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Morag Hood has a unique voice. Her idiosyncratic, wry humour permeates everything she does, creating books of style and irresistible charm. Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea was a runner-up in The Macmillan Prize for Illustration, marking a glorious picture book debut. Morag spent her childhood writing stories, painting, and dreaming of having a pet duck. Following a degree in Costume Design from Wimbledon College of Art, and an MA in Children's Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art, Morag returned to live in her native Edinburgh with her husband. She still likes making stories, printing, cutting and sticking, and freshly sharpened pencils. The pet duck is yet to make an appearance.
With its comic storyline and bright, bold, minimalist illustrations, The Steves is another bit of picture book genius from the hugely talented Morag Hood. It stars two young puffins, both lively and busy, both called Steve – which is where the trouble starts. The two compete – with increasing determination and bluster – to be top, ‘the Stevest Steve’. Watching their antics as they try to best one another is very funny and the illustrations brim with vitality right to the last page, with its unexpected twist. Children will laugh out loud at what the two Steves get up to, but they’ll recognise all the emotions they’re feeling too. Brilliant!
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2019 | Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award 3-6 | An EmpathyLab Read for Empathy book 2018 | Simplicity is the charm of this picture book story of the unlikely friendship between very different vegetables. Lee is a very green pea and so are all of his friends except for Colin who is a very orange carrot. Colin can’t do all the things that the pea-friends can do such as roll or bounce. Nonetheless, it turns out that they can all be very good friends. Julia Eccleshare's Picks for January 2019: Lark by Anthony McGowan Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea by Morag Hood Dear Zoo Snuggle Book by Rod Campbell Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy Billly and the Minpins by Roald Dahl Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen The Skylarks' War by Hilary McKay
Shortlisted for the UKLA Shortlist Book Awards 2019 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This must be one of the brightest and best picture books of the year. With minimalist illustrations – simple shapes against blocks of Day-Glo colour – and short lines of text, Morag Hood tells a story that will dazzle and entertain all readers. Cherries, Bat tells us, ‘are my favourite things’, following this up with a fiercely delivered threat: ‘Do not take my cherries.’ In later pages though we see the cherries being stolen. Bat is inconsolable until one of the thieves leaves a pear in their place. Bat’s emotions – joy, anger, confusion, despair, surprise and joy again – are rendered brilliantly in the tilt of an eyebrow and the angle of the head while the intensity of those emotions will be hilarious yet recognisable to child and parent alike. Superb!
Anyone who shares their house with a unicorn or unicorn fan needs a copy of this lovely picture book. Little Sophie Johnson is a self-confessed unicorn expert. She has 17 – though it’s amazing what or who can be turned into a unicorn by the simple addition of a cone or even toothbrush to the forehead. Caring for them keeps Sophie busy, and Mummy (who we never see) doesn’t always understand that magic is more important than mess. It’s a great celebration of the power and fun of imaginative play, and Sophie’s unicorn filled world is depicted with real charm in Ella Okstad’s illustrations, the page on which she teaches her horned friends about the dangers of balloons is terrific!
With its strikingly simple images, this picture book will give children lots to think and talk about and will also have them laughing out loud. Grandad’s acting out of character and he looks different too: his clothes don’t fit very well and he keeps turning up in the strangest of places (like the freezer). Of course children will see it’s not Grandad at all, but a penguin. A trip to the zoo, where Grandad looks very at home with the penguins, puts things right. It’s a book that makes you look really closely – how alike are Grandad and the penguins? There’s a wonderful twist in the tail too.
With its comic storyline and bright, bold, minimalist illustrations, The Steves is another bit of picture book genius from the hugely talented Morag Hood. It stars two young puffins, both lively and busy, both called Steve – which is where the trouble starts. The two compete – with increasing determination and bluster – to be top, ‘the Stevest Steve’. Watching their antics as they try to best one another is very funny and the illustrations brim with vitality right to the last page, with its unexpected twist. Children will laugh out loud at what the two Steves get up to, but they’ll recognise all the emotions they’re feeling too. Brilliant!
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This must be one of the brightest and best picture books of the year. With minimalist illustrations – simple shapes against blocks of Day-Glo colour – and short lines of text, Morag Hood tells a story that will dazzle and entertain all readers. Cherries, Bat tells us, ‘are my favourite things’, following this up with a fiercely delivered threat: ‘Do not take my cherries.’ In later pages though we see the cherries being stolen. Bat is inconsolable until one of the thieves leaves a pear in their place. Bat’s emotions – joy, anger, confusion, despair, surprise and joy again – are rendered brilliantly in the tilt of an eyebrow and the angle of the head while the intensity of those emotions will be hilarious yet recognisable to child and parent alike. Superb! ~ Andrea Reece
With its strikingly simple images, this picture book will give children lots to think and talk about and will also have them laughing out loud. Grandad’s acting out of character and he looks different too: his clothes don’t fit very well and he keeps turning up in the strangest of places (like the freezer). Of course children will see it’s not Grandad at all, but a penguin. A trip to the zoo, where Grandad looks very at home with the penguins, puts things right. It’s a book that makes you look really closely – how alike are Grandad and the penguins? There’s a wonderful twist in the tail too. ~ Andrea Reece
Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award 3-6 | One of our Books of the Year 2016 | July 2016 Debut of the Month | Simplicity is the charm of this picture book story of the unlikely friendship between very different vegetables. Lee is a very green pea and so are all of his friends except for Colin who is a very orange carrot. Colin can’t do all the things that the pea-friends can do such as roll or bounce. Nonetheless, it turns out that they can all be very good friends.
Brenda Is A Sheep is a massively mischievous and heart-warming story about being accepted, from Morag Hood - the creator of The Steves, I Am Bat, Aalfred and Aalbert, and author of Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert. Brenda says she is a sheep, but why does she look so different from her fluffy friends? All the sheep adore Brenda. With her sharp pointy teeth and cool grey fur, she's the snazziest sheep around. But Brenda is also very hungry, and doesn't much like the taste of grass . . . she soon begins plotting the most delicious feast of all. But will the sheep notice that Brenda isn't quite the same as them? A hilarious twist on the classic wolf-in-sheep's-clothing fable.
Sophie Johnson studied very hard to become a detective and it's a good thing she did - there has been a terrible crime! Someone has stolen Lion's tail. Unfortunately, this means that Sophie doesn't have time to train her new (and not very good) assistant, Bella. However, is it possible that, while Sophie is busy rounding up suspects, she doesn't see that Bella may be better than she thinks?
Sophie Johnson studied very hard to become a detective and it's a good thing she did - there has been a terrible crime! Someone has stolen Lion's tail. Unfortunately, this means that Sophie doesn't have time to train her new (and not very good) assistant, Bella. However, is it possible that, while Sophie is busy rounding up suspects, she doesn't see that Bella may be better than she thinks?
With its comic storyline and bright, bold, minimalist illustrations, The Steves is another bit of picture book genius from the hugely talented Morag Hood. It stars two young puffins, both lively and busy, both called Steve – which is where the trouble starts. The two compete – with increasing determination and bluster – to be top, ‘the Stevest Steve’. Watching their antics as they try to best one another is very funny and the illustrations brim with vitality right to the last page, with its unexpected twist. Children will laugh out loud at what the two Steves get up to, but they’ll recognise all the emotions they’re feeling too. Brilliant!
An aadorable and funny love story between aardvarks. Aardvarks Aalfred and Aalbert both need a pal. But Aalfred sleeps in the day, and Aalbert sleeps at night. How will they ever get the chance to meet? Bird conjures up a series of sillier and sillier schemes to get the two aardvarks into the same place, but their paths simply refuse to cross. Until one day, when they find each other in the most unexpected way - and now Aalfred and Aalbert will never lose each other again. Aalfred and Aalbert is as funny and memorable as Morag Hood's previous books, Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea, I Am Bat and The Steves. With its sweet and natural portrayal of love accidentally blooming between two aardvarks, it makes a brilliant gift for a loved one.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2019 | Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award 3-6 | An EmpathyLab Read for Empathy book 2018 | Simplicity is the charm of this picture book story of the unlikely friendship between very different vegetables. Lee is a very green pea and so are all of his friends except for Colin who is a very orange carrot. Colin can’t do all the things that the pea-friends can do such as roll or bounce. Nonetheless, it turns out that they can all be very good friends. Julia Eccleshare's Picks for January 2019: Lark by Anthony McGowan Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea by Morag Hood Dear Zoo Snuggle Book by Rod Campbell Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy Billly and the Minpins by Roald Dahl Badger's Parting Gifts by Susan Varley We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen The Skylarks' War by Hilary McKay
Shortlisted for the UKLA Shortlist Book Awards 2019 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This must be one of the brightest and best picture books of the year. With minimalist illustrations – simple shapes against blocks of Day-Glo colour – and short lines of text, Morag Hood tells a story that will dazzle and entertain all readers. Cherries, Bat tells us, ‘are my favourite things’, following this up with a fiercely delivered threat: ‘Do not take my cherries.’ In later pages though we see the cherries being stolen. Bat is inconsolable until one of the thieves leaves a pear in their place. Bat’s emotions – joy, anger, confusion, despair, surprise and joy again – are rendered brilliantly in the tilt of an eyebrow and the angle of the head while the intensity of those emotions will be hilarious yet recognisable to child and parent alike. Superb!
Anyone who shares their house with a unicorn or unicorn fan needs a copy of this lovely picture book. Little Sophie Johnson is a self-confessed unicorn expert. She has 17 – though it’s amazing what or who can be turned into a unicorn by the simple addition of a cone or even toothbrush to the forehead. Caring for them keeps Sophie busy, and Mummy (who we never see) doesn’t always understand that magic is more important than mess. It’s a great celebration of the power and fun of imaginative play, and Sophie’s unicorn filled world is depicted with real charm in Ella Okstad’s illustrations, the page on which she teaches her horned friends about the dangers of balloons is terrific!
With its comic storyline and bright, bold, minimalist illustrations, The Steves is another bit of picture book genius from the hugely talented Morag Hood. It stars two young puffins, both lively and busy, both called Steve – which is where the trouble starts. The two compete – with increasing determination and bluster – to be top, ‘the Stevest Steve’. Watching their antics as they try to best one another is very funny and the illustrations brim with vitality right to the last page, with its unexpected twist. Children will laugh out loud at what the two Steves get up to, but they’ll recognise all the emotions they’re feeling too. Brilliant!
With its strikingly simple images, this picture book will give children lots to think and talk about and will also have them laughing out loud. Grandad’s acting out of character and he looks different too: his clothes don’t fit very well and he keeps turning up in the strangest of places (like the freezer). Of course children will see it’s not Grandad at all, but a penguin. A trip to the zoo, where Grandad looks very at home with the penguins, puts things right. It’s a book that makes you look really closely – how alike are Grandad and the penguins? There’s a wonderful twist in the tail too.
Are you a unicorn expert? Then meet Sophie Johnson... you have a lot in common! Sophie Johnson is an endearing new picture book character, who is just bursting with information and knowledge that she is keen to pass on. She's a self-confessed unicorn expert (among other things) and has dressed up her toys and pets with their own unique horns. Strange then, that she doesn't seem to notice the real unicorn who has come into her house... A wonderfully humorous story, from a new picture book dream-team, Morag Hood and Ella Okstad about a unicorn hiding in plain sight and a little girl who is totally oblivious to his presence! Ideal for fans of unicorns, rainbows and magic everywhere! 'Sophie is a wonderfully endearing character with whom children (and adults) will fall in love, despite the mayhem she causes. Glorious illustrations capture the chaos and fun of this hilarious story to perfection.' Parents in Touch
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This must be one of the brightest and best picture books of the year. With minimalist illustrations – simple shapes against blocks of Day-Glo colour – and short lines of text, Morag Hood tells a story that will dazzle and entertain all readers. Cherries, Bat tells us, ‘are my favourite things’, following this up with a fiercely delivered threat: ‘Do not take my cherries.’ In later pages though we see the cherries being stolen. Bat is inconsolable until one of the thieves leaves a pear in their place. Bat’s emotions – joy, anger, confusion, despair, surprise and joy again – are rendered brilliantly in the tilt of an eyebrow and the angle of the head while the intensity of those emotions will be hilarious yet recognisable to child and parent alike. Superb! ~ Andrea Reece
Lee is a pea. All of his friends are peas; except Colin. Colin isn't a pea. And so begins the deliciously funny story of two very different friends: a small green pea and a tall orange carrot stick. Colin the carrot can't do everything the peas can, but he has some special carrot-y qualities that make him a very good friend to have. All about the beauty of making friends with people (or vegetables) who are different from you, boys and girls alike will love Colin and Lee's clear shapes, bright colours and the playful approach to everyday objects that make this book an instant favourite. Enjoy in this lovely and durable hardback board book. Made using just a collage of supermarket plastic bags and painted facial expressions, Morag Hood has created a timeless picture book with unique and engaging artwork that is brimming with warmth and humour. With the bold simplicity of Herve Tullet or Dick Bruna's Miffy, and a dry wit and charm all of Morag's own, it is a fantastically funny story that appeals to the very youngest child - and makes adults laugh out loud. Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea is a brilliant debut from Morag Hood, runner-up in The Macmillan Prize for Illustration.
With its strikingly simple images, this picture book will give children lots to think and talk about and will also have them laughing out loud. Grandad’s acting out of character and he looks different too: his clothes don’t fit very well and he keeps turning up in the strangest of places (like the freezer). Of course children will see it’s not Grandad at all, but a penguin. A trip to the zoo, where Grandad looks very at home with the penguins, puts things right. It’s a book that makes you look really closely – how alike are Grandad and the penguins? There’s a wonderful twist in the tail too. ~ Andrea Reece
Winner of the UKLA 2018 Book Award 3-6 | One of our Books of the Year 2016 | July 2016 Debut of the Month | Simplicity is the charm of this picture book story of the unlikely friendship between very different vegetables. Lee is a very green pea and so are all of his friends except for Colin who is a very orange carrot. Colin can’t do all the things that the pea-friends can do such as roll or bounce. Nonetheless, it turns out that they can all be very good friends.
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