Walker Picture Books

Thank you. THANK YOU! It's been an incredible year and we've loved every sweet, delicious, mad minute of it. ❤️ This reel is only a small part of the joy and we're positive we've not managed to include everyone we ought to! (Sorry, sorry!) What will 2025 bring? We can hardly begin to wonder... But we're READY. For the bookmaking, the craic, the snacks ... the creative meetings, the heated cover debates, the agonising over type and weeping over foils ... all of it. And are you ready to come along with us? Fill your pockets full of Ferrero Rocher, and let's go. Now, if you make it to the end of this reel, let us know. We've left a special treat right there at the end. 👀 For the hardcore reel watchers. #ChildrensBooks #PictureBookIllustration #PictureBooks #ChildrensBookIllustration #WalkerBooks #WalkerPictureBooks #Creativity #Bookmaking #WordsAndPictures @oliverjeffers @samwinston_ @blahjinder @eva_byrne_illustration @macbarnett @jonklassen @storybreathing @nataly_owl @emilykapff @stupidmonster @light.on.the.sea @seantstories @catherinejacobwriter @samusherbooks @atinuke.author @mrmcgrammar @forestxiaodraws @pollydunbar @laurenchildthatsme @lauraleedockrill @georgiebirkett @tanyarosieful @sallylloydjones @anuskaallepuz

We simply can't do any videos without layering over it with our background giggles. Thanks to @jonklassen and @macbarnett for never not being being so funny and charming and absolutely up for the craic. We love them. 💕 #HowDoesSantaGoDownTheChimney #JonKlassen #MacBarnett #WalkerPictureBooks #WalkerBooks

So so nice to have @raymond_antrobus in the office today to talk about, well, EVERYTHING! (Did someone regale the entire plot of HOT FROSTY to him? Maybe they did. 🙋🏻) Loved hearing about all the incredible new grown up publishing he has on the go and in the future - we feel so privileged to be working such an amazing writing talent and a super person. And we still feel such love for TERRIBLE HORSES - beautifully illustrated by @wilsonmaxken - and absolutely adore this video of Raymond showing us a few different signs for the many emotions held between the book's pages. This is such a powerful story about conflict and resolution and there's a lot in it to talk about with little kids. #CanBearsSki #RaymondAntrobus #SignsMusic #BSL #SignLanguage #DisabilityHistoryMonth #TerribleHorses #KenWilsonMax #WalkerPictureBooks #WalkerBooks

Beware! You’ll also imitate various expressions of concern, dismay, surprise and joy as the other characters in the book! Throughout the story, the other characters who came into contact with granny’s goats had a few interesting expressions. It definitely adds more humour overall and I played with this in different ways. There are also some funny moments throughout the book where the goats are seen chewing on copybooks, attempting to read, being so helpful in carrying granny’s handbag and wig too! Goats being goats I guess…also take note: lots of giggling will occur from your little readers! There are so many details in this book, look for them and enjoy them as you read and count! #caribbeanart #kidlitart #childrenillustration #illustration #caribbeanliterature #childrenspublishing #publisher #walkerbooks #candlewickpress #trinidadandtobago #laurenhinds #atinuke #picturebooksforgrandma #100goatsandgranny

Details, details and colour! In my previous post I talked about some of the details I added to make each goat unique on the three main counting spreads. There are other details throughout the book that I know you will see such as granny’s visit to the tailor. On this page, I thought it would be sneaky and amusing to have children ‘search count’ the goats in the pile of cloth. The cloth also has a lot of details to ‘hide’ the goats and I extended more of these cloth pattern details in the clothing of the aunties, vendors and shoppers at the market. I also wanted to have a lot of bright colours that add further excitement throughout the book, I didn’t plan out my colour scheme, I went with what felt right for each page. There are so many details in this book, look for them and enjoy them as you read and count! #caribbeanart #kidlitart #childrenillustration #illustration #caribbeanliterature #childrenspublishing #publisher #walkerbooks #candlewickpress #trinidadandtobago #laurenhinds #atinuke #picturebooksforgrandma #100goatsandgranny

So many goats to count! Hello and welcome…It’s day two of my instagram takeover and I’ll be talking about the counting spread and how I kept track of all the goats as I painted these pages. When I began drawing the goats I attempted various layouts and you’ll see those spreads (slide 2) that didn’t work for the book. When it was decided and approved which layout would work for the ‘counting spreads’, I had to figure out how I was going to paint the pages. There are three spreads in the book where the main counting takes place and each one is different. To keep track of the goats I used tracing paper over the drawings and wrote the numbers on the tracing paper. Painting the entire page in the green grass and then painting the goats on top of the green paint wasn’t working because it was possible I would miss a goat and it was important that the number of goats on each spread was correct. To avoid this I painted around the each goat using my light box, each goat was painted a little different to add some uniqueness. It was important for me to give young readers small details like a change in colour or pattern of the goats so they’ll have other things to enjoy as they count, I think it made everything more engaging because learning to count should be fun! #caribbeanart #kidlitart #childrenillustration #illustration #caribbeanliterature #childrenspublishing #publisher #walkerbooks #candlewickpress #trinidadandtobago #laurenhinds #atinuke #picturebooksforgrandma #100goatsandgranny #countingbooks

The first few images show the prototype I created of granny and her favourite goat. Then you’ll see the first drawings of granny and her goat that started everything. Soon, I was drawing the children characters since I felt so connected to Atinuke’s words: “Granny’s got a goat!” It reminded me so much about my own childhood growing up on my grandmother’s farm with my cousins being noisy and playing outdoors. So it was agreed very early from these initial drawings in one of the zoom meetings with Lizzie (editor) and Julia (designer) to have the farm and other features in the book based on my Caribbean childhood. Isn’t this a unique book? I wanted to capture two things: the protective and loving nature I remembered about my own grandmother, and the playful nature of children having access to a large amount of space (a yard) to run around and play. After these initial drawings, I remembered other things about my grandmother’s farm, like the way the goats would walk around ‘pooping’ all over the yard, pulling or chewing clothes from the clothes line or standing on something high because well…it’s kind of what goats do! When I began sketching the goats, I did them realistically but I kept returning to their comedic mannerisms. Eventually, the final character drawings of the main ten goats became caricatures and each had different character traits. Also on my grandmother’s farm were four homes filled with uncles, aunts, cousins and sometimes a visitor or two, which meant a big extended family and I’m sure you could imagine how busy things got…never dull moments! And so…the book is filled with eight children, one hundred goats, chickens, ducks, a market scene, a town scene…so much more! I’m very guilty of savouring the pages of the book over and over again, there is something I always notice and love and I hope you will too! #caribbeanart #kidlitart #childrenillustration #illustration #caribbeanliterature #childrenspublishing #publisher #walkerbooks #candlewickpress #trinidadandtobago #laurenhinds #atinuke #picturebooksforgrandma #100goatsandgranny

The paintings and email that started it all. It was during the year 2020, I began exploring painting again after many years of packing up my paints and brushes as work, life and other interests kept me far away from illustrating with paint. Something I did a lot in my formative years as an illustrator with a national newspaper in Trinidad and Tobago. Since I enjoyed drawing children and teens for my comics, I decided that I would just do a bunch of random small paintings that were about children doing different things like being together as friends, playing outdoors, buying ice cream or just being at a birthday party. I did not have a plan for these images since I was finding my way back to painting. Then something unexpected happened, Walker Books took notice of my paint explorations! When the editor Lizzie Sitton contacted me via email I was very surprised and pleased that they had seen something special in my little paintings and felt confident that I could illustrate Atinuke’s words. It was also the style of painting I used to complete the final art for 100 Goats and Granny! After reading the manuscript I immediately got excited about illustrating the book. In these images I’m sharing you’ll see the location I built out of card stock and a few of the paintings I posted on instagram before working on the book. This paper construction also became the main location the children returned to in order to have some counting fun with the goats! #caribbeanart #kidlitart #childrenillustration #illustration #caribbeanliterature #childrenspublishing #publisher #walkerbooks #candlewickpress #trinidadandtobago #laurenhinds #atinuke #picturebooksforgrandma #100goatsandgranny

Hello from Trinidad and Tobago (sometimes referred to as T&T or Trinbago)!! I am Lauren Hinds @laurenlhinds a cartoonist and bookbinder and the illustrator of 100 Goats and Granny! Written by Atinuke @atinuke.author published by Walker Books and soon to be published by Candlewick Press in May. This is the first picture book I illustrated and it’s overflowing with granny’s very naughty goats! When her favourite little goat goes missing, the children (cousins) become granny’s little helpers to keep count of all her goats and locate the mischievous 100th goat! The goats are always up to mischief, especially when granny is not looking! Even though her favourite goat may not be good sometimes…granny’s love and protective nature for her little goat is never-ending. In this post I’ll talk about the cover and end papers. I love that the first thing children will see as they open the book is the bright yellow colour with the numbers, it’s a beautiful introduction to counting the numerous goats on the first counting spread. When you scroll to the fifth image you’ll see granny walking off with her favourite goat from one of the pages, this was used for the book cover and a composite of the other characters inserted to create this compelling layout that was designed by Walker Books. The last image is my cover design attempt of granny and her goats. Want to see some more behind the scenes images from the book? Join me for a three day takeover as I share various images of the bookmaking process for 100 Goats and Granny! You can expect to see a paper construction I made that became the main location in the book for counting granny’s goats, an early prototype I made of granny and her favourite goat, sketches and drawings of the children, goats and more! #caribbeanart #kidlitart #childrenillustration #illustration #caribbeanliterature #childrenspublishing #publisher #walkerbooks #candlewickpress #trinidadandtobago #laurenhinds #atinuke #picturebooksforgrandma

Delighted to have this news in @_thebookseller this week: We could not be any more DELIGHTED to publish two new books from @illustratelucy; the first picture book titled Arlo and the Raven (SNEAK PEEK HERE!) will publish in the UK in autumn 2026. Acquired from the always-excellent @the_bright_agency Arlo and the Raven is a truly sensational new story: High up on a rocky islet lives Arlo, a tiny, lone boy with wings of midnight blue. There is nothing that Arlo loves more than flying: soaring high, and then swooping down to skim the sea with the feathery tips of his wings. But an unhappiness tugs at Arlo’s wings – he wishes he could be part of a flock, and to not feel so different. When Raven arrives and begins to build a home next to his cliff-side cave, Arlo is annoyed - Raven is noisy and messy! But, as it turns out, Raven may just be all the flock Arlo ever needs… This is such an uplifting and magical story about self-confidence and finding your place in the world. AND … DID YOU KNOW? Lucy’s book Ella’s Night Lights has been published into 21 languages; Lily, the Pond Mermaid in 13 languages, and Oak, the Littlest Leaf Girl in 18 languages. As of June 2024, over a quarter of a million copies of Lucy's author-illustrated works published by Walker Books have sold globally since her authorial debut in autumn 2020. 👏🏼 Lucy says: “Working together with the Walker Books team is only ever a blessing. With their support, I've created works that come straight from the heart. I believe that their tenacity for making books with integrity, and their passion for weaving stories with meaning, allows my stories to flourish and retain their quirky charm. The books are made with so much care, from myself and the team beside me, and I believe that can be felt by readers around the world. Arlo and the Raven is my upcoming title, it's a picture book about real emotions and the struggles of making connections, all wrapped up with my quintessential pinch of magic and escape. My wish is that my books will connect and comfort readers, and I can't wait for them to meet Arlo.” More in comments ⬇️

🌷 ‘Molly’ the hare coming to life before your very eyes! 👀 
She is a character from my series of BOOKS ‘Molly, Olive and Dexter’ and she features in my BABYWEAR collection. The third ‘Molly, Olive and Dexter’ book in the series will be out in paperback next month! I’ll share more details soon! 📖 I absolutely love painting Molly, the blue touches might me my favourite part 💙 … oh and drawing her whiskers, of course!

Happy Monday lovely followers C x

(Painted using @DalerRowney FW ink),
(The Molly, Olive and Dexter series are published by @walkerpicturebooks 

#mollyoliveanddexter #catherineraynerbooks #mollyhare #catherineraynerbabywear #oliveowl #hare #owl #fox #childrensbook #kidsbook #kidlit #childrensbookillustration #childrensbooks #childrensbookstagram #catherinerayner #kidlitart #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #catherineraynerbooks @bigpicturebooks @walkerbooksgift @walkerbooksuk

COVER REVEAL! 🫶🏼 We could not be any more thrilled to be publishing this absolute BEAUTY of a book - FIVE LITTLE FRIENDS: A Collection of Finger Rhymes by @seantstories and @fionawoodcock. This is a one-of-a-kind interactive poetry collection, filled with happy finger rhymes that each come with their own accompanying easy-to-follow directions for actions and movement. This completely original collection offers readers simple and joyful ways to sing and play with little ones as well as encouraging both children AND grown-ups to use their fingers, hands, arms, legs and even feet to become a stomping elephant, falling snow or bursting fireworks! It's such a joyful, inclusive and interactive book. Honestly, WE LOVE IT! Out in July! #WorldPoetryDay