This photo shows the meeting where Levi and Art Director Sarah Goodwin are choosing the cover direction in the Bloomsbury offices in London. They are discussing different solutions before the final decisions are made, there was a choice of three dramatic scenes which were mocked up into the jacket designs. This is a first rough stage and the images are showing rough compositions. There was a choice of Harry and Dumbledore at the cliffs outside the cave surrounded by the sea, the dark mark over Hogwarts and the final winning image of Harry and Dumbledore inside the cave at the basin with a lasso of fire lighting up the inferi surrounding them. The chosen cover illustration sums up the peril that Harry is facing and the jeopardy he's yet to face chasing horcruxes and spells out the dark tone for this book and the next.

We talked to Levi about working on this amazing project to find out more.

How did Levi approach Working on the Harry Potter series and leaving his own mark?

Levi had always enjoyed unsettling books when he was growing up. The style of his artwork now suits the darker subjects in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. He’s been fully immersed in and focusing on the world of Harry Potter and most of the time he is problem solving with the imagery, thinking on his feet juggling illustration and bringing up two small children.

Which scenes are chosen to illustrate, does Levi have a choice?

When the briefs for the illustrations come in from Bloomsbury he’s able to change the contents if he thinks he needs to, for instance the portrait of Harry entering the room of requirement, Levi was first asked to show the room itself, packed full of magical objects but when he thought about this scene he realised it was really about what Harry was feeling and he wanted to show the emotion on his face, the room of requirement appears as a reflection of the windows in Harry’s glasses.

Re-imagining the characters and settings.

Levi has avoided making anything look like the films, looking instead to the detailed descriptions in the text. He has tried to imagine the characters in his head and they have turned out closely resembling a cast of his own friends and family, there’s an image of two house elves who look remarkably like his own children. Capturing the age of the main characters was tricky, people are hard to draw anyway, teenagers in particular. Featured here Professor McGonagall in the headmaster's office, Draco Malfoy on The Hogwart Express and Professor Trelawney's inner eye.

Stand out or favourite illustrations.

Levi really enjoyed the penseive scene of the Gaunt family, the scene is described as silvery so it was a chance to use a monochromatic palette, the image has dark bluey grey hues giving it a gothic atmosphere, which was used for all the penseive moments throughout the book. A completely contrasting colour palette was used for Dumbledore’s funeral which is set in glorious summer sunlight. This proved the most challenging illustration to get all the detail just right, who sat next to who and when, it had to be true to the text. The greatest challenge was designing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where all the towers were placed correctly and getting the windows just right in hospital wing, so it made sense from inside and out. This illustration appears on the endpapers.

A different drawing style to continue the series after Jim Kay’s legacy.

Levi’s work is a big stylistic change, he loves Jim’s work but found it best to be true to himself when tackling a large project like this. The work is a series of problems to be solved, decisions to be made along the way, and he has own tricks up his sleeve to describe the way things look. Inside the Dursley’s house was guided by the chintzy interiors at the time it’s set and Levi based it on houses he visited himself in the 1990s. Levi grew up loving the llustrations of John Howe and Alan Lee, he loves art history and is inspired medieval paintings, Dutch genre painting, old masters, the Romantics and the Pre-Raphaelites, he's self confessed  painting nerd!

You can see Levi Pinfold's full portfolio on this link

Watch this exclusive video of Levi in his studio talking about his illustration process.

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Price illustrated edition is available direct from Bloomsbury.

Life is tough when you are super awkward and super anxious, it’s even tougher when you are also half-vampire and even tougher still when you are …gasp (dramatic pause) … a vegetarian! Prepare to meet Master Timothy Hawthorne, otherwise known as 'Moth', the lead character in Dotty Sutton’s brand-new debut illustrated fiction adventure, Moth the Veggie Vampire. Joined by a zany cast that includes his best friend, Biscuit (a bat), bedbugs, a princess and Gary (a Venus flytrap) - life usually sucks for Moth until he meets a girl named Mina... Illustrated throughout and filled to the brim with a zany cast of characters this hilarious story includes an important message about friendship and acceptance, guaranteed to bring a smile to even the most fang-filled face.

Dotty is passionate about character development, so this project has been a dream come true. From biscuit shaped bats and bedbugs to princesses and Venus fly traps, readers are going to find themselves completely and utterly drawn into the world of Moth so take a sneak peek inside the book here if you dare.

Dotty was kind enough to spend a while with us to tell us a bit more about this spooktacular project.

You have an incredible skill for character creation, is this something you have always been interested in and can you tell us a bit about the visual creation of the main characters in Moth the Veggie Vampire? 

Characters are absolutely my favourite part. I love thinking about all the little details like what they would wear, what haircut they might have, their favourite things, and all the quirky little habits that make them unique. Almost all of my characters are inspired by people I know, which I think really helps me create characters that feel alive, especially when I’m writing them.

Moth was based on someone I knew, but since drawing him in my sketchbook he’s taken on a life of his own life. I loved that idea of my book looking super gothic, in homage to books like Dracula, but in a more modern way. So all the vampires in my story, including Moth, have an emo twist to their look.

Do you have a piece of advice which you found useful when you graduated which you think freshly emerging illustrators will also find useful? 

Coming out of university can feel quite overwhelming, so allow yourself some time to figure out what you really want to do.

After graduating, I worked in a bar for a year and spent my spare time creating things purely for pleasure. It’s really hard not to put pressure on yourself to turn illustration into a career straight away, but some of my best ideas came from simply making things for fun. In fact, it was while working at the bar that I was telling a coworker some funny stories about a friend, and they encouraged me to turn him into a character. That character became the very first version of Moth! So you never really know where inspiration is going to come from.

I’d also say to fill your portfolio with work you genuinely love. Don’t make things just because you feel like you should, as you might end up attracting work that doesn’t excite you. And just accept the fact that your portfolio will never feel fully finished!

Finally, be brave about putting your work out there. Ask for advice and be open to feedback. Illustration is a collaborative career, so learning how to adapt and edit your work while still keeping your own voice is really important.

Do you have a favourite illustration from book one? 

Pg.182 with Moth and Mina on the roof. It’s a very tender moment for such a silly book. Poor Moth’s been through a lot and he’s opening up to his new friend. I really like how the illustration came out! 

Can you describe your workspace or maybe tell us about your dream workspace. 

It took me a while to find the right desk, as my building dates back to the 1830s! So something too modern didn’t feel quite right. I went to an antiques farm and ended up choosing the dustiest, crustiest bureau I could find, with three different discount stickers layered on top of each other. I absolutely love it, and spend a shocking amounts of hours sat at it like a prawn. It sits right by my window, overlooking a pub opposite, so I get lots of natural light and plenty of entertaining people watching. In a dream scenario I’d be body doubling writing with Bilbo in the Shire.

How do you choose which elements from the story to illustrate? 

It’s a collaboration between me and my amazing designer. When I’m writing the text, There are always parts I get excited to illustrate. Sometimes there are moments that might be tricky for a child to imagine, so I like to bring them to life visually. Once we have all those laid out it’s a case of making sure the illustrations are paced nicely throughout the story. A lot of the time I actually have an idea for an illustration first and write the story around it

You've been travelling far and wide taking part in bookish events this year? Will you be visiting bookshops to promote Moth? 

I will go to literally any bookshop that will have me! I love going to bookshops and it’s great that Edinburgh has so many amazing ones!

How did you feel when you first saw finished copies of the book? 

A bit overwhelmed, to be honest! I’ve been working on Moth for over two years! Even longer if you count when I first drew him in my sketchbook. It feels very real now seeing the finished book in my hands, and it’s printed so beautifully.

But mostly, of course, it’s incredibly exciting. It means that soon kids are going to get to see it too, which is what it’s all about!

Do you find social media a useful tool for promoting your work and connecting with your audience? Do you have any helpful hints? 

I love instagram. I like making little videos and watching them back. I like making my profile look colourful. I think the fact I get to connect with other artists is an amazing bonus! I have made some really cool connections through instagram and I also use it as my source for news from the book world.

I don’t think I can offer much help, but I have found people love an unboxing!

What is the strangest question you've been asked by a child at a book event? 

Why is your hair pink? hahah! Since I’m now talking about vampires I like to reply ‘I was bitten by a flamingo’.

Can you tell us any top secret hints about Moth book two? (out in 2027!) 

Bunnies, Baddies, and lots of Biscuit!

QUICK FIRE: 

Which is the best sweetie to pick from a Halloween treat bucket? 

A Milky Bar. Although, I am also the absolute freak that will eat the satsuma some parent has left out in the attempt to keep the kids healthy.

Do you think you are more like Moth or Mina? 

I’ve got Minas bubbles, and Moth’s anxiety, but really I’m more like the cinema rats.

Are you a veggie? Do you have a favourite veggie recipe? 

I don’t think I fully qualify as I do eat meat on special occasions! But my main diet is veggie. My go-to is a Buddha bowl! (using basically anything I can find in the fridge)

Do you have a favourite scary movie? 

Wendell & Wild. I love stop motion!

Best creepy creature to dress up as at Halloween? 

Vampires, duh.

Top three veg? 

Tomatoes, asparagus, and sweet potato.

Would you choose Biscuit the bat or Gary the Venus flytrap to be your best friend? Or maybe one of the bedbugs or Princess Bubblicious?

BISCUIT!

Is garlic dip the best pizza dip? 

No. I’m a vampire. It’s ketchup.

Here are a few of our favourite illustrations from Moth the Veggie Vampire:

Moth the Veggie Vampire is OUT NOW, published by Penguin Books, so grab a copy at your local bookshop or library. Happy reading!

Check out the early reviews: 

“Hilarious, fang-tastic fun! Perfect for all young vampire wannabes.” - Sam Copeland, author of Detention Diaries and Alex vs Axel
“Fun, fang-filled and bursting with wonderful characters and beautiful illustrations” - Adam Stower, author of Murray and Bun
“Funny, imaginative and perfectly scratches that Halloween itch” - Jamie Littler, author of Frostheart
“Jam-packed full of . . . stunning, quirky illustrations” - Laura Ellen Anderson, author of Amelia Fang and Evil Emperor Penguin

You can follow Dotty on Instagram or you can peruse Dotty's online portfolio over on our website. For more information regarding collaborating with Dotty, please email info@arenaillustration.com

Don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, we’ll be sure to keep you up to date with all our fabulous artists latest creative projects

Enter player one! We can hardly believe we are celebrating the 18th book in Thomas Flinthams’ best-selling; super-successful Press Start series.

PRESS START! #18: Battle of the Super Rabbit Boys! has hit #12 on the Publishers Weekly Children's Bestseller Frontlist!

From singing dogs to Robo-Crabs and evil Vikings there isn’t much Super Rabbit Boy hasn’t conquered over the years, but this time he faces his greatest challenge!

Super Rabbit Boy has been cloned by meanie King Viking’s new Clone-bot, now there are twenty Super Rabbit Boys in Super World! The Super Rabbit Boys agree they’ve got to stop King Viking from cloning more robots and creating a robot army. They decide to have a friendly competition to see who can stop him first... Sunny is playing a new multiplayer Super Rabbit Boy game where everyone is competing to be the best Super Rabbit Boy. Can Sunny beat the other players and come out on top? Which Super Boy will be the one to save the day? We guarantee this book is almost impossible to put down.

Each book in the Press Start series is illustrated on every page in full colour, specifically designed in a comic book format to encourage and engage newly emerging readers. 

Thomas Flinthan Fun Fact File:

• Thomas lives beside the sea with his dog Ziggy
• He collects comics and retro video games
• He would love to own a magical drawing pen
• His Favourite video game is The Legends of Zelda: Links Awakening
• His Favourite book is Who Will Comfort Toffle by Tove Jansson
• His Favourite film is My Neighbour Totoro

Battle of the Super Rabbit Boys! publishes this month with Scholastic and promises to be the most off the wall Super Rabbit Boy adventure yet, so buckle up and grab a copy of the latest fun-packed Press Start adventure at your local bookshop or library.

We receive lots of letters from Press Start fans. Here's a photo of some recent ones from fans in the USA and Hong Kong!

You can view Thomas’s online portfolio on our website, or follow him over on Instagram. For more information regarding collaborating with our amazing artists please email info@arenaillustration.com or give us a call. 

Joe Lillington has become one of the go-to artists for illustrated non-fiction for children. From his exploration of the Silk Road to his epic study of ancient warriors, his attention to detail, faultless research process and delivery of complex landscapes and city scenes have captivated the imaginations of thousands of young readers.

Eagle-eyed fans of Joe’s work may have spotted some of his stunning creations in the summer edition of monthly children’s magazine Aquila. Aquila is a publication aimed at readers from 8-14 which aims to inspire a genuine love of reading and learning. Intelligent and witty, the articles encourage children’s curiosity and creativity well beyond the school curriculum.

Joe kindly took some time out for a quick interview to tell us more about the illustrations, his  research, process, and what he learned along the way. 

Where do you find inspiration and resources?

I find lots of interesting imagery online to help feed into the details in my work and sometimes I also receive lots of useful imagery and information from the client. There’s also a lot of great informative videos online made by really knowledgeable people. I’ve got an interest in history so when not working I also watch documentaries and visit exhibitions. I’m sad to have missed out on the first tickets to the Bayeux Tapestry but hopefully I’ll manage to go! For the look of my work itself I also really like looking at older painters to inspire ways to get more texture and looseness in my work.

What is your creative process, your work space and the tools of your trade and describe your dream design space?

I’m working fully digitally with procreate on my iPad but I do always try to capture a feeling of traditional paint with the way I add texture and layer colour. For commissioned work digital just works much better for me in terms of time and flexibility. I’m trying to make my workspace a bit more inspiring with paintings and pictures on the wall and decorate the room a bit more but it’s a work in progress! At university I had a sea view from my desk which is pretty hard to beat! I’d like that again some day.

Which elements for this project did you enjoy investigating/visualising?

I enjoyed looking into ancient Mesopotamia and particularly the Ziggurat of Ur again which I have drawn previously for a different project! It’s a really cool structure and I liked working with it as a large compositional element and fitting everything else around it. 

What's the most interesting fact you learned whilst working on this project?

I don’t know loads about Ancient Greece apart from the most well known myths so finding out a bit more about some of the ancient tyrants was interesting.

Did you enjoy reading historical and non-fiction books as a child? Which books most captured your imagination?

I did, I always loved cross section ones where you could seek out lots of fun little stories and details hidden in the image - I had a bunch of Star Wars ones. I’ve also always found the three dimensionality of cross sections interesting, working out how to ‘cut’ into a complicated building or vehicle or whatever to reveal all the different things inside while still showing the whole in a way that visually makes sense.

How do you think publishers can deliver factual information to a younger audience most effectively?

For me, I still really like visually dense images like cross sections. Where the illustration is doing a lot of the heavy lifting showing the information rather than the text telling the reader. You can show all sorts of people doing all sorts different things, behaving in different ways, wearing different things - that way there’s a fun spark of discovery when the reader spots things for themselves. Those images do take a long time to make though!

Which period in history intrigues you the most and why?

I’m still really intrigued by prehistory, it’s just so removed from where we are now and so much unknown. The artefacts that have been found are really beautiful plus all the different animals and landscapes that would have surrounded people.

You can see Joe’s brand-new illustrations over on our website on his online portfolio. Subscribe to Aquila Magazine here for your monthly fix of fascinating facts.

Check Joe out on Instagram where he shares works in progress, drawing tutorials and information about his digital brush sets. For more information regarding working with Joe or any of our fabulous creatives please email info@arenaillustration.com we’d be happy to help you find the perfect match for your project.

Don't forget to sign up to the Arena e-newsletter to keep up to date with all our Artists' most recent work. 

Ten year old Jacob Oolong lives with his eccentric great aunt, Lady Petronella Oolong, on the top floor of Odd-Doings House.

When the most expensive chocolates on the world are stolen from Lady Oolong's Very Safe Safe, it's up to Jacob to catch the thief. But he'll need help from their neighbour J. Algernon Pickle, who is a beaver and also possibly the greatest detective in the world (it's his first case so we can't be sure).

A fast paced crime caper and hilarious whodunnit from bestselling author Alex T. Smith with his trademark black and white illustrations throughout the book, you can see more over on his portfolio.

Over to Alex to tell you more about his new book...

I am DELIGHTED to present to you my brand new book - ALEX T SMITH presents… J. ALGERNON PICKLE in… THE MYSTERY AT ODD-DOINGS HOUSE!

It’s a very serious work of children’s literary fiction that attempts to answer the question: WHAT IF HERCULE POIROT WAS A BEAVER? You can find out more about it on my substack pigeon post here and here.

THE BLURB…

Imagine if Hercule Poirot was a beaver... A fast-paced crime caper for readers aged 7+ with black and white illustrations.

Ten-year-old Jacob Oolong lives with his eccentric great aunt, Lady Petronella Oolong in the penthouse flat of Odd-Doings House.

They arrive home one afternoon to find an enormous heart shaped box of delicious chocolates has arrived for Lady Oolong. And these aren’t any old chocolates though. These are from Eclair’s (Est. 1844) and are the most wonderful and the most expensive chocolates in the entire world.

But the next morning - SHOCK HORROR! - they’ve vanished! Not just gone... STOLEN!

With his great aunt prostrate in her nightie with shock, it’s up to Jacob to find out who has taken them, but he’ll need help. He calls in a private detective who, rather surprisingly, is a beaver living on the floor below them. Enter... J. Algernon Pickle.

Together, J. Algernon Pickle and Jacob set about investigating this very confusing mystery. Things take an unexpected turn when it becomes clear that the chocolates could only have been stolen by someone who lives in Odd-Doings House. But WHO could it be?

The book publishes on September 10th 2026 with the Starboard imprint of Hachette Children’s Books.

Our dear pals at Waterstones have a number of SIGNED COPIES available! And you can pre-order a copy NOW!

You simply have to dance your mouse-clicking finger upon this link to find out more!

The book is also available to preorder through all your favourite indie, highstreet and online booksellers.

I’m SO excited for you to read this book. As I’ve said before, it’s VERY stupid. I wanted to write a book that was just daft and silly and this is that. I can’t wait for you to get your eyeballs on it!

Alex T. Smith

Thank you Alex! You can find Alex working very hard zipping about the country signing copies and doing events. He's appearing at The British Library in November as a guest of their family programme during the new Agatha Christie A World of Mystery exhibition.

He's visiting bookshops all over the place but you might see signed copies from his book tour in November in; Cardiff Waterstones, Swansea Waterstones, Bookish in Crickowel, Chepstow Books, Clifton Waterstones, Bristol Galleries Waterstones, Cribbs Causeway Waterstones, Bath Waterstones, Toppings of Bath, Mr B’s Emporium, Cheltenham Waterstones, Hatchards Cheltenham, Kenilworth Books, Leamington Waterstones, Coventry Waterstones and Stratford on Avon.

Then he'll need a lie down in a darkened room before the Christmas festivities begin with his brand new Winston Adventure! More news on that to come!

Every so often a picture book comes along that takes a story you think you know and turns it completely on its head. Little Minotaur, Gaia Alessi's debut with Walker Books, does exactly that - reimagining Asterion not as a monster to be slain, but as a bull-headed boy growing up in a family who loves him.

It's a re-telling rooted in a childhood spent among Etruscan ruins and Greek antiquities, and in one image in particular - a small clay cup, glimpsed years ago, showing the infant Minotaur held tenderly on his mother's lap. That single picture has clearly stayed with Gaia, and it's the quiet, curious heart beating underneath this whole book.

Ahead of the book's publication on 10th September, we sat down with Gaia to talk about swapping Theseus for Asterion, designing a protagonist somewhere between boy and Desi cattle, and why messages are most definitely not her jam. 

Introducing Little Minotaur: Gaia Alessi in conversation

Myths and legends have experienced an incredible resurgence in popularity in recent years, so creating Little Minotaur couldn’t have come at a better time. Did you study the original Greek myth and which elements from the original story did you transfer to your re-telling? 

My parents were single-mindedly passionate about Greco-Roman antiquities. Greco-Roman books carved a hefty space into our bookshelves, my sisters and I have names derived from classical antiquity and at bedtime we were told or read stories from The Odyssey, The Iliad or the Greek mythological canon. 

Our holidays were spent moving up and down the length of Italy from one archeological site or museum to the next.  My father was particularly obsessed with the Etruscan people so we visited all the archeological sites at Tarquinia, Cerveteri and Vulci over and over. As you can imagine, it was extremely dull for a child to weave in and out of badly lit rooms, and pour over insane amounts of old crockery in glass cabinets. But I was always glad to see the two towering winged horses who must have lived at the top of a temple at some point in the past. If only my parents could have left me at their feet for the duration of their visit, with a bag of crisps and a cold drink, that would have been bliss! 

And then there was this particular plate. It looked like a small double-handled frying pan, perfect for two eggs. On the plate (which I later learned is a cup called a kylix, a chalice),  Asterion is painted as a happy toddler sitting on his mother’s lap. Since then that image has insistently surfaced in my memory: how could tenderness like this be possible towards such a creature? For the Etruscans it was.

And because of that the story of the Minotaur has always made me angry. In it the hero, Theseus, rids the world of a people who blatantly offend Poseidon (would the Cretans even worship Greek gods?), interbreed with cattle, whose offsprings are monstrous creatures that eat human flesh and in which sisters betray brothers and in turn are betrayed by their beloved. Good grief! Is it propaganda? Or slander? Possibly to justify a war of conquest, so that all that is left for posterity to know about the Cretans is that they where abhorrent, especially Queen Pasiphaë and her children.

So when I finally decided I could put pen to paper, I told myself, out with the traditional hero and in with a different portrayal of Crete, of family love, personal choice and heroic deeds.

Gaia is also the name of a Greek goddess who was believed to have given birth to the Ocean, the sky, the mountains and the first mortals. Did having a name inspired by Greek mythology trigger your interest in myths and legends and do you have a favourite God and Goddess? 

Oh yes, Gaia…the only thing we truly share is that we both emerge from Chaos…you should share a coffee with me first thing in the morning! To be perfectly honest as a child I hated my name, I was routinely teased, by everyone, up until high school. Not fun. 

I’m not a believer of gods and otherworldly powers, but I love flights of fantasy, always have. My favourite question is “what if?”. So to go along with your “what if ancient Greek gods were real?”, it is a toss between Athena and Artemis, mostly because, as a child, I coveted their animals. I never could make my mind up if I’d rather have a flying doe (and race Father Christmas for presents) or settle for an owl (that would be easier to fit inside my bedroom and hide from my parents longterm). Also, Athena? Born out of her father’s headache? Respect.

You have an incredible talent for character creation. Re-imagining Asterion the Little Minotaur for a picture book audience must have had some challenges, how did you go about designing and finalising the look of the main protagonist?

I have piles of sketches of Asterion at various ages, with different bovine heads, with different shape and size horns. There are so many breeds of cows in the world! I filled three sketchbooks and reams and reams of paper going down various rabbit holes. He also changed colour various times, becoming pistachio green on occasion, but then I settled on a light blue because I wanted him to feel uncanny while still be likeable. No cattle has fur in any shade of blue and this way he would be more similar to his feathery friends.

For his head I took inspiration mostly from Desi cattle, with their elongated head with a ridge in the middle, a bulging forehead, large glistening eyes and soft long ears. Their horns also mostly point backwards like Asterion’s. You can spot Desi cows silhouettes in the cloud shapes throughout the book. And there is also a wildebeest! I spent time sketching the wardrobe for the whole family, another rabbit hole. In the end I shelved most of the costumes as I decided simplicity would make the characters stand out.

With that in mind, when asked, Asterion chose to have a simple light coloured garment covering most of his chest and arms. The delicate area where his human skin meets his bull skin is extremely sensitive to light and prone to eczema and he doesn’t like people to see it. But he likes wearing necklaces. And making them. He made one for his sister but Ariadne keeps it hanging over her bed, a bit like a dreamcatcher. She doesn’t wear it because it’s too jangly and when she’s running fast it gets all tangled up in her hair.

How did you settle on the subtle colour scheme? Was it inspired by Greek ceramics / architecture? 

It was inspired mostly by what remains of the frescoes of the Palace of Knossos in Crete, but the palette also had the hard task of making Asterion stand out. My very first palette had a lot of blacks and dark neutrals, it was very stormy and broody and heavily referenced the Attic red figure pottery. Once I started working with the team at Walker Books and the story changed to become more lighthearted and child-friendly we felt that the palette should reflect that. I have to lift a kylix overflowing with gratitude to Beth Aves for being so patient and supportive throughout the process of nailing down this delicate colour scheme. Thank you Beth.

Which is your favourite spread from the book and why? 

Picking favourites? Not my talent! I like them all; each for a different reason and they all bring back different memories and emotions.  When you make a picture book, a huge amount of time is spent working over an insane amount of drawings and paintings. And so I think we all make sure we paint things that fill our heart with joy with every single brushstroke or else we wouldn’t be able to sustain the process. 

I like the spread with the tapestry of Heracles and the Nemean lion because Asterion feels the need to wear a mask in order to disguise himself as a blood thirsty monster, while his sister needs no artifice to play a hero.

I like the summer spread because I miss the mantids, because I can smell the jasmine and, because who doesn’t want to sit on a gigantic slice of watermelon?

But most of all I think I like the spread in which Asterion and Ariadne travel the whole world following the birds. 

Finally the Minotaur is out of the labyrinth and a bull headed boy grows into a young man that has sailed the world’s oceans and climbed the Himalayas! I think if I had to pick just one that would be it, the one in which they are free and everything is possible ahead of them.

Are there any other Myths or legends you would like to re-imagine? 

The Valkyries are completely enthralling. Odin’s chosen maids who haunted battlefields and handpicked those who were to die, all while riding terrific winged horses. And Gilgamesh. The other day I was walking Twig, my dog, with my daughter Cassi and she was telling me all about the epic of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, the wild man. Her retelling of the first few chapters was so enthralling that I am hooked!

I also have been reading about Genghis Khan and his daughters, the Mongol Queens, who are particularly captivating, Attila the Hun and the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire and have stacks of materials about the Nenet people of Siberia and their reindeers. Yes, I have a soft spot for nomadic people: nothing feels better to me than roaming through endless landscapes with a herd of hoof-stock.

But right now, while talking to you and remembering all things past, I feel that perhaps telling the story of that child locked in a summer labyrinth of museum cabinets would be more honest, funny and relatable for children out there.

What are the key messages you hope that young readers will take away from sharing this story? 

Oh gosh no! Messages are not my jam. Seriously I have no prophetic bones in my body. 

I just thought, what if we got it wrong? What if the Minotaur just chewed grass? What I wish is for this story to take readers along a good journey, one in which they might come with me to places they haven’t been to and meet people they hadn’t thought about until they turned that page. But most of all I wanted to give the Minotaur a break. To offer him at least one small story in which the world is seen from his eyes.

Many thanks to Gaia for answering all our questions so beautifully.

Little Minotaur publishes with Walker Books on 10th September - you can pre-order your copy from your local bookshop,  Waterstones and other online retailers or from your local library. You can find Gaia at Phlox Books in Leyton,  on Sunday 13th September where she will be reading from Little Minotaur, drawing pictures and helping  everyone to make their own Asterion head-mask. Book your free tickets online from Phlox Books.  

See more amazing illustrations by Gaia Alessi over on her portfolio, including a selection of spreads from Little Minotaur. You can follow Gaia on Instagram and don't forget to sign up to the Arena e-newsletter to keep up to date with all of our Artists' latest projects. 

Little Acorn, A Long way Down, written and illustrated by award-winning writer and illustrator Adam Stower arrives just in time for little seedlings heading back to school. Our completely adorable acorn pal is happy as can be, safe up high in the top of his tree, but disaster strikes as one day Little Acorn falls all the way down to the forest floor with a great big THUMP.

Adam has a very special talent for character creation and the cast of woodland creatures in this story doesn’t disappoint, from a dinky dormouse to a skittish squirrel and even a greedy little piglet, each animal is filled with humour, leaping energetically across the pages with pure joy.  

Little Acorn's new friends try enthusiastically to encourage Little Acorn to explore all the fun activities to be shared on the forest floor whilst at the same time trying to help him get back to the top of the tree, with varying levels of success.

Cleverly combining a traditional picture book format with pages featuring comic style panels with inventive text layouts, this book explores page space, and inventive positioning of illustration making it pure a joy to read aloud.

From start to finish this heart-warming story will help little humans, acorns and other woodland chums discover that there is always someone to be-leaf in you and that you can face all sorts of new challenges with friends by your side. We secretly hope that we eventually find some of Acorn's pals starring in books of their own in the very near future.

You can watch Adam reading Little Acorn on the Little Acorn Project

Little Acorn, A Long Way Down lands in bookshops on 27th August published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, be sure to gather up a copy at your local book shop or library.

You can find Adam on Instagram where he shares drawing tutorials, book trailers, sneak peeks and event appearances. You can also view Adam’s newly updated portfolio over on our Arena Illustration website.

For more information regarding collaborating with Adam or any of our fantastic artists please drop us a line via info@arenaillustration.com or by calling us on 020 8555 9827, we’d be happy to help you find the perfect artist for your project.

Although the school summer holidays haven’t finished quite yet, we are delighted to share Kristyna Litten and Kathryn Cristaldi’s newest addition to the much-loved, bestselling, I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home  series. 

I’ll Love You Till the Sloths Start School, published with HarperCollins, is a sweetly funny lullaby in board book form, just right for little hands, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate it. 

Kristyna has once again brought her trademark expressive style and heartwarming creature creations to the page, telling the tale of the trials and tribulations (and ultimate successes) of starting school. The sloths are heading off to school - but are they late for lessons, or arriving fashionably on time for their own nocturnal timetable? Gentle humour meets big-hearted reassurance to first-day-of-preschool nerves, with the cows on hand at the end to give the new night-school pupils a properly tender welcome. Sturdy, silly and soothing in equal measure, it's the perfect bedtime read for anyone (sloth or otherwise) feeling wobbly about school.

Here are a few of our favourite illustrations.

Accolades for this blossoming series!

"This charming book is a tender reminder of the power of long-lasting love." - School Library Journal

"A refreshingly creative bedtime tale - and a solid choice for those who march to their own drummers." - Kirkus Reviews

"This bedtime read-aloud is both hilarious and comforting." - ALA Booklist

"This rhyming narrative teaches children the comforting lesson that love is eternal. A cozy book with a message that is familiar to all and tailor-made for one-on-one sharing." - School Library Journal

Grab a copy of I’ll Love You Till the Sloths Start School, from your local bookshop or library, just in time for your little ones starting school.

You can see more of her beautiful illustrations from inside I'll Love You Till the Sloths Start School, and explore Kristyna's illustration portfolio. Take a look at the other companion books to this bestselling series, I'll Love You Till The Crocodiles Smile and I'll Love You Till The Bats Say Boo. 

Follow Kristyna on Instagram where she shares insights into her up-coming publications, event news and the occasional post featuring her beloved bunny.

For more information regarding collaborating with our fabulous artists please email info@arenaillustration.com, we’d be delighted to help match your project with the perfect creative talent. Don't forget to sign up to our e-newsletter to keep up to date with all of our news. 

We’ve clashed with Vikings, galivanted with knights, caused havoc with pirates and braved a host of ghosts, but now it’s time to join Murray and Bun on a brand-new escapade.

Presenting Murray, the Explorer, the 5th adventure in Adam Stower's hugely successful Murray and Bun series.

Illustrated throughout and sporting a rather fabulous jungle themed cover, this blossoming series certainly shines a spotlight on Adam’s incredible skill for storytelling, character creation and world building. Completely charming and with laughs on each page, newly emerging readers will be completely entranced but this daring duo.

Our beloved feline protagonist Murray loves nothing more than a peaceful nap and a fluffy blanket, however his long-eared companion Bun (who happens to be half iced bun, half rabbit) is as you might imagine, the complete opposite, a furry ball of enthusiasm and excited about EVERYTHING!

Today the magical cat flap sends them off on one of their most adventure-packed quests yet! So, hold on to your hats and get ready for a super-seat-gripping tale.

Click HERE to see Adam out in the wild introducing this latest adventure. We really think he should have his own TV show; because this is undoubtedly an Oscar winning performance.

Adam is based on the south coast where he has access to a bright and breezy beach and a lovely local bookshop, and despite being incredibly busy, he still occasionally finds a quiet moment to sit and sketch. His charming and lively line work has a witty approachability about it, making him the perfect match for a range of projects, from author/illustrated picture books to collaborations with best-selling fiction authors.

Adam’s talents are simply endless and despite being incredibly busy he can always be found attending fun-filled events at book shops, schools, libraries and festivals across the country.

Murray and Bun (and Adam) are unstoppable, and we can’t wait to see where the cat flap leads them next. Murray and Bun; Murray the Explorer publishes on the 27th August with HarperCollins and can be found in all good bookshops and libraries. You can pre-order a signed and dedicated edition via Adam’s local book shop The Book Nook in Hove.

Please take a moment to view Adam’s brand-new updated portfolio including more artworks from Murray the Explorere on our website, and for more tantalising tit bits be sure to seek him out on Instagram.

If you would like to get in touch with the Arena team regarding collaborating with Adam or any of our fabulous artists, please email info@arenaillustration.com we’d love to help you find the perfect match for your project.

An exhibition trail on the Guérande Peninsula

from June 20 to November 1, 2026

A journey through art and history, creating a dialogue between the world of John Howe and three iconic heritage sites in France. You are invited to discover the places as much as the artworks on display

Night time projection

When the medieval architecture of the Porte Saint-Michel meets the world of John Howe, the façade lights up to offer a monumental projection. As night falls, images and light reveal a dreamlike and mythological universe.

Led by CapAtlantique La Baule-Guérande Agglo and designed specifically for the territory by exhibition curators Diane and Jean-Jacques Launier, the exhibition takes the public on an artistic journey spread across 3 cultural sites in Guérande, Herbignac and Batz-sur-Mer.

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