If you know me, it’s no secret if that I don’t go anywhere without a book to read. At the end of the day, I turn to a book to offer a quiet space of calm, a welcome escape that sets me up for a good night’s sleep. Reading makes me feel centred and whole. I like to sit and look at my bookshelf and find the book for that moment, for that frame of mind, for that state of heart. THERE IS A BOOK FOR THAT!   There's a book for that, no matter what! Much has been written about the importance of books in instilling empathy in young readers, and how reading is the key for children’s succ ..read more

    In an empty shop unit in a shopping centre in Cambridge in February, Anglia Ruskin University Children's Book Illustration students put on a pop-up show of artwork from some of their graduates; From Sketch to Story. They were happy for me to take photographs, so here is my personal selection from that exhibition, of images from relatively new illustrators. Enjoy! Spot the fox! This is by Aoife Greenham (aoifegreenham.co.uk), from her book, The Deers Cry. She says on her website, 'The Deers Cry is an illustrated extract from the Old Irish poem of the same name, for all readers ..read more

Consciousness. There’s been a lot of debate about what consciousness is. I’m with Anil Seth, that having consciousness is having something that it feels like to be you.  I think consciousness is a really useful invention for animals, and minds are part of bodies. But what about the Subconsciousness? What is down there in the dark unknown zones of the Subconsciousness? I discovered in the fantastic book Sentient by Jackie Higgins: we have way more senses than we’re aware of – for example, proprioception, which is the sense that tells the body where it is in space: nerves in our muscles a ..read more

Q&A Picture Book Den   I’m delighted to welcome Mariesa Dulak to the Picture Book Den. As part of Book Trust and World Book Day’s ‘PassThePen’ project, I, as author of last year’s World Book Day ‘You Choose Your Adventure’, have been linked with debut picture book author, Mariesa. We’re celebrating the publication of her picture book ‘There’s a Tiger on the Train’, beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Cobb. Mariesa, I’ve got so many questions to ask you!    First of all, have you always been a writer, wanting to write books? What was child Mariesa like when it came to her ..read more

 March 7th sees the publication of The Secret Life of Bugs, written by me and illustrated by Vivian Mineker.  It’s the fifth book in a six-book series called Stars of Nature, and it’s published by Happy Yak – an imprint of Quarto.  The series began with The Secret Life of Trees, and I didn’t know it was going to be a series at first. It only grew into one because the foreign rights were sold in many different countries. That meant that the publisher earnt enough from it to justify another series title, and then another and another ..read more

Cuteness has infiltrated our lives!  The internet is awash with puppies on spa days, reels of sneezing hedgehogs, baby squirrels combed with toothbrushes and videos of kittens in outfits falling off sinks and curling up next to dogs and ducklings. smv.org - Getty Images.    The power of cute culture is here, persuading us to forget the details and dangers of our impersonal world and tugging on our heartstrings from every corner of our daily lives and, of course, our picture books. Ten Minutes to Bed Little Dragon - Rhiannon Fielding - illustrated by Chris Ch ..read more

As has become tradition, I'm here to mark the start of a new book year with some smashing, upcoming picture books titles.  So, hold onto your library cards and 'to be read' piles... here are 24 picture books publishing in 2024 that caught my eye. (There may be some books from your resident Picture Book Den bloggers, too!) 1. I LOVE YOU MORE by Clare Helen Welsh and Kevin and Kristen Howdeshell (4th January) A heartfelt celebration of parental love and the beauty of nature. How much does Mum love her little Rae? More than seal pups and penguins love their icy home, more than ..read more

  I happened to read Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton in bed last night (having not read it for about three years).                                             My bedtime reading for the last couple of weeks Do you ever get that thing where something you’ve read loads before suddenly resonates in a new way?                                                 &nb ..read more

 The Cambridge dictionary defines a challenge as: something that is difficult and that tests someone's ability or determination. And this is true. We face many challenges in our lives that tests our ability to overcome them and even tests our determination. When we give up, regardless of our abilities, we fail.  As a new writer all those years ago, I had the determination to write picture books. More than raw talent. I’m not one of those writers who writes a perfect word in a perfect sentence making up a perfect picture book in the first setting. (Does this mythical writer exist ..read more

It's that time of year when the Picture Book Den team get together and create a group post.  This year we wanted to share with you a highlight of our writing career. We hope you enjoy and wish you all the best for this festive season and a fabulous 2024! Moira Butterfield  There have been highs and lows in my writing career and there still are. It's part of the gig. Sometimes it feels as though, with every book, I must restart from scratch. I forget that I have any kind of track record and  it feels like I am at the bottom of the mountain again. It's then that I need to brin ..read more