Tomos Roberts (Tomfoolery) – författare

The second inspiring picture book from the creators of The Great Realisation. ‘All the things that make life wonderful, all the colours, sounds and tastes Begin to lose a touch of magic when your goodness goes to waste.’ We all have within us ‘potential’, an amount of positivity and goodness that we could add to the world if we only try. But what if we don’t try? What if it all seems too much and we just feel like staying in bed? As one little boy lies in bed one morning, not wanting to face the day, it’s up to his older brother to show him the extraordinary potential within him and how even the smallest of his actions will make the world a better place . . . Tomos Roberts’ sparkling new picture book is a manifesto for our time – urging us all to come together to build a brighter future, one small step at a time. Tomos Roberts’ pandemic poem, The Great Realisation, was viewed over 60 million times online and translated into over 20 languages. It was adapted by Ashley Banjo and Diversity into a BAFTA-winning dance performance for Britain's Got Talent as well as being featured in the official BBC New Years Eve 2021 fireworks spectacular. The picture book adaptation has been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal. 'A beautiful book and beautifully illustrated' – Kate Garraway, Good Morning Britain on The Great Realisation Tomos was commissioned by the Royal British Legion to write an Armistice Day poem, Alive With Poppies, which he performed at the Royal Albert Hall in commemoration of 100 years of the poppy. He wrote a Christmas poem, ‘I Actually, Love London’ for BBC London in December 2021.

Each autumn, a small red flower begins to appear.It flourishes at a time when others do not. But what does it mean?And why do people wear it?Alive with poppies for Remembrance,We all fallsilent at the hour.But what’s the meaningof this moment?Why do so many wear a flower?Tomos Roberts' moving poem, first performed at the Royal BritishLegion Festival of Remembrance in 2021, will help anyone hopingto better understand the meaning of the poppy. With stunningand powerful illustrations from Sharon Rentta, Alive withPoppies is sure to become a family favourite.  £0.50 from each copy sold goes to support the Royal BritishLegionEngaging rhyming textCommunicates an important message. Tomos Roberts – who performs as Tomfoolery – explainsthe history and the importance of the poppy symbol from the FirstWorld War to the present day. Alive with Poppies strikes a chordwith young readers wondering how the poppy came to be such animportant symbol.

We now call it The Great Realisationand, yes, since then there have been many. But that’s the story of how it started … and why hindsight’s 2020. First performed online in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Tomos Roberts’ heartfelt poem, with its message of hope and resilience, has been viewed over 60 million times and translated into over 20 languages. Adapted by Ashley Banjo and Diversity into a BAFTA-winning dance performance for Britain's Got Talent! As featured in the official BBC New Years Eve fireworks spectacular! 'A beautiful book and beautifully illustrated' – Kate Garraway, Good Morning BritainWritten in the form of a bedtime story, The Great Realisation is a celebration of the many things – from simple acts of kindness, to applauding the heroic efforts of our key workers – that have brought us together at a time of global crisis. It captures, with magical resonance, the thoughts and feelings of millions in lockdown, as we adapted to a new way of life, found joy in unexpected places, cast aside old habits and reflected on what truly matters to us.The Great Realisation is a timely reminder that, even during our most challenging moments, there is always hope.Tomos’s second book, The World Awaits, was published in July 2021 and he was commissioned by the Royal British Legion to write an Armistice Day poem, Alive With Poppies, which he performed at the Royal Albert Hall in commemoration of 100 years of the poppy. He wrote a Christmas poem, ‘I Actually, Love London’ for BBC London in December 2021.‘This fairytale-style story provides a springboard for discussion of current events with children, and presents a more optimistic view of the future in a time where the outlook often seems bleak’ – School Library Journal, US