Flights of Fancy: Creative Inspiration from Ten Award-Winning Authors and Illustrators

Structured primarily as a resource for educators, this assortment of storytelling and illustration prompts and practices from celebrated British Children’s Laureates is classroom-ready. In dedicated chapters, contributors detail some facet of their creative practice. Quentin Blake talks of “putt[ing] yourself inside” a story and offers inkblot-esque drawings of fantastic vehicles waiting for a tale of their own, Michael Rosen explores how a single word (“bobble”) might spark the start of a poem, Malorie Blackman offers an example of how different points of view can shift a story, and Lauren Child explains how she developed her signature illustration style. Twenty suggested creative activities and short contributor biographies round out the book. Illustrations from the included artists offer a sampling of their diverse styles, while design treatments—mock notebook pages, trompe l’oeil sticky notes—liven up the presentation. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. [em](Apr.) [/em]