Guest Post: Illustrating Sophie Johnson - Ella Okstad

I'd love to give a warm welcome to Ella Okstad today, who has written a great post about coming up with the initial illustrations for a new picture book series and to share some of her early sketches! I'm very much a fan of Ella's style and it's one which I admire and would love to be able to emulate!

Illustrating Sophie Johnson - Ella Okstad

When I first read the Unicorn Expert it was instantly clear to me how Sophie would look. As she is a self-confessed expert on unicorns and a detective genius it was very important to capture this in how she moves and behaves. For the Unicorn Expert, the publisher sent me a link to a John Lewis Insurance commercial video to describe her personality which I felt was really on point.


I wanted her to have a simple stripy dress and a couple of thin legs. This way it would be quite easy to mover her around. Her face is dominated by a large pair of round glasses which gives her an important look; she is, after all, an expert and it also makes room for lots of different expressions.

Whereas Sophie's look came quite instantly, the real Unicorn was a little more tricky. At first, I imagined it to be quite flamboyant with a more horse-like body and a long wavy tail and mane. Then after re-reading the text and sending a couple of emails back & forth, we decided to go with the chubby quite insecure type of unicorn. It is, after all, seeking unicorn advice from the world's best unicorn expert!

In Detective Genius, Bella the dog is always there with an attentive look keeping an eye on Sophie. She is the true detective!



The guinea pig from Unicorn Expert can be spotted a couple of times in Detective Genius. Have another look and see if you can spot it hiding in the pages!

Review Links

Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert

Sophie Johnson: Detective Genius

Sophie Johnson: Detective Genius - Morag Hood & Ella Okstad

Sophie Johnson studied very hard to become a detective and it's a good thing she did – there has been a terrible crime!

Someone has stolen Lion's tail. Unfortunately, this means that Sophie doesn't have time to train her new (and not very good) assistant, Bella.

However, is it possible that, while Sophie is busy rounding up suspects, she doesn't see that Bella may be better than she thinks?

Following on from the joy that is Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert Sophie is now a fully qualified detective! She also has an assistant, Bella the dog, who naturally isn't as good as Sophie, but there isn't anyone else to fill the position!

Lion's tail has gone missing, believed stolen, and Sophie is busy interviewing suspects and taking fingerprints. In the meantime, Bella has her nose to the ground and finds the tail long before Sophie, but Sophie remains oblivious - as usual! It's obvious who is the better detective but Sophie has had training and she sometimes eats her vegetables.

Ella's wonderful illustrations bring the story to life and the two blend together seamlessly to make a fabulous tale that any little one will enjoy. There's a touch of humor on every page and some of the animal's expressions are priceless when they're watching Sophie follow all the wrong clues and question the wrong suspects. Sophie yet again misses what is happening right under her nose but it's okay because Bella is there to save the day. Sophie might think she's smarter, more hardworking, and observant but we all know she's not, and that adds to the charm of the story.

As with Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert, this is a great book read out loud and both children and adults will enjoy something on every page. Some of the illustrated hints might need some explanation to younger children who won't quite understand what they mean but this doesn't detract from the genius that is Bella, I mean Sophie! I'm very much looking forward to Sophie Johnson's next adventure, Morag and Ella have created something special in her and I think she'll become a firm favorite. Oh, and check out the title page. It shows a row of houses and shops, and it just so happens there are a detective agency and a unicorn emporium right next door to each other!

Sophie Johnson: Detective Genius - Morag Hood & Ella Okstad

ISBN - 9781471145650

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Release date - May 30th, 2019

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository | Hive UK

Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert - Morag Hood & Ella Okstad

A very funny story about a little girl who thinks she knows all there is to know about unicorns...
Sophie Johnson is an extremely endearing new picture book character, just bursting with information and knowledge that she is keen to pass on. She’s a self-confessed unicorn expert (among other things) and has dressed up her toys and pets with their own unique horns. Strange then, that she doesn’t seem to notice the real unicorn who has come into her house...

A wonderfully humorous story, from a new picture book dream-team, about a unicorn hiding in plain sight and a little girl who is totally oblivious to his presence!

There's a certain young lady I know who is mad about unicorns, she has unicorn books by the dozen but Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert stands out from the rest of the crowd! Sophie has seventeen unicorns, from her baby brother to the family dog to her stuffed toys - nobody is safe from having a unicorn head attached to their heads!

Sophie spends a lot of time looking after her unicorns - defending them, teaching them, and most time consuming, cleaning them. She's so busy looking after them that she doesn't notice when a real unicorn joins her in all of her adventures! It's a great way of showing littles how you have to look after something.

Both text and illustrations join together to make a fun read for all little (or not so little) fans of unicorns. It's a fun book to read out loud and to be shouted at by said little ones that they can see the unicorn, followed by lots of laughter that Sophie can't, because she is the expert.

I've read several of Morag Hood's picture books with the twins and read several other books illustrated by Ella Okstad and admired both. Ella's illustrations are fantastic and very much of the style that I wish I could draw! I'd like to applaud whoever put these two together as I think it's a stroke of genius!

If you'd like to see more of Ella's beautiful illustrations check out her Instagram page! Next up in the Sophie Johnson series is Sophie Johnson: Detective Genius and I'll be sharing my review and a guest post from Ella herself about coming up with the illustrations for Sophie.

Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert - Morag Hood & Ella Okstad

ISBN - 9781471145629

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Release date - April 5th, 2018

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository | Hive UK

Daddy Hairdo - Francis Martin & Claire Powell

A hilarious story for anyone who has ever had to tangle with a head full of hair!

When Amy is born she doesn’t have much hair. Not for long! Soon her hair is the stuff of fairy tales - so long she could throw it down a tower to let up a handsome prince. Only, hair this long is also really inconvenient, especially on windy days. So Amy’s dad comes up with some innovative solutions, and soon EVERYONE wants one of Daddy's Hairdos!

I'm a huge fan of picture books, for both children and adults alike, so when the opportunity came up to review Daddy Hairdo I jumped at it! With stunning illustrations by Claire Powell, illustrator of Have You Seen My Giraffe? this is Francis Martin's picture book debut.

Before I got a chance to read it the twins grabbed it and devoured it, so I had to wait my turn but it was worth the wait. Full of whimsical but stunning illustrations between them Claire & Francis have come up with a picture book that is a delight to read. 

Amy might not have had much hair to start with but soon she is out-Rapunzeling Rapunzel and it's up to Daddy to come up with some inventive hairstyles to allow Amy to carry on! Some of the wonderful masterpieces though, mean that Amy can't do the things she wants to. The Triple Beehive, for example, means she can't visit the sweet shop and my personal favorite, the Castle In The Clouds, means playing hide-and-seek isn't very much fun. This all leads to Amy's own favorite Daddy hairdo, which you'll need to read the book to discover...

The twins loved Daddy Hairdo, especially F, as he loves to play with hair and everyone always assumes that this is very much a 'girl' thing to do. I can assure you it's not, and over the years F has come up with some inspiring hairdos of his own. This is quite possibly one of the best, sadly without a name, but involves bobbles, clips, and a blanket!

Daddy Hairdo - Francis Martin & Claire Powell

ISBN - 9781471147876

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Release date - September 6th, 2018

Find - Book Depository

Francis Martin can be found here on Twitter, whilst Claire is on Twitter here, and her website can be found here.

Huge thanks to Olivia, and S&S for inviting me to take part in this fantastic blog tour! Do check out some of the other stops for the inspiration behind the story and other reviews.

Spyder - Matt Carr

Introducing... Spyder - code name 008 (legs). It's not easy being a super special secret agent when you're only as big as a pin badge. But when a birthday cake is under threat, SPYDER is called upon. It's time to pack the spy-kit with binoculars, a top-secret laser pen and... a banana. Will Spyder save the day, AND the party? Matt Carr, author-illustrator of the internationally acclaimed SUPERBAT, has created a new picture book masterpiece that will have readers both big and little chuckling with laughter - mission accomplished!

Spyder is the fantastic second book by author-illustrator Matt Carr. His first, Superbat, was a firm favourite with the twins who loved the minimal colour palette used and adored Superbat's desire to be a superhero.

Spyder is the story of an intrepid eight-legged spider who works as a spy, Codename 008, and her bid to save a little boy's birthday cake from villain Bluebottle. Being an agent and a spider is hard work though, as there are lots of obstacles in her way, the least of which is Mr Webster's Sock of Doom. Bluebottle is a formidable enemy though and manages to elude capture until the very last, with a cunning plan by Spyder saving the day.

As with Superbat, Matt used a very minimalist colour palette with bright blues, yellows and reds, drawing your eye to each and every page. I love that there's a mix of different fonts which made it easy for the twins to read it out loud, taking turns by each font used. The style of Spyder has a glorious, nostalgic feeling and along with the subtle touches of humour (Miss Moneyspider!) will entertain the adults too.It's a bright, arachnid adventure that will hold any child's attention and of course, let them know that there's no need to be afraid of spiders. You never know when one might be an agent in disguise!

The Squickerwonkers - Evangeline Lilly

The Squickerwonkers - Evangeline Lilly & Johnny Fraser-Allen

ISBN - 9781783295456

Publisher - Titan Books

Release date - November 18 2014

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Meet Selma of the Rin-Run Royals, a clever little girl who is spoiled to the core. One day Selma stumbles upon a band of colorful marionettes, and gets more than she bargained for. The remarkable Squickerwonkers of the fabulous Squickershow are about to teach Selma that she’ll not always get her way.

I'd heard a lot about Lilly's debut picture book and, as with all celebrity penned books, was a tad on the sceptical side. I was still excited to receive a copy from Titan for review though as the illustrations look fabulous. The ultimate test for The Squickerwonkers and whether it was any good wasn't going to be my choice this time though, I decided to let the twins decide!

The Squickerwonkers (I wish there was a way of abbreviating that title, lets try SW's for now) is about a little girl, supposedly well mannered and known to most as Selma of the Rin-Run Royals. Selma is watching a marionette show, darker in tone than your average show, with an amazing array of characters including Papa the Proud, Meghan the Mute and Gillis the Gluttonous. Having realized that maybe not all is as it seems Selma's balloon is popped by one of the SW's and there ensues a tantrum that any self-respecting child would be proud of. Being a member of the Rin-Run Royals, Selma is not about to let anyone get away with that and threatens them all with her Gramps! Suddenly, through tear-filled and blurry eyes, there he is and Selma demands he take action over this horrible deed... I'll leave the rest to your imagination as I don't want to spoil the end for anyone.

The book is marketed at slightly older children than Frem (they're almost five) but they actually quite enjoyed the story. The one that I thought would be a bit frightened loved the illustrations & the story and the one that I thought would be fine really didn't like the illustrations but was quite happy to listen to the text. It's written in slanting rhyme so probably could have been written just as well in prose but it was this clunky sort of rhyming that held Frem's attention. What made the book for me were the luscious illustrations, they're exactly the sort of thing I love both now and when I was a child, they are suitably creepy and murky, with the same sort of appeal as Coraline. Considering they're done by WETA Workshop artist Johnny Fraser-Allen they probably couldn't be much better!

I've since discovered that there are going to be a whole series of Squickerwonker books so it will be interesting to see how they develop and whether they continue to follow the same format. What I learnt from reading the SW's was to not dismiss a book out of hand just because it's written by a celebrity and I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Frem wanted to give it a five clock rating and I wanted to give it a three clock rating so 'Stay Up Late' was the 'almost 5yo's old's' compromise!

Many thanks to Ella & Chloe at Titan for providing me with a copy of The Squickerwonkers which I've had to give to Em as she wouldn't let me leave with it!

Children's Book Week 2014 Giveaway

Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop

May 12th – 18th

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, YA Romantics, and Tressa’s Wishful Endings.

About Children’s Book Week:

Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading.

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes – wherever young readers and books connect!

For more information visit: http://www.bookweekonline.com/

I've always been a reader, I could read before I was three because I was obsessed with books and begged my mama to teach me as I got frustrated at not being able to read anything I picked up - yes, I was that desperate to be able to read by myself! Lately I've been reading lots of picture books thanks to a certain pair of four year old twins, so for a change instead of YA I'm going to offer up either picture books or MG books to the value of $15 - £9/11 Euros. Yes, that means you can choose more than one picture/MG books as long as the total cost isn't more than $15. You are eligible to enter providing you live in a country that Book Depository ship to - find the list of countries here. The hop runs from now through until midnight on May 18th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out all these other blogs taking part for more chances to win, thanks for entering and good luck!