A quick update for 2017

Things are moving forward with more book and illustration projects coming together for 2017. I've also been working with Rich who has made great progress with bringing together a new more arcadey version of Zombie Piranha. I will post more updates and progress pics on the Putty CAD Games page here. We're aiming to have a fully playable version for the Leeds Games Expo in April.

I'm proud to once again be a judge and ambassador for Children's Reading Festivals UK. http://www.childrensreadingfestivals.com/ please check out the website for more details and if you have children make sure they check out the Poems and Pictures Poetry initiative created by Christina Gabbitas which is now in it's fifth year! Make sure you tell their teachers too, as the best poems will appear in the next volume of Children's Poems. The topics this year are Seasons and Climate Change.
http://www.poemsandpictures.co.uk/competition/index.html

I will also be attending the Selby children's Reading festival on Saturday 25th March. Please come along if you want a signed copy of my children's book A Knight Before Christmas. Click on the image below to visit the website.

Share Some Secrets - supporting Barnardos

The book I illustrated for Christina Gabbitas (www.poemsandpictures.co.uk) Share Some Secrets (www.sharesomesecrets.com) which deals with the delicate subject of child abuse is supporting Barnardo's in their 150th Anniversary year. A new version has been printed especially to coincide with this. The book has been praised by the NSPCC and is also available in their library.

Christina will be signing the book at various locations in the coming weeks along with the Felicity Fly series and children's poetry books.

If you can get along to any of her events please do! Also please check out her websites for the poetry initiative which is currently running where children have chance to be published in an actual book.

www.poemsandpictures.co.uk

V & A Children's Illustration awards

Author/publisher Christina Gabbitas (Poems and Pictures Ltd) has nominated the illustrations I did for her Children's Poetry books for a V & A award. You can read all about it on the official V&A website here:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/b/va-illustration-awards-2016/published/book-cover-illustrations/childrens-poems-invitation-captured

NEW BOOK - Children's Poems Volume 3 - OUT NOW!

Buy the book on Amazon

Buy on Blackwell Books

Buy on Waterstones

The third volume of Christina Gabbitas' poetry book is now out. I had great fun illustrating this and reading the children's poems. Please help to spread the word about this great book encouraging reading and writing for children!

New poetry book - cover illustration

Here's the final cover artwork for Christina Gabbitas poetry initiative volume 3.
This years topic is Exercise and Healthy Food and all the poems were written by children.

For more information regarding the annual children's initiative please visit www.poemsandpictures.co.uk

Children's Poems book wins TPBP Beryl Bainbridge Award for Best First Time Author

The book Ric Lumb illustrated for Christina Gabbitas, Poems and Pictures Has won the TPBP Beryl Bainbridge Award for Best First Time Author from The-Peoples-Book-Prize. Christina set up the children's poems initiative and invited school children to submit their own poems to appear in the book. The initiative creates around 50 new young authors every year who are thrilled to see their poems in print. Now in it's third year with a new book being released in the autumn.

https://www.facebook.com/puttycad

Felicity Fly meets the Dragon Fruit and Friends - Book launch today!

The new book I illustrated is out today! "Felicity Fly meets the Dragon Fruit and Friends" Launching at WHSmiths, Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield. Go along and meet the author Christina Gabbitas and grab a copy of the book! For more information about the book and Christina's other works visit her websites: www.felicityfly.co.uk and www.poemsandpictures.co.uk

Please check out the schools poetry competition too: www.poemsandpictures.co.uk/competition

Share Some Secrets - Book Cover Art Mockup

Here's the mockup to the new book by Christina Gabbitas - Share Some Secrets. A story about good and bad secrets which helps parents and teachers to discuss child safety issues from a child's point of view in a family setting. The book is written in a subtle way so that children can read it and share it with their friends.

You can still help to get the book launched through kickstarter and gain various rewards including signed copies and a credited acknowledgement in the back of the finished book. Please follow Christina @poemspictures and myself @cartoonsbyRic on twitter for more updates.

View the Kickstarter here and please donate or share with friends, families and followers.

Book Signing - Leeds WHSmith - Saturday 4th October

The poetry book written by UK school children I illustrated for Christina Gabbitas is hitting the shelves at selected stores of WHSmith and Waterstones.

This Saturday Christina has invited me along to her signing in Leeds WHSmith where she will be signing copies of her brilliant Felicity Fly books and I will be signing copies of the poetry book!

The book was written by UK school children as part of an incentive and competition run by Christina and £1 from ever copy sold goes to charity. So please pop along and show your support!

Share Some Secrets - a children's story book about child safety by Christina Gabbitas

I've recently worked with Christina Gabbitas a brilliant and enthusiastic children's author, poet and voice artist.   You may have seen her Felicity Fly stories in WHSmiths and Waterstones or at one of her many signings or school events.   Her latest book is written for children but tackles the subject of children at risk in a way that young children, their parents and teachers can comfortably read the story together and discuss the difference between good and bad secrets.

Share Some Secrets

Christina is very passionate about the subject and wanted to raise awareness from an early age, hopefully this book will help! I agreed to help her by doing the illustrations and helping to spread the word about her book and kickstarter.

I hope you will join me in supporting Christina and her work by donating a small amount to the kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/171962989/share-some-secrets-childrens-picture-rhyming-book

In return for your generosity there are some great rewards, sneaky peeks at the work in progress artwork and story, and most importantly if the book helps any children to share their bad secrets it could change their lives for the better! Please share the kickstarter and webpage with all of your friends and families.

http://www.sharesomesecrets.com/