The countdown is on. In just a few days – on March 1st 2023 – our pioneering Signing Friends books that teach Makaton signing to children and their parents will hit the marketplace! We are so proud of this collaboration between ourselves and the fantastic team at Singing Hands, which was set up by mums…
We’re springing into action, and the snowdrops are here!
Did you know that on February 1, it was St Brigid’s Day? And do you know its significance? Well, sit back and relax while we tell you… St Brigid, also known as St Brigid of Kildare, is the female patron saint of Ireland, and, significantly for this blog, her patron saint day on February 1…
A love letter to rain – why we’re mad about the wet stuff
Get your wellie boots on, ladies and gents, boys and girls, because we are enjoying an awful lot of rain at the moment. Even if it stops soon, we’ve got plenty of puddles to splash about it. Fantastic! Because while many people don’t like rain, you’ll not be surprised to learn that the glass-half-full team…
Another gong for the Happydesigner team
We’re not normally ones to blow our own trumpet, but we are chuffed to bits to have won an illustration award for the second year in a row. Yours truly – i.e. Happydesigner – has been named Illustration Studio of the Year 2023 in the annual Prestige Awards. We were first given this award in…
What Christmas traditions do you remember?
Christmas is on its way (on no it isn’t, oh yes it is – and, of course, panto season is upon us too!) So, at Happydesigner HQ, we’ve been turning our attention to Christmases past, and the traditions we remember from our childhoods. For many children, Christmas is that magical time when Santa pops down the chimney,…
Seasons of mist, mellow fruitfulness – and football? Why we love autumn
Unless you’ve really not been paying attention to the news, the World Cup kicks off this month. For football fans everywhere, this four-yearly event is the pinnacle of the soccer calendar, although this time, the choice of Qatar as the host nation is controversial. Don’t worry, this blog isn’t about the World Cup, but it…
C is for Collaboration: Introducing two amazing partners
Autumn may already be here, with the end of the year in sight, but there’s no stopping the team here at Happydesigner. Because we are on a roll – and we have some VERY exciting news to announce. For a long time now, our superstar illustrator Sarah-Leigh has wanted to find the perfect project to…
Hats off for Roald Dahl Story Day!
There are lots of things happening in September – it’s the start of autumn, children go back to school, and there is an equinox. But, for the busy team here at Happydesigner, there’s something even more exciting taking place: Roald Dahl Story Day! Organised by Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity, the idea is that school pupils…
Words without images – like bangers without mash?
We all have children’s book illustrators who we particularly admire. Some may be childhood classics, or we may be drawn (pardon the pun) to illustrators of more modern children’s literature. Many are both author and illustrator, and there’s no finer example than Beatrix Potter, whose series of stories based on animals are so loved by…
