Week 28 - Lydia Monks

We find the book in Sheffield this week, visiting picture book royalty Lydia Monks.

Lydia’s first children’s book, ‘I Wish I Were a Dog’ won the Smarties Book Prize in 1999. Since then, she has worked on around seventy titles. As an illustrator, she has collaborated with Roger McGough, Carol Ann Duffy and Julia Donaldson. Lydia is the illustrator behind the much acclaimed, best seller ‘What The Ladybird Heard’. She lives in Sheffield with her two little girls.

Thank you, Lydia for a fantastic spread! If you want to see more of Lydia's work take a trip to her website, for the latest news you can follow her blog and twitter. Now off to a legend in children's book world, the fantastic Chris Riddell will get his paws on the book next. We can't wait to see what he has in store for her red bear...

Week 27 - Jason Ruddy

It's illustrator 27, only 3 more to go and the book will be complete! This week we are at the home of writer/illustrator Jason Ruddy.

Jason graduated in 2006 with a degree in Animation. Since then he has worked in the digital industry and done the odd bit of illustrating, animating and designing for a number of things. In 2010 he started up a collaborative project called Monster Riot with his wife Catherine McDaid. Through Monster Riot he has painted a 5ft Gromit for Gromit Unleashed, illustrated greetings card ranges and his designs have adorned everything from t-shirts to biscuit tins. He works from his home studio in Buckinghamshire and is currently working on his first authored books. Check out Jason's week with the book below...

If you want to see more of Jason's work you can do by visiting his website and if you want to follow his tweets you can follow him @jasonruddy. Time for the book to make a move again, this time its off to Sheffield to see the lovely Lydia Monks. See you soon!

Week 26 - Mark A Chambers

We're back! Apologies for the radio silence, we have had to make a few changes to the project and now we're back to cover the journey of the final 5. So it's illustrator number 26, the ace Mark A Chambers!

Mark was born in Aberdeen on a cold and windy day in 1980 and shortly afterwards moved to warmer climates down south in rural Lincolnshire. Although he wanted to be a golfer, chef, fighter pilot and master Lego builder (not all at the same time) he found that his skills were much more suited to becoming a professional doodler.

Mark graduated with a 2:1 in Illustration from Lincoln University in 2003 and the Bright Agency started to represent him a few months later. He now works from a studio which is a short walk from his house and shares it with a lobster, a Mogwai and a giant prawn!

Since joining Bright, Mark has managed to secure picture book deals with publishers such as Templar, Little Tiger Press, Simon & Schuster, Usborne and Random House. He was also selected to illustrate ‘Animal Adventure’ at ZSL London Zoo, the new children's zoo area. This has lead to further work securing major London Zoo book commissions with Bloomsbury. He won the NASEN picture book award in 2008 for his book, ‘Best Friends’. ‘Pandamonium’ illustrated by Mark and written by Dan Crisp made the final of The People’s Book Award and 'Pirate house Swap', written by Abie Longstaff, has been shortlisted for the 2012 Stockport Schools Picture Book Award. He is also the illustrator of the popular 'Stinky & Jinks'  titles published by Templar.

Mark’s first self-authored picture book, ‘Brian the Smelly Bear’, was published in October 2012. And from one bear to another, here's Mark's studio and peeks of his spread...

Thanks, Mark for a brilliant spread (and showing the book the sights in Lincolnshire). To see more of Mark's work check out his blog, Facebook fan page, instagram and follow him on twitter. Now the book is on it's way down south to Buckinghamshire to see author/illustrator, Jason Ruddy. Until next time...

Week 25 - Katharine McEwen

The week's are flying by! We're on week 25 and find the book being kept safe and sound by the ace Katharine McEwen.

Katharine has been illustrating children's books and other things for 15 years. Her next children's book is all about bears, so the Bear With Me project is particularly appealing to her. In fact, any opportunity Katharine can get to draw a bear, make a bear, paint a bear, see a bear, or (if she's lucky) hug a bear, she relishes. Katharine finds bears very satisfying subjects to draw, which is why they frequently appear in her personal work. 

Katharine graduated from Kingston University with a BA(Hons) in 1996. Over the years, she has received commissions for editorials, greetings cards and advertising, but has found her bold, graphic watercolours have been particularly appealing to children’s publishers. She is fortunate to have worked with an array of well-known authors and to date, has illustrated around forty children’s books for all ages, several having won awards. She is currently illustrating stories of her own.

Katharine works in a shared studio space in London and lives in Kent. See how Katharine got on with the book in her photos below...

Thank you, Katharine for an amazing week! To see more of Katharine's work check out her great website, see her fantastic pics on Instagram and follow her twitterings on twitter. Now the book travels back up the UK to be with the cheeky Mark Chambers. Until next week!