Picture Books
The picture books on this page are all fiction. You can see some of my non-fiction picture books on my non-fiction page.
Doctor Hoof
illustrated by Garry Parsons(Scholastic)
Doctor Hoof is a horse doctor. He only treats horses. But when he moves, to a new town he realises that he is the only horse around. How can he find some new patients ... and some new friends?
This book was inspired by my grandson's mispronounciation of Doctor Who, but it has nothing to do with a certain famous timelord. Instead, it's a tale of moving home and settling in, of learning to be part of a community and of discovering differences don't matter - we're all similar inside.
I have adapted this picture book into a short play that's the right length to perform in assembly. You can read the script online at Lazy Bee Scripts.
This story is also one of five picture book texts included in Stories for Illustration.
The Lamb-a-roo
illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw
(Frances Lincoln)
When a lamb is adopted by a kangaroo, he's very happy with his new family but worried that he doesn't look like them. He sets out to change himself, but, in the process, he discovers that who you are is more important than what you look like.
This story about adoption was inspired by my beautiful, brown-eyed adopted daughter who longed to have blue eyes like the rest of the family.
As warm and cuddly as the fluffy lamb on its cover
Publishers Weekly
I liked this because not all families are the same and this tackles the issue of difference in a very positive way.
The Bookseller
This wonderful book beautifully illustrates how love can be shared across boundaries and how we can celebrate diversity instead of worrying about being different.
www.bettybookmark.co.uk
This is a beautiful heart-warming tale that is sure to appeal to readers and listeners of all ages.
Armadillo magazine
The Bear Father Christmas Forgot
illustrated by Anna Kiernan
(Scholastic)
The idea for this book popped into my head one day as a picture of a teddy bear dangling from the back of Father Christmas's sleigh. The resulting story of a bear who has to deliver himself became my first published picture book and was one of the Children's Book Council's "Children's Choices" for 1996.It has been translated into Finnish, Norwegian and Danish as well as being published in the USA where there is also a Spanish/English dual language edition.
(out of print, rights available)
This story is one of five picture book texts included in Stories for Illustration.
A Good Place for Kittens
(Scholastic)
It's a stormy night and the cat has nowhere to go. But she knows she must find a good place for kittens before it's too late. Her searches take her to a variety of places which turn out to be unsuitable before she finds the perfect home just before her kittens are born. The text is perfectly illustrated by Kathryn Prewett's watercolours.
(out of print, rights available)
This story is one of five picture book texts included in Stories for Illustration.
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Ruby Red and Sky Blue
(Rigby Rocket)
When I was asked to write a story including the words red, blue and purple, it seemed natural to use the fact that the first two colours mix to make the third. When I visit schools, children are always very impressed to hear that I wrote this as they remember it from when they were learning to read.
The Clay Dog
(Ginn - Lighthouse series)
Have you ever realised that many of the items archeologists find were originally lost? I hadn't until I went to a fascinating talk by someone from our local museum, and it was that talk that inspired this story. It tells of a Roman child's toy which is lost and lies under the ground for years while history goes on above his head. Eventually he is dug up in the present day and becomes the treasured possession of another child. The book is designed for use in school as a guided reader and comes singly or in packs of 6 with teachers' notes..