Back in his third epic adventure Alex T Smith’sMr Penguin and his sidekick Colin take to the high seas in this beautifully produced illustrated fiction series published by Hachette Children’s Books Mr Penguin and the Catasprophic Cruise is available in all good bookshops and libraries now.
Dressed in his absolute best bow tie Mr. Penguin is boarding a luxury cruise ship. He doesn’t like water, and he can’t swim, but his friend Colin is performing with the Ladies Choir on board – and anyway, Mr Penguin feels like a rest after some busy Adventuring. What’s more, fish finger sandwiches are apparently available twenty-four hours a day. Heaven!
But despite the glamorous film stars and party atmosphere, Mr Penguin can’t help but feel that something shifty is happening on board. And when he befriends a young stowaway with a mystery of her own to solve, he soon finds that Adventures are lying in wait after all …
This action-packed adventure series beautifully showcases Alex's skill for character design and his clever use of the space on the page really brings this hilarious slapstick stories to life. His talent for storytelling is something to behold alongside his masterful illustration skills making this hugely popular series a sure-fire hit with readers young and old.
It is said that stories are told eye to eye, heart to heart and mind to mind, this Scottish proverb is at the very essence of the work of our newest Arena Illustrator.
We are thrilled to welcome award-winning illustrator and storyteller Marie-Alice Harel to Arena Illustration,presenting her exquisite illustrations, masterful storytelling and stunning new online portfolio.
Award-winning French illustrator Marie-Alice Harel began her full time career in illustration in Edinburgh in 2016 where she had first settled as a Geosciences PhD and researcher. Her ethereal watercolour illustrations exude a magical transience which capture the imagination.
With storytelling at the heart of her illustration practice, Marie-Alice draws inspiration from exotic cultures, fascinating historical archives, fantasy, mysticism and her own personal life experiences. This skill for creating stories first made its appearance in a series of exquisite limited edition books.
Winning the prestigious Book Illustration Competition in 2019 for illustrating Howl's Moving Castle by Dianne Wynne Jones published by The Folio Society, Marie-Alice's stunning illustration work is much in demand and lends itself beautifully to a wealth of publishing and design projects. This lavish edition of a fantastical tale includes an introduction by award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick and perfectly showcases her delicate dreamlike style. Watch their YouTube Video HERE
Waitrose commissioned Graham Carter to design their Halloween merchandise this year, they wanted a ‘toolkit’ of characters, a Haunted House and patterns which were easily adaptable for a multiple of uses from a stencil on a biscuit to a pattern on a paper plate.
We’re very pleased to announce the publication of Graham Carter’s debut picture book, the stunning Otto Blotter Bird Spotter, published this month by Andersen Press.
Claude, the animated series based on the Alex T. Smith’s much-loved, best-selling series took Disney Junior by storm in 2018 and now has his sights firmly set on terrestrial TV in the UK. Set your alarms for 9.25am every morning and grab a cuppa to watch Claude on ITVBe.
September sees the publication of Icarus Was Ridiculous, the 8th book in the best-selling and award-winning series by the dynamic duo, illustrator Thomas Flintham and author Pamela Butchart. From demon dinner ladies to vampire rats, this time we find ourselves in ancient Greece with four retellings of the most dramatic myths.
Our favourite superhero duck with the supersonic quack and his zebra sidekick are back with a tasty new adventure: Adventure Duck VS The Armadillo Army. Aleksei Bitskoff’s illustrations explode of the page in this quacking tale written by Steve Cole and published this month by Orchard Books.
AHOY THERE ME HEARTIES! The Jolley-Rogers and The Pirate Piper, by Jonny Duddle is published by Templar Publishing this month! This family adventure is packed full with hilarity and a good smattering of mischief - the perfect read for all yer little wannabe pirates.
We took a trip to Brighton to meet up with King Coo creator Adam Stower in his studio to talk about his new book, The Curse of The Mummy’s Gold, published by David Fickling Books.
