Those crazy koalas are back…!

Koala Calamity – Surf’s Up is written by Jonathan Meres, illustrated by Neal Layton and published by Harper Collins Children’s Books as part of their Awsome Animals series.

Yesterday afternoon I read my forthcoming pop-up book The Story of Stars to the Warthogs class of Cumberland Infants School.

This is the first time the book has ever been aired in public, and I’m glad to say it received an enthusiastic response, provoking lots of questions and debate!

I’m afraid everyone else will have to wait until November of this year when the book is published by Hodder Children’s Books.

Pre-order book

Yesterday I spent an enjoyable and enlightening afternoon with my agent Alison Eldred at the London Book Fair.

After some pre-arranged meetings we strolled around the rest of the stands, a great way to gain an overview of what’s going on in the publishing world. I was suprised at how busy and bustling it was. Although not exclusively a Children’s Book Fair there was plenty to see, with all the major UK children’s publishers and plenty of foreign ones represented, and it was easier to get to than Bologna or Frankfurt!

No entry without a badge!

A snapshot from the cafe; books anyone?

NEWFLASH for all Mammoth Academy fans…

Sardine Productions partners with TVO to develop a MAMMOTH children’s series.

“Montreal-based Sardine Productions has signed a development deal with TVO, Ontario’s public educational media organization, to take The Mammoth Academy from a book series to a children’s television series.

“Woolly mammoths Oscar and Arabella, along with their many friends, embark on an exciting adventure when they start school at the one and only Mammoth Academy, where learning means mucking about and getting your paws, trunk, woolly hair and tail into the thick of things and deliciously dirty! Based on a series of books by British writer and illustrator Neal Layton, the project is certain to be a MAMMOTH experience in a 52 X 11 minute format.

“We’re excited to partner with Sardine Productions to develop The Mammoth Academy for pre-schoolers.” says Patricia Ellingson, TVO’s Creative Head of Children & Parent’s Media. “Mammoth is full of whimsy, heart and ‘makes you think.’ Every story encourages the audience to wonder, question and investigate the world around them.”

“The Mammoth Academy is the kind of BIG project we like.” says Ghislain Cyr, President of Sardine Productions. “The Mammoth Academy has that rare combination of natural appeal and intrinsic value. Set in the Ice Age, it is nonetheless warm and fuzzy, and totally contemporary.”

“About Sardine Productions Inc.Founded in 2002 by Ghislain Cyr, Sardine Productions is a boutique animation production company dedicated to creating distinctive original content for both domestic and international markets. To learn more about Sardine Productions: www.sardineproductions.com.

About TVOKids

“TVOKids exists to help Ontario’s 21^st century learners be successful in school and in life. Developed for every kind of young learner and covering virtually all Ontario Curriculum areas for grades JK-5, TVO-produced children’s programs, web activities and mobile apps are built in collaboration with TVO’s on-staff educator and classroom-tested to ensure specific educational objectives are met. According to a 2011 Ipsos Reid poll, Ontarians rate TVOKids both the most trusted and most educational children’s media brand in Canada. TVOKids airs daily on TVO from 6 am to 7 pm. The award-winning tvokids.com is home to over 170 educational games and TVOKids offers a growing inventory of educational mobile apps for all platforms.

About TVO

“TVOis Ontario’s public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO’s vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org.”

A photo from the forthcoming production of The Story of Everything; out of the inky blackness appears megaloceros and the apes! Wow!

The Story of Everything: From the Big Bang until now with pop-up and pop-music

By Neal Layton, in a version by Judith Wilske and Maren Simoneit, from the English Language by Manuel Thannheiser.

Premiere on 9th April in Berlin.

“Coproduction of the THEATER AN DER PARKAUE with the college for dramatic arts “Ernst Busch”, department for puppet theatre.

“A long time ago there was nothing, no cosmic space, no time, no planets, no humans, not even nothing. What happens when nothing explodes in a nothing? As strange as it sounds, a universe comes into existence. “The Story Of Everything” is a geoscientific magic play. The protagonist is the stage, which narrates the evolution of our planet with flora and fauna from the Big Bang until today as a vivid non-fictional story in eleven pop-up pictures. Presented by the ultimate contemporary witness, a protozoon-conférencier, and accompanied by the four-headed trilobite band, it takes us on a journey through the stadiums of world history in a mixture of facts and philosophy, physics and magic, life and death.

“Neal Layton’s splendidly illustrated children’s books have received numerous awards and are internationally successful. For the adaption of the storybook “The Story Of Everything” Judith Wilske (directress and economist), Maren Simoneit (drama expert), Alex Tiller (cofounder of the Puppetmastaz) and Silvana Toneva (visual artist) unite our company and puppet theatre students of the “Ernst Busch” college with pop-up art. Wilske & Simoneit became known for their children’s book on purchasing behaviour and brands with the title “Why do you shop?” and the participatory project “Kinder zu Unternehmern!” [“children as entrepreneurs!”]. Judith Wilske was involved in the WINTERAKADEMIE 7 [a one-week project with children and adolescents which takes place every year at the THEATER AN DER PARKAUE]. At the Berner Biennale 2012 Wilske & Simoneit participated with their project “Die gute Bank” [“the good bank”].”

(excert from Theatre an der Parkaue’s catalogue)

Some collage for the latest book I’m working on; possibly the tastiest art materials I’ve ever purchased!

(If you live in Southsea and have a sweet tooth this is the shop to visit…)

Some more photos from the forthcoming stage production of The Story of Everything.

Hand painted ichythostega costume by visual artist Silvana Toneva.

Look it’s grown legs!

And arms!

Here is my drawing of ichythostega that the costume is based on.

Here are some photos of the musical trilobites from the forthcoming stage production of The Story of Everything.

This yellow one is the guitarist,

this green one plays the acordian,

and here is the drummer!

 

Well done to all the Theater an de Parkaue team. I think they look fantastic!

The show opens in Berlin 9th April and will run till Sunday 14th April, with an extra show on the 6th May.

More photos to follow soon…

THEATER AN DER PARKAUE, Berlin’s State Theatre for Children, are staging a production of The Story of Everything. The show opens 9th April of this year and will run till Sunday 14th April, with an extra show on the 6th May.

The show will feature a talking sponge, a singing trilobite choir and much much more! Photos of the production in progress to follow soon…