Maisie Paradise Shearring – illustratör

A beautifully illustrated lyrical children’s picture book about family change, loss and hope. A powerful and uplifting story about the impact the departure of a dad has on a young boy and his mum, written by award-winning Zimbabwean poet Blessing Musariri and stunningly illustrated by British artist Maisie Paradise Shearring. Shingai's father has gone and Shingai and his mum are all alone and feeling lost. Shingai can’t contain the whirlwind of emotions inside him any more. He needs to let his feelings out.A beautiful heartfelt story about the complex range of emotions a child experiences when a parent leaves, told from the perspective of a young boy. An important book for kids about dealing with family change and overcoming sadness with hope and acceptance.

In a town where a lot of poor people suffer and where there are a lot of miseries, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter, meets the statue of the late ‘Happy Prince’, who in reality has never experienced true sorrow, for he lived in a palace where sorrow isn’t allowed to enter. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the Happy Prince asks the swallow to take the ruby from his hilt, the sapphires from his eyes, and the golden leaf covering his body to give to the poor. As the winter comes and the Happy Prince is stripped of all of his beauty, his lead heart breaks when the swallow dies as a result of his selfless deeds and severe cold. The statue is then brought down from the pillar and melted in a furnace leaving behind the broken heart and the dead swallow and they are thrown in a dust heap. These are taken up to heaven by an angel that has deemed them the two most precious things in the city. This is affirmed by God and they live forever in his city of gold and garden of paradise.

A sweet and charmingly illustrated picture book about the ways we express love."I love you," Dimitri tells everyone, from his friends at nursery to the big tree in the playground. But why does no one say it back? Dimitri worries no one loves him – until he finds out there are lots of different ways love can spread through the world. A touching and uplifting story, perfect for sharing.

A uplifting and touching story about curiosity and caring that is perfect for sharing.Stella is a great detective. She can’t help noticing everything around her – clouds shaped like horses, wheelie bins with faces, a lonely glove on a fence, people that look like their dogs and even a man with a furry hat that looks like a cat on his head. Stella tells Dad about everything she’s seen but Dad is worried that she’s going to hurt people’s feelings.But when Stella spots a sad lady in the park she knows that speaking up is just the right thing to do.