perfect place to introduce a new imaginary exit from the roundabout at the bottom of Lordship Lane.

 

 

On this road there was a unicorn on rollerblades, a pirate in a helicopter, a dinosaur riding a scooter and an elephant driving a pick-up truck. I also included possibly East Dulwich’s most famous character, the giant Walrus from the Horniman Museum. He was traveling to the Horniman in the pick-up truck.

 

It was a fantastic project to be involved in and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working on large scale artwork. Fantasy High Street also held a Family Fun Weekend on the 3^rd and 4^th of September where I ran a drawing workshop in which children created their own illustrated characters to travel up Lordship Lane. It was an awful lot of fun!

 

Nicola Pontin