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Oliver Jeffers has won numerous awards and delighted millions of kids and parents alike with his beautifully hand illustrated stories.
Jeffers's picture books are wonderfully accessible. They explore themes of friendship, loneliness, independence and imagination. He has written and illustrated, or "made", as he prefers to put it, five hugely successful picture books. The first three - the "boy books" - feature a small boy who sets off on a series of daunting quests. How to Catch a Star (2004), the first of them, was inspired by a Brer Rabbit story he read as a child. In Lost and Found (2005) the boy heroically rows to the south pole for the sake of an unhappy penguin, and in The Way Back Home (2007) he rescues a young Martian whose spaceship has crashed on the moon.
The Heart and the Bottle is wholly compelling for the importance of its message and the brilliance of how that is conveyed in words and pictures. This is a book to return to time and time again says Julia Eccleshare, Lovereading4kids’ editorial expert.
Jeffers was born in Australia in 1977 and brought up in Belfast. He studied visual communication at the University of Ulster, and graduated in 2001. Jeffers became passionate about making picture books when he began to understand the subtle relationship between words and pictures – ‘that was what excited me. Until I got really involved, I hadn't realised how just a few words can totally change the meaning of a picture.’ Now living in New York, he works as a painter, designer, printmaker and installation artist, but remains very busy making picture books.
Did you know?
Oliver loves plastic food, suitcase handles and Elvis, and has developed a bizarre habit of endlessly writing lists he never reads. He remains hell bent on travelling all over the world.
You can see Oliver talking about his artwork in this video:
We have a super set of Oliver Jeffers activity pages to download :
Once Upon an Alphabet colouring in.
The Day the Crayons Came Home maze.
Longlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award | Shortlisted for the Children's category of the Books are My Bag Readers Awards 2016 Those obstreperous crayons, colourful stars of The Day the Crayons Quit, are back – or at least, they’re trying to get back… Duncan is at home happily colouring, when a strange set of postcards arrive for him. They’re from his crayons, those which have been lost, forgotten, broken or – in the case of Pea Green – run away. Poor Maroon has had a terrible time, lost down the back of the sofa and sat on by Dad! It’s another piece of picture book brilliance, you’ll believe a crayon can talk. The crayons’ personalities burst out and there are some new characters too including Neon Red and Glow in the Dark, who has a special surprise for readers. Unmissable! ~ Andrea Reece
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2017 The different coloured crayons all have fun colouring in appropriately. Red crayon colours strawberries, hearts, a fire engine and Santa Claus while Orange and Yellow crayons both have fun colouring the sun. Young readers will have fun thinking about their favourite colours. ~ Julia Eccleshare And learn to count with The Crayons' Book of Numbers! Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for January 2017 The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson The Crayons’ Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers The Crayons’ Book of Colours by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers Jim by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey His Royal Whiskers by Sam Gayton
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month January 2017 Counting from 1-10 is fun in this attractive board book filled with action from the delightful Crayons, the stars of Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers book The Day the Crayons Quit. Oliver Jeffers illustrations bring the personalities of each crayon vividly to life. ~ Julia Eccleshare And learn your colours with The Crayons' Book of Colours! Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for January 2017 The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson The Crayons’ Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers The Crayons’ Book of Colours by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers Jim by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey His Royal Whiskers by Sam Gayton
Internationally bestselling books The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home brought together in an exquisite slipcase! A review for The Day the Crayons Quit: Award-winning Oliver Jeffers and Drew Daywalt’s highly-entertaining book is now available in board book form. Colouring will never be the same again! When Duncan goes to take out his crayons one day he finds a stack of letters inside. Every crayon has something to say. The red crayon complains he is used too much – too many things such as fire engines and strawberries are red; the purple crayon is a neat minded soul and hates it that so much of Duncan’s drawing goes outside the lines; the black crayon hates just to be used for outlines – and so on! Saddest of all, the peach crayon has lost his wrapping – how can he come out of the box naked? In an attempt to satisfy them all, Duncan does a final drawing. Overall, a brilliant book for every age to enjoy. ~ Julia Eccleshare A review for The Day the Crayons Came Home: Those obstreperous crayons, colourful stars of The Day the Crayons Quit, are back – or at least, they’re trying to get back… Duncan is at home happily colouring, when a strange set of postcards arrive for him. They’re from his crayons, those which have been lost, forgotten, broken or – in the case of Pea Green – run away. Poor Maroon has had a terrible time, lost down the back of the sofa and sat on by Dad! It’s another piece of picture book brilliance, you’ll believe a crayon can talk. The crayons’ personalities burst out and there are some new characters too including Neon Red and Glow in the Dark, who has a special surprise for readers. Unmissable! ~ Andrea Reece
One of our Books of the Year 2016 | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month October 2016 | There are so many adjectives you could use to describe this book - extraordinary, dazzling, original, funny, irresistible, quirky, imaginative, clever, stunning - but none go far enough. A truly unique work of art, it combines the talents of two superstars of the children's book world into something so simple yet so clever. It is a must for every family to share and will bring a positive glow to each and every reader and listener for no sooner than it pulls at the heart strings it will have you chuckling out loud too. A truly special picture book and a classic in the making.
A stunning anniversary edition of John Boyne's powerful classic bestseller, with illustrations from award-winning artist Oliver Jeffers. When Bruno’s father is promoted to a new job, the family have to move from their comfortable home in Berlin to a strange new house in the middle of nowhere. Gone are the neighbours and the friends Bruno used to play with. The only people around are all in the strange fenced-in area which Bruno can just spy from his bedroom window. Who are they and why do they wear striped pyjamas? When Bruno sets off on an Exploration to find out he learns something very shocking which has unexpected and terrible results. Bruno’s childhood experience provides a new way of looking at the horrors of the Holocaust. (12+) ~ Julia Eccleshare
Longlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award | Shortlisted for the Children's category of the Books are My Bag Readers Awards 2016 and August 2016 Book of the Month Those obstreperous crayons, colourful stars of The Day the Crayons Quit, are back – or at least, they’re trying to get back… Duncan is at home happily colouring, when a strange set of postcards arrive for him. They’re from his crayons, those which have been lost, forgotten, broken or – in the case of Pea Green – run away. Poor Maroon has had a terrible time, lost down the back of the sofa and sat on by Dad! It’s another piece of picture book brilliance, you’ll believe a crayon can talk. The crayons’ personalities burst out and there are some new characters too including Neon Red and Glow in the Dark, who has a special surprise for readers. Unmissable! ~ Andrea Reece
Award-winning Oliver Jeffers’s endearingly simple Hueys are always asking interesting questions to help them find out more. This time they want to know more about opposites. Some opposites are easy. Everyone knows that Down is the opposite of Up, that the opposite of High is Low and that Cold is what you are when you are not Hot. In his simple and witty illustrations Oliver Jeffers makes all opposites fun and the starting joke is particularly pleasingly played out. ~ Julia Eccleshare If they like Oliver Jeffers they'll love Tom McLaughlin.
A brilliant picture book about a boy with an unusual attitude to books! Henry loves books but not in the same way as most people: Henry loves to eat books… He starts with just a word, then sentences until he’s built up enough stamina to eat up a whole book. With every book Henry eats, he becomes just a little bit cleverer…But there’s a moral, too. Oliver Jeffers sophisticated illustrations are witty and absorbing: the bite out of the corner of the book is a joke on its own! Rob Biddulph on The Incredible Book Eating Boy: One bedtime we were reading a new picture book that I’d bought her called The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver jeffers. The illustrations blew my mind. Each one was painted on an actual page or cover torn from a second-hand book, sometimes incorporating the original typography, and then photographed. It was just so clever. So beautiful. The whole package totally opened my eyes to the fact that a picture book can be a genuine work of art. So I started to look at the books we read each night in a different way. Maybe, I thought, this is something that I could do.
Celebrate Valentine's Day - and love - with the number 1 bestselling Crayons! Love is yellow and orange. Because love is sunny and warm. Discover all the bright colours and subtle shades of love with this charming new book, featuring everyone's favourite colouring crew. The perfect gift for that special someone on Valentine's Day - or any day of the year - and a must-have for fans of The Crayons.
Celebrate Valentine's Day - and love - with the number 1 bestselling Crayons! Love is yellow and orange. Because love is sunny and warm. Discover all the bright colours and subtle shades of love with this charming new book, featuring everyone's favourite colouring crew. The perfect gift for that special someone on Valentine's Day - or any day of the year - and a must-have for fans of The Crayons.
A brand-new Crayons book from the #1 New York Times best-selling duo Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers. This hilarious interactive book has letters, games, ornaments, a poster and even a pop-up Christmas tree - perfect for the festive season! 'Tis the season for all of us to write our Christmas wish lists. But everyone knows - even the Crayons - that the best presents are the ones that you give. In this unique book, readers join in as Duncan, the Crayons and their families celebrate the festive season. With real, folded letters to pull from their envelopes and read, games, press-out ornaments, a poster and a pop-up tree, this book is the perfect gift for fans of The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home.
Winner of the prestigious international Bologna Ragazzi Award for Fiction 2017 A gorgeous homage to the power of the written word Guardian A fresh and fascinating collaboration between two gifted masters The New York Times In this inspiring, lyrical tale about the rewards of reading and sharing stories, a little girl sails her raft across a sea of words to arrive at the house of a small boy. There she invites him to come away with her on an adventure. Through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe, the two travel together on a fantastical journey that unlocks the boy's imagination. Now a lifetime of magic lies ahead of him... But who will be next?
A beautiful, poignant and timely manifesto for the myriad rewards of reading and sharing the enjoyment of stories. Winner of the prestigious international Bologna Ragazzi Award for Fiction 2017 From New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers, creator of The Day the Crayons Quit and Lost and Found, and typographical artist Sam Winston comes an exceptional new picture book. In this inspiring, lyrical tale about the rewards of reading and sharing stories, a little girl sails her raft across a sea of words to arrive at the house of a small boy. There she invites him to come away with her on an adventure. Guided by his new friend, the boy unlocks his imagination and a lifetime of magic lies ahead of him... But who will be next? Elegant illustrations by Oliver Jeffers are accompanied by Sam Winston's astonishing typographical landscapes, beautifully shaped from excerpts of children's classics including Treasure Island, Little Women and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, creating a gorgeous gift book perfect for readers of all ages, and this year's must-have Christmas gift.
The Number One New York Times Bestseller! Debut author Drew Daywalt and international bestseller Oliver Jeffers team up to create a colourful solution to a crayon-based crisis in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way. Poor Duncan just wants to colour in. But when he opens his box of crayons, he only finds letters, all saying the same thing: We quit! Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown, Blue needs a break from colouring in all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other. The battle lines have been drawn. What is Duncan to do?
An extraordinary collaboration between Irish Children's Laureate, Eoin Colfer, and picture book superstar, Oliver Jeffers! Sometimes, with a little electricity, or luck, or even magic, an imaginary friend might appear when you need one. An imaginary friend like Fred... Fred floated like a feather in the wind until a lonely little boy wished for him and found a friendship like no other. The perfect chemistry between Eoin Colfer's text and Oliver Jeffer's artwork make for a dazzlingly original colour gift book.
The hilarious sequel to the prize-winning, international bestseller The Day the Crayons Quit! Watch out - the crayons are back and they're crosser than ever! One day Duncan receives a set of postcards from his crayons who have been lost, forgotten, broken - even melted in a clothes dryer and stuck to a sock! A hilarious text and joyful illustrations combine to show that crayons have feelings too in this laugh-out-loud sequel to bestselling picture book The Day the Crayons Quit.
There's nothing unusual or different about the Brocket family - and they're keen to keep it that way. But when Barnaby Brocket comes into the world, it's clear he's anything but ordinary. To his parents' horror, Barnaby defies the laws of gravity - and floats. Soon, the Brockets decide enough is enough. The neighbours are starting to talk. They never asked for a weird, abnormal, floating child. Barnaby has to go . . . Betrayed and frightened, Barnaby floats into the path of a very special hot air balloon - and so begins a magical journey around the world, with a cast of extraordinary new friends.
The Number One New York Times Bestseller! Debut author Drew Daywalt and international bestseller Oliver Jeffers team up to create a colourful solution to a crayon-based crisis in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way. Poor Duncan just wants to colour in. But when he opens his box of crayons, he only finds letters, all saying the same thing: We quit! Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown, Blue needs a break from colouring in all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other. The battle lines have been drawn. What is Duncan to do?
Multi-award-winning author David Almond brings us a joyfully life-affirming and fabulously fishy tale about one boy's journey from anguish to joy. Stanley Potts is just an ordinary boy, but when all the jobs in Fish Quay disappear his Uncle Ernie develops an extraordinary fascination with canning fish. Suddenly their home is filled with the sound of clanging machinery and the stench of mackerel, and Uncle Ernie's obsession reaches such heights that he would even can Stan's beloved goldfish! Stan, however, has his own destiny, which leads him - via a hook-a-duck stall - to Pancho Pirelli, the blue-caped madman who swims with piranhas. And as Stan delves into the waters, he finally discovers who he really can be.
The Number One New York Times Bestseller! Debut author Drew Daywalt and international bestseller Oliver Jeffers team up to create a colourful solution to a crayon-based crisis in this playful, imaginative story that will have children laughing and playing with their crayons in a whole new way. Poor Duncan just wants to colour in. But when he opens his box of crayons, he only finds letters, all saying the same thing: We quit! Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown, Blue needs a break from colouring in all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other. The battle lines have been drawn. What is Duncan to do?
There's nothing unusual about the Brockets. Normal, respectable and proud of it, they turn up their noses at anyone different. But from the moment Barnaby Brocket comes into the world, it's clear he's anything but ordinary. To his parents' horror, Barnaby defies the laws of gravity - and floats. Barnaby tries to keep both feet on the ground, but he just can't do it. One fateful day, the Brockets decide enough is enough. They never asked for a weird, abnormal, floating child. Barnaby has to go...Betrayed, frightened and alone, Barnaby floats into the path of a very special hot air balloon - and so begins a magical journey around the world, with a cast of extraordinary new friends.
Multi-award-winning author David Almond brings us a joyfully life-affirming and fabulously fishy tale about one boy's journey from anguish to joy. Stanley Potts is just an ordinary boy, but when all the jobs in Fish Quay disappear his Uncle Ernie develops an extraordinary fascination with canning fish. Suddenly their home is filled with the sound of clanging machinery and the stench of mackerel, and Uncle Ernie's obsession reaches such heights that he would even can Stan's beloved goldfish! Stan, however, has his own destiny, which leads him - via a hook-a-duck stall - to Pancho Pirelli, the blue-caped madman who swims with piranhas. And as Stan delves into the waters, he finally discovers who he really can be.
There's nothing unusual about the Brockets. Normal, respectable, and proud of it, they turn up their noses at anyone strange or different. But from the moment Barnaby Brocket comes into the world, it's clear he's anything but ordinary. To his parents' horror, Barnaby defies the laws of gravity - and floats. Desperate to please his parents, Barnaby does his best to keep both feet on the ground - but he just can't do it. One fateful day, the Brockets decide enough is enough. They never asked for a weird, abnormal, floating child. Barnaby has to go ...Betrayed, frightened and alone, Barnaby floats into the path of a very special hot air balloon - and so begins a magical journey around the world, with a cast of extraordinary new friends.
READ BY RICHARD E. GRANT. In this much-anticipated sequel to the internationally best-selling picture book Lost and Found, we re-visit the boy and the penguin after their trip to the South Pole... The boy and the penguin still enjoy spending all their time together... That is, until the penguin starts to dream of flying, ignoring the boy's advice that it is impossible. Running away, the penguin visits place after place, searching for a chance to get his feet off the ground. But will flying be everything he had hoped? And is the boy missing him as much as he is missing the boy? A heart-warming story about friendship, love and reaching for your dreams, from highly-regarded, multi-award-winning author-illustrator Oliver Jeffers.
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