Xiong Liang: The writer and illustrator channels the spirit of traditional Chinese watercolors into picture books for children

Xiong Liang


Xiong Liang is an illustrator from China’s Zhejiang province (south of Shanghai) and is now one of the most established picture book artists of the capital. Yet he never really…

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Professor Astro Cat: London-based illustrator Ben Newman creates a playful character to teach kids about space

Professor Astro Cat


by Gavin Lucas For the last 30 years, if you wanted to know about space, the universe and its many wonders, Professor Stephen Hawking has pretty much been the go-to guy. However that’s about to change because there’s a new space brainiac with…

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“Colouring Book” by Deirdre Dyson: The London-based carpet designer embarks on a playful marketing approach




This finely crafted coloring book is the work of carpet designer Deirdre Dyson and we’re big fans of her playful, but sophisticated, approach to marketing. Because sketching and coloring carpet and textile design is intrinsic to…

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Interview: Sam Arthur of Nobrow and Flying Eye Books: This London publisher rejuvenates the children’s book market with a collection of beautifully illustrated stories

Interview: Sam Arthur of Nobrow and Flying Eye Books


by Gavin Lucas Independent publisher Nobrow has built a solid reputation since its inception in 2008 as a purveyor of beautifully produced image-based books. Now, from its headquarters in a shopfront studio in London’s Shoreditch, it…

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Jemmy Button: Separated by land, sea and language, illustrators Jennifer Uman and Valerio Vidali collaborate on the historical tale

Jemmy Button

As the incredible true story goes, in the mid-1800s the HMS Beagle, captained by Robert FitzRoy, landed in Tierra del Fuego on the coast of Patagonia. After one of his boats was stolen Fitzroy reportedly took a group of hostages including a boy he paid for with a mother…

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A Sky Full of Kindness: Lovely paper cutouts and a bird’s-eye view on life from Rob Ryan

A Sky Full of Kindness

For his second book, “A Sky Full of Kindness,” artist Rob Ryan has put his paper-cutting skills to use in a story about a pair of songbirds eagerly awaiting the hatching of their first chick. The intricate illustrations marry words with images to create a seamless tale about family,…

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Artist Michael Sieben updates the children’s classic with characteristically kooky illustrations

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Originally published to great admiration in 1900, L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” has since secured itself as one of the most recognizable children’s classics of all time. While the beloved story has stood the test of time HarperCollins teamed with Austin-based artist Michael Sieben to update…

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D.E.S.I.G.N.: Innovative design book for parents desirous to share their interest with children

D.E.S.I.G.N.

Since its release in 2011, “D.E.S.I.G.N.,” by Polish author Ewa Solarz has enchanted kids and the design-minded parents who read it to them. “I keep on hearing that D.E.S.I.G.N. is someone’s children’s favorite book,” says Solarz. “It might be that children simply like to know different things. Design is…

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Sky High: Germano Zullo’s illustrated tale of neighborly competition

Sky High

In an age-old story of keeping up with the Joneses, author Germano Zullo has created a children’s picture book that follows the fate of two rival neighbors as they compete to build the most extravagant house imaginable. The original edition of “Sky High,” written in French and published in…

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