We are delighted to be working with author Louie Stowell and illustrator Isobel Lundie on this exciting new picture book series, Shakesbear, publishing in 2024.
Louie has gamely taken on the task of reimagining the Bard as a slightly bumbling but lovable bear, and placing him and his friends in a woodland setting revolving around the Glade Theatre – pure genius! Each 32-page picture book is based very loosely on a different Shakespeare play with themes that children will easily relate to, including tears before bedtime (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, what else?) and temper tantrums (The Tempest, of course!). We think young children will love getting to know the colourful cast of characters and finding out that all the world is, indeed, a stage.
Patricia Hegarty, Editorial Director said:
“Louie has a fantastic track record in writing for children, and she has once again woven her magic in bringing Shakesbear and his fellow thespians to life with her trademark wit and humour. We knew that we needed a very special illustrator to do justice to Louie’s cast of characters and Isobel fits the bill perfectly. We have worked with her previously on Super Poopers, so we knew she would wow us with her amazingly rich and colourful illustrations. So, now we have the perfect author and illustrator in place, the stage is set…”
About joining the Little Tiger list, Stowell has said:
“I’ve wanted to work with Little Tiger for ages, and these books are an utter joy to write. After working in preschool publishing, it’s been wonderful to be on the other side of the editorial table, too. And to anyone who thinks English degrees are useless, I say that term spent on Shakespeare is finally proving professionally useful, 20 years on… although sadly all scholars have neglected to pursue the notion that Shakespeare was, in fact, a large, toddler-like bear. Writing books for children to enjoy and relate to that also offer little nods to the adults reading them out loud is one of my favourite things, and working with such a talented artist to bring Shakesbear’s world to life is a dream!”
Lundie also commented:
‘I’m having the best time experimenting with how I can transform a tranquil woodland into chaotic Elizabethan London… and so is my spaniel Roo who runs around madly while I’m drawing the local woodland for reference. I’m really looking forward to this partnership. What a magical project!’
The deal for World: All Language rights for this series was struck with Molly Ker Hawn of the Bent Agency. Isobel Lundie is represented by the Plum Agency.
Little Tiger will publish the first two instalments in the Shakesbear series in Spring 2024.
