Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Illustrating Peter Bently’s adaptation of Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was an absolute honour. In this all new picture book adaptation I decided to make Chitty electric whilst still capturing her personality. Chitty will take to the skies Sept 2020. See the press release below.
Press Release
Hachette Children's Group has signed a picture book adaptation of Ian Fleming's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to be written by Peter Bently and illustrated by Steve Antony.
The book, which is the only children’s book from the creator of James Bond, is about a magical flying car. Written by Fleming for his young son Caspar, it was originally published in 1964 by Jonathan Cape, two months after the author died.
World rights were acquired by HCG group picture book publisher Emma Layfield and HCG senior publisher Anne McNeil in a deal done with Gordon Wise at the Curtis Brown Group on behalf of Ian Fleming Publications, Jodie Hodges at United Agents for Bently and Elizabeth Roy at Elizabeth Roy Literary Agency for Antony.
McNeil said: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a classic story that truly touches the hearts of families. Peter Bentley’s adaptation of Ian Fleming’s original text will introduce the story to a new generation, and Steve Antony’s gorgeous artwork brings it beautifully to life."
A statement from Ian Fleming Publications read: "We’re delighted to work with Hachette Children’s Group to make Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang come alive for younger readers. And the creative team in charge of remodelling Chitty are second to none; we can’t wait to see them work their magic and watch Chitty soar to new, unexplored heights."
Bently said: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has been a favourite of mine since childhood. I am both delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to bring the great Ian Fleming’s amazing flying car to a picture book audience."
Antony added: "As a child, I loved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Never in a million years did I imagine that I'd one day be asked to illustrate a 21st- century Chitty for a whole new generation of children to enjoy. I feel extremely honoured."
Bently and Antony's picture book adaptation will first publish in hardback in autumn 2020, with the paperback following in autumn 2021.
Banners for the National Literacy Trust
I illustrated Swindon Stories lamppost banners which are on display in Regent Street and the Magic Roundabout in Swindon, inspiring families to chat together and visit their local library. I’m really proud to see the banners on display in such busy areas of town for all to see and hope they will inspire as many Swindon families as possible to share stories and visit their local libraries.
Last year alone the National Literacy Trust worked with 43,913 pupils, encouraging them to read and write for pleasure and purpose. They gifted 239,894 brand new books through their programmes, community work and competitions; and gave 2,087 teachers engaging literacy resources and tools through their membership.
Waterstones Event
Here are some photos from my recent signing at Waterstones, Cirencester. Photos: Terry Bassett
This Summer's Swindon Library Art Comp is Out of This World!
Celebrating 50 years since the first moon landing, this years Summer Reading Challenge will be blasting off in all Swindon’s libraries from Saturday (13 July), along with an out of this world art competition, open to all ages! Design your own planet!
I visited Crowdys Hill School yesterday to launch the art competition, in which you get to design and name your own planet! Their will be 14 winners, one from each library, and each will win a signed copy of my latest picture book, Amazing. I will also pick an overall win, who will win a class visit from yours truly.
Last years art comp was so much fun - design Mr Panda’s Hat - and we received over 500 colourful entries. The year before we had the Design a Doughnut comp which was great fun too.
You can take part in the Summer Reading Challenge and the Design your own Planet competition by visiting your local Swindon library where you can pick up a competition sheet. Deadline: Sept 9th.
Pictured with Miss Little’s Class, along with Outreach Librarian, Debbie.
Last year’s entries
Bournville Primary School Create Giant Queen's Handbag Map
Wow! Bournville Primary School is Weston-super-Mare created a giant map, based on all the landmarks featured in my picture book, The Queen’s Handbag. They had also reimagined the tale by coming up with their very own imaginative stories. While there, I held 2 class events and read several of my books. Below, I am showing a class how to draw Zibbo, the dragon from my book Amazing.
This is such a great example of how teachers can create fun activities and lessons, based on books.
Mr Matravars, thank you for inviting me to see all of the amazing things your pupils created!
Illustrators Wall at Bologna Children's Book Fair 2019
I took great pleasure in admiring all the amazing art on the ‘illustrators wall’ at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. With so many talented artists around, publishers are spoilt for choice! Just check out all these posters, flyers and business cards!
Swiss Unite Illustrators in an Alphabet at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2019 (Full Alphabet and Illustrator Quotes)
Switzerland was the host country of this year’s Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and they sure know how to put on a show! For their brilliant “A Swiss ABC” exhibition 26 artists each illustrated a letter of the alphabet. The show married words and images in unique, clever, though-provoking and amusing ways. It perfectly exemplified what makes picture books such powerful tools of communication and how words and images can effectively be put together.
The 26 words used in the exhibition come from all four of the Swiss national languages: Romansh, Italian, French and German. This exhibition was a major highlight for me and included my favourite image of the fair. Here are all the letters. Below each letter is a quote from each of the super talented illustrators and a link to their website. If there is no link it’s because I was unable to find a website, but please tweet me at @MrSteveAntony if you do find one. Enjoy!
“Shadows that can be interpreted in different ways fascinate me - or an object that, seen from an unfamiliar perspective, suddenly becomes something else.”
“I address children - the people who will shape tomorrow’s world.”
“You can compare illustrating with the process of cooking. You mix, you try things out, you see if the colours work together, if they look appetising - and you look forward to the result. ”
“Illustrate - the word comes from the Latin ‘illustrare’ and means ‘illuminate’, ‘light up’, ‘bring to light’. And: ‘celebrate’!”
“I would like to call up an emotion in the reader - to each his or her own, and it doesn’t matter if it’s positive or negative. ”
“Often there are discrepancies between what’s in your head and what your hand actually does on the paper. In these discrepancies, which are not under our control, lie the surprises - gifts for the imagination.”
“My recurrent motif is the journey. Through changing landscapes and city scenes, in the imagination, into a dream world- or even toward myself. ”
“With my kind of illustration, I would like to penetrate to the unconscious places of the soul, to nurture and to mirror them.”
“What could be more beautiful than reading a story aloud to children in the evening? And, touched by the story, to be moved to laughter or tears?”
“Books were like stuffed animals to me. They were companions.”
“Drawing is a place for me. A place where I can be utterly myself, in peace, freed from reality. And yet still belong to the world - without lying, cheating or obeying.”
“I am inspired by circumstances, encounters, death, and situational poetry.”
“I think that nature is complex for children who attempt to understand it. I try to make things clear to them.”
“I would like to move people to look at pictures precisely. To let themselves be pulled into them. Pictures should create joy by granting the viewer a new vision of a story.”
“Through the medium of illustrations I discovered just how broad the narrative spectrum is. ”
“Illustration can open up words, can send the spirit on a journey to places you never would have thought to go.”
“Drawing is part of my life. They develop together. ”
“It is a gift to be able to express myself through creating works that touch other people. ”
“Inspiration arises from exploring , going even further, inventing a universe for yourself, playing. Illustration can anything from the moment you endow it with significance.”
“If you open yourself up to ‘looking’ and ‘experiencing’, many spontaneous ideas offer themselves up yo you. I find ideas in dreams, early in the morning between sleeping and waking, and, some days, even while I’m jogging. I’m ‘tuned in’ day and night.”
“Imagination has to find you at your work. It is never a bolt of lightening, more a connection and a merging of points that surround a topic or a fixed idea in your mind. It is a quest.”
“The direction of reading doesn’t only go from left to right, but also into the depths. ”
“I seek a greedy pleasure for the eye. To create a drawing that is immediately ‘inhaled’ by the viewer as she beholds it.”
“I like getting the kind of ‘assignment’ that places me in front of a riddle that would like me to solve it. ”
“In my drawings I seek a balance between poetry, humour, movement and meaning.”
“Pictures speak a universal language that every person can read, translate for him or herself and understand. Good pictures ask questions that every person can ask him or herself, and can approach. ”
More info here: www.bologna2019.ch
The 'AMAZING' Blog Tour: Incidental Inclusiveness, School Libraries, Finding Ideas & More
An Amazing launch at Waterstones flagship in PICCADILLY.
WOW! ‘Amazing’ is OUT and what a whirlwind the past few months have been, not least because I got married and went on a monthlong honeymoon…
I am so grateful for all the support and love this book has received. I’ve received some really, really touching emails and letters.
The book launch at Waterstones Flagship was PERFECT. The best company, the best cake (below) I’ve ever seen bar my wedding cake (both by Leandra Lucas), and we raised £500 for MyAFK: a small, London charity making a big difference to the lives of young adults with disabilities. A glowing review in the Sunday Times (thanks Nicolette Jones), a window display in an indie bookstore (thanks Mr B’s Emporium), an event with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall (the book’s first recipient on launch day, which was purely incidental) and so, so much more, including a bespoke tie and tie pin from my lovely publisher (thank you Emma and Alison).
Below are the links to all the blogs that took part in the Amazing blog tour (thank you bloggers). Below them is a link to my book launch speech on diverse books.
FOYLES - Where do ideas come from?
BOOKTRUST - The Book They Said Wouldn’t Sell
FEDERATION OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS - Favourite Childhood Reads
LIBRARY MICE - How to Draw Zibbo
PICTURE BOOKS BLOGGER - Steve’s Favourite Literary Dragons
THE KIDS OF READALOT - A Silly Q&A
ACORN BOOKS - A Day in the Life of Steve Antony
THE READER TEACHER - Why Every Child Deserves a Great School Library
Photo: Terry Basset
HRH Duchess of Cornwall Visits Swindon Libraries
In 2018 Swindon Stories launched a schools competition inspired by The Lost Words by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall came to announce the winners. I joined Her Royal Highness in North Swindon Library alongside storytellers Dom Berry and Olivia Armstrong. Children from Sevenfields, King William CE and Oliver Tomkins Primary Schools attended, and the winning poems were announced. The overall winner read aloud her poem. Her Royal Highness also read a poem, too. While the poems were read, I sketched my visual interpretations.
Photo credit: Jennifer Berry
Beanstalk Christmas Cards feat The Queen's Present
Looking for Christmas cards? Look no further. Support literacy charity Beanstalk by buying cards featuring art from my Christmas book, The Queen's Present! Link here: https://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/thegiftofreadingchristmascard
Swindon Youth Festival of Literatures Art Comp
I love my job. Here I am picking the winners of the Swindon Youth Festival of Literatures art comp, which was to visually interpret an expert from Carnegie winning ‘Where the World Ends’ by Geraldine McCaughrean. All are impressive! So much passion and dedication! Visual literacy matters! The winners will be notified shortly.
Drawing Europe Together Launch
Here are some photographs from the Drawing Europe Together event last week at Waterstones, taken by Chris Ratcliffe. The exhibition continues to run at Waterstones Piccadilly until 11th November.
Drawing Europe Together on German Radio
If you understand German, Friedbert Meurer at Deutschlandfunk radio has run a piece on Drawing Europe Together (with bits of English), talking with me, Axel Scheffler, Neal Layton and Patrick George. Listen to it here: https://srv.deutschlandradio.de/dlf-audiothek-audio-teilen.3265.de.html?mdm:audio_id=687661 Thanks to Sarah McIntyre for posting this link on Twitter.
Waterstones, Piccadilly housed an exhibition of all the art from the book.
Stars on Canvas Charity Auction
Stars on Canvas sponsored by The Crown Estate, is a charity art exhibition and auction of original pieces created by well known names from the worlds of art, illustration, sport, music and popular culture.
Stars on Canvas has been held every two years since 2008 and has raised more than £310,000 for national charity, Willow, in the ten years since its inception.
The online auction will go live on Thursday 15th November and will finish on Sunday 25th November. All canvases will start at 99p so happy bidding! The collection will also be shown at a public exhibition in London on 22-24th November. Venue to be announced.
There are LOTS to bid on! Below are canvases by me, Ellie Goulding, Frank Bruno, Collet Laughton, Deborah Batt, Axel Scheffler, Kim Haskins, Day-Z, Darcey Bussel and Elena Arevalo Melville.
For more info, visit www.starsoncanvas.org.uk/
Draw a Corgi Contest Winner
Well, that was fun, but it was almost impossible to pick just one entry - there were so many, especially via Twitter! And here is the winning canine! I don’t have the artist’s name (yet) but I’ve notified the school that sent me it (Steyning C of E Primary School). The winner will soon receive a signed copy of The Queen’s Lift-off! Congrats!
Amazing is 'One to Watch'
To see Amazing as 'One to Watch' in The Bookseller truly means the world to me.
TV Deal for Mr Panda
I am super excited about this! Magic Light are an absolute dream team. See the press release below.
Press Release
Hachette Children’s Group announces a TV option deal for Mr Panda picture book series by Steve Antony (published under its Hodder Children’s Books imprint) with production company Magic Light Pictures.
The deal was brokered between Karen Lawler at Hachette Children’s Group, and Michael Rose at Magic Light Pictures.
Magic Light Pictures are best known for their Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler offerings including The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man. This year the company received their 4th Oscar® nomination for Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes.
Steve Antony's Mr Panda has taken the children's book world by storm, selling over 650,000 copies since it was first published in 2015. Sold in 17 languages so far, these masterful mini dramas are a huge hit with parents and children around the world.
Magic Light Pictures are planning an animated TV series based on Mr Panda, and they will also be representing the merchandising rights during the option period. Hachette Children’s Group will be handling the stage rights.
Karen Lawler, Head of Licensed Content at HCG says: ‘Mr Panda’s deadpan humour, fuzzy appeal and iconic illustrations have made him a success the world over. He’s the perfect character for TV development and we’re thrilled to add this project to the exciting roster of the HCG licensing team’s TV and film adaptations. We couldn’t think of a better partner than Magic Light Pictures for bringing Mr Panda to life on screen.’
Steve Antony says: ‘I am absolutely thrilled that Magic Light will be animating Mr Panda, and it’s so great to finally be able to share this hugely exciting news with Mr Panda’s loyal fan base. He is in great hands, and I very much look forward to seeing him on screen.’
Michael Rose, Joint CEO Magic Light Pictures says: ‘Magic Light are renowned for bringing literary characters to life and Steve Antony’s brilliantly witty and characterful creation is a true original. We’re thrilled to be working with Steve and Hachette to take Mr Panda to screen and introduce him to a whole new audience.’
Drawing Europe Together
Hi. I added an illustration (above) to this book (below).
”Are we still 'United in Diversity? Forty-five artists from across Europe share their powerful illustrations of the European Union's shared past and our unsure future. From Brexit bees to wall-jumping bulls, Drawing Europe Together is a unique collection portraying the European community . . . with or without Britain.
This is a passionate and heartfelt exploration of Europe and what it means to many of the people who live and work within its borders. The book brings together forty-five renowned illustrators who, through their drawings and accompanying words, share their vision of Europe in this beautiful and timely collection, with a foreword by the British Book Awards Illustrator of the Year 2018, Axel Scheffler.”
Out Nov 1st.
Cheltenham Literature Festival
A few photos and tweets from the day.
@MrSteveAntony on behalf of a six year old who bunked off school with his mum to see you today, "thank you, Mr Antony" pic.twitter.com/Y3lMAI0Yps
— Tom (@tommy_choo) October 9, 2018
Yay! Arrived in Cheltenham for @CheltLitFest. pic.twitter.com/0BzlRfuGXS
— Steve Antony (@MrSteveAntony) October 8, 2018
Also, George from @SwindonLibrary had fun at @CheltLitFest, too. The children enjoyed meeting him and hearing all about his travels. 🙂 He’s sat next to The Queen’s Lift-off. pic.twitter.com/Jnfx8EnB31
— Steve Antony (@MrSteveAntony) October 9, 2018
Manchester Literature Festival
Here are some photos and tweets from the day.
I have to listen out for the ‘panda chant’ at which point I’ll enter. @McrLitFest pic.twitter.com/gb5o454ArS
— Steve Antony (@MrSteveAntony) October 13, 2018
Wow!! The lovely @mrsteveantony took the time to sign our 10 library copies of Please Mr Panda. And even read it to a fan! #ReadMCR #MLF18 pic.twitter.com/nOjVnD9Mx6
— Manchester Libraries (@MancLibraries) October 13, 2018
@McrLitFest @MrSteveAntony 👀 what you did? #artmeetswords #pleasemrpanda #pleasedaspunch pic.twitter.com/XxGQ9J7si5
— Semi Da-Cocodia (@SemiSpouts) October 13, 2018
Big signing queue for @MrSteveAntony so had to get some extra help... pic.twitter.com/iJE562naXy
— BlackwellsManchester (@BlackwellsMcr) October 13, 2018