Arena

Just Published: Bob’s Film Fiasco by Simon Bartram

Michelle — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:32:05 +0000

Bob and Barry have come up against all sorts of moon mayhem over the last few years: deranged magicians and royal disasters, heartless robots and chaotic clones, but this time they are being immortalised on the silver screen in Bob’s Film Fiasco.

Hollywood beckons for our favourite duo in the fifth book in the series. Movie star, Frankie Las Vegas, takes the lead role of Bob but mistakenly thinks that being The Man on the Moon is all alien battles and laser guns. Will Bob be able to save his reputation and the moon itself?

Bug Club Plays: The Last Egg written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Michelle — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:03:39 +0000

We were delighted when Pearson Education approached Kristyna Litten to illustrate a short play by Julia Donaldson. The Last Egg is part of The Bug Club: an exciting, new series of plays created for children who are learning to read in Key Stage 1.

There are thirty six titles in the series and each book encourages children to build their fluency, read with expression and enhance their reading comprehension. The plays are perfect for both guided and independent reading and can be read aloud, or acted out by budding thespians.

The Last Egg is out now and available from all good booksellers. Also available are the fantastic interactive eBooks where children can select the roles they want to play and other characters’ lines are read aloud.

Levi Pinfold’s Black Dog: Children’s Book Winner, AOI Illustration Awards 2013

Caroline — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:26:47 +0000

We are delighted to announce that Levi Pinfold’s picture book, Black Dog, has won first prize in the Professional Children’s Book Category in this year’s AOI Illustration Awards.

The Judges Comments were:
‘This is an elegant and highly accomplished picture book by a young illustrator with talent beyond his years. The characterisation is very strong, the pictures are composed beautifully and the luminous painting is exquisite. Black Dog is an original picture book, which has global appeal and is sure to become a timeless classic. This is a book we all love, and it was a unanimous decision to award Black Dog first prize.’

Black Dog, published by Templar has also been shortlisted for The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.

Black Dog, published by Templar

AOI Illustration Awards 2013 Shortlist

Caroline — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:26:33 +0000

The AOI Illustration Awards are the most prestigious illustration awards in the UK, open to illustrators worldwide working across all sectors and any medium. We’re proud to announce that a number of Arena illustrators were shortlisted for this year’s awards. The entries were assessed by a panel of respected judges including illustrators, industry professionals and commentators.

Professional: Children’s Book Category: Claude in the Spotlight by Alex T Smith.

Published by Hodder Children’s Book

Professional: Children’s Book Category: Primrose by Alex T Smith.

Published by Scholastic Children’s Books

Professional: Children’s Book Category: Grrr! by Chris Garbutt.

Published by Macmillan

Professional: Bob and The Moontree Mystery by Simon Bartram.

Published by Templar

Professional: Deadly! The Truth About The MostDangerous Creatures on Earth by Neal Layton.

Published by Walker Books

Professional: Black Dog by Levi Pinfold.

Published by Templar

Professional: Design Category: Shapwick by Frances Castle.

Clay Pipe Music

Professional: Public Realm: Guardian Edinburgh Book Festival 2012 – Illustrated Letters by Frances Castle.

New Talent: Book Category: The Catcher in the Rye by Euan Cook.

Paper Rose Humourous Card Range by Spike Gerrell

Caroline — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:54:04 +0000

Ambulance Chasers is a brand new range of humourous cards from Paper Rose. Originally created by Spike Gerrell for Doctor Magazine, they illustrate a selection of bizarre medical codes used by Doctors in general practice. When Paper Rose saw them, they knew they would make a perfect range of greetings cards and have cleverly adapted them.

Thanks to Sue Bateman and Jehane Boden Spiers from Yellow House Art Licensing.

June 2013 Calendar: Neal Layton: Deadly! The Truth About the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth

Caroline — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 08:49:16 +0000

This month’s image for Arena’s 2013 Desktop Calendar is by Neal Layton from Deadly! written by Nicola Davies and published by Walker.

Silly Doggy by Adam Stower wins Read Aloud Book Award

Tamlyn — Fri, 31 May 2013 08:12:42 +0000

Our friends in Minnesota State University Moorhead have recognised the talents of Adam Stower awarding his book, Silly Doggy the Wanda Gág Read Aloud Book Award 2013, we’re very proud of him and of course Lily and her beloved ‘doggy’.

Mark Oldroyd: Portfolio

Michelle — Fri, 31 May 2013 08:12:17 +0000

Mark Oldroyd graduated from St Martins School of Art where he studied Illustration, he now lives with his wife and teenage sons in the small market town of Battle (as in 1066) in East Sussex.

Mark is well known for his atmospheric, detailed illustrative style. He is a traditional artist creating his illustrations, as acrylic paintings. He has a beautiful sense of colour and composition, which has led him to work with a broad range of clients including the Radio Times, English Heritage and A&C Black for children’s classics.

Clients include:

A&C Black,BBC Audiobooks, Dorling Kindersley, Egmont Children’s Books, Euromoney Magazine, Harper Collins, Inside Housing, Lerner Publishing (US), Oxford University Press, Scholastic Children’s Books, Scotland on Sunday

Neal Layton: Updated Portfolio

Michelle — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:11:24 +0000

Whether it’s koala bears, woolly mammoths, stars, sticks or deadly animals, Neal Layton’s done it all! He’s a man of many talents and we are ever-amazed by his creative imagery. Here’s the fabulous cover for the Story of Stars, written and illustrated by Neal. This artwork features alongside a few more new pieces on Neal’s online portfolio.

Susan Hellard: Updated Portfolio

Michelle — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:29:54 +0000

When it comes to characterisation, Susan Hellard is second to none. She is brilliant at conveying a wide range of expressions and wonderful movement in her work. We’ve recently added a few new pieces to Sue’s portfolio including these princesses from Princesses Are the Muckiest (Bloomsbury).