Over the last 8 months I’ve been fortunate enough to illustrate a Children’s novel; ‘Ollie and the Starchaser’ written by my mum, Tanya Southey. It was a massive learning curve to figure out how best to develop each character and figure out cartoon-styled drawing because I’ve previously mostly worked in realistic styles. Working with my mum was a unique opportunity to have a large amount of creative freedom on a comissioned project. This book is wonderful and beautifully written, I never had a problem coming up with scene ideas because the writing is so visual. I appreciated the opportunity to think like a child and hide things I would have loved to find in the drawings. It’s the type of book I would have liked to read as a kid and it has valuable insights into coping with grief and loss in an imaginative and adventurous setting. ‘Ollie and the Starchaser’ is aimed for 8-12 year olds and will be available for purchase as a physical copy, kindle and audiobook.

Blurb:

Nanoo is Ollie’s beloved grandmother and an astronomer who discovered the planet Terenza, in a gentle galaxy east of the moon. When Nanoo disappears on a trip to the Outback, Ollie cannot accept that she is gone. He is worried, sad and refuses to believe that Nanoo would leave him. He feels helpless sitting around on his farm with only his faithful Labrador, Chloe, to listen to his feelings. However, his luck changes when the Starchaser and his Star-fordshire Terrier, Buddy, plot a way to get to Earth from Terenza. The boys and their dogs begin an epic adventure to find Nanoo. Their journey takes them across the Outback, up the Steps to the Moon and into space. But will Ollie find her, and will he bring her home?

Preview Kindle version:

Where to purchase: