Good luck to all my new characters flying to Frankfurt!

Tomorrow marks the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair - an important time for publishers, authors and illustrators around the globe!

I am thrilled this year to have two picture books being shown at the fair.

The first is with publisher Nosy Crow and is my first author illustrator title 'Princess Daisy and the Dragon and the Nincompoop Knights.'  A funny tale of a plucky princess's adventure to save her village from a 'terrifying' dragon…

Here is the front and back wrap-around cover featuring delicious gold foil, designed by myself and the wonderful Stephanie Amster.

And a little exclusive to my blog - here are a few sketches of early concept art from the initial stages of the books development…

Princess Daisy is a fun, feisty princess inspired by my neice Hannah and I can't wait for everyone to read the book next year!

The second book is my first picture book with Orchard Books, a collaboration with the fabulous author Greg Gormley entitled ' The Fairytale Fixer and the Witch.'

This is a lovely story in which we are introduced to Agnes and her sidekick Minnie the sausage dog.  Lots of fairytale characters pop up in the most unexpected places in Agnes's house and they need her help to hide because THE WITCH IS COMING!!!!

Here is a spread from the book - the unicorns bottom is in Agnes's way here!

This is one of the thumbnail sketches for this spread;

And here is the finished spread;

Amongst other characters Agnes has to help a beautiful Mermaid hide too - here she is!

There are lots of little nods to lots of favourite fairytales in this book - the whale pattern on this shower curtain for example inspired by Pinnochio;

Good luck to the teams at Nosy Crow and Orchard, I hope that Daisy and Agnes do us all proud!

All images © Steven Lenton