At Happydesigner, we’re all about children’s book illustration. We eat, live and breathe books – well, we don’t eat them, but some of them smell really nice (especially when they are new!). But actually, this isn’t quite true; we’re not ‘all’ about children’s books. There’s a lot more to Happydesigner, and one of the most…
Happydesigner and the Chelsea Flower Show
We are proud as punch to announce some very exciting news, here at Happydesigner. We have branched out (pardon the pun) and been commissioned to illustrate the design for a garden that will be on show at no less than the Chelsea Flower Show. Garden designer Jamie Butterworth, who runs Form Plants in Windsor, is creating a garden…
It’s beginning to look a lot like… there aren’t enough books!
There are many reports in the media these days about shortages: not enough loo rolls during the pandemic (due to hoarding), empty supermarket shelves because of a lack of delivery drivers, and too few workers to fill an abundance of job vacancies. But one report that caught our eye at Happydesigner was this: a shortage…
Want to write a novel? There’s never a better time
Did you know, we are in the middle of National Novel Writing Month? And did you also know there are three other awareness days and weeks related to literature during November? We’re not quite sure why November has been selected as the month to start putting pen to paper, or for dusting off the diary,…
It’s spooky time! Get set for Hallowe’en
We love a good festival here at Happydesigner, and Hallowe’en is one GREAT festival. There is so much to enjoy about it – stuff for children to do, great food to eat, games to play, trick or treating (responsibly, of course). And, wow, there is so much orange around with all those pumpkins. If you…
Seasons of mist… autumn is on its way
It was just over 200 years ago, in 1820, that John Keats published possibly his most famous poem of all, Ode to Autumn. With the opening line ‘Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness’, and then referencing everything from apples, to bees, to swallows, to hazels, it’s a beautiful poem, all about this bountiful season. Poignantly,…
Introducing… new children’s books from the pen of Happydesigner
As children’s book illustrators we like to think we know a thing or two about what makes a good book for youngsters. We’ve illustrated books for children of every age, from 0, to pre-school, to primary, to teens, and we have learnt a lot along the way, from working with many wonderful authors. So now…
Here comes summer and our top tens!
If you follow the Happydesigner blog you’ll know that as well as beavering away illustrating children’s books, we’re all about being in the great outdoors, and summer hols are the best time to be doing this. Football may not have come home (unless you’re Italian, that is – in which case ben fatto), but summer…
Children’s Books with a purpose!
Writing a Children’s book? What’s the point… Children’s books have changed enormously over the past several decades. From Enid Blyton’s Famous Five (drinking lashings of ginger beer), to Harry Potter (quaffing lashings of butterbeer, come to think of it), children’s literature has gone through many iterations. Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker lives in a children’s home…
