Ms. Allison Colpoys – illustratör

A moving, lyrical picture book about a shy child unlocking the power of their own voice through poetry, with the helping hand of an extra special teacher, written by multi-award winning poet and Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho.From the creators of If All The World Were, winner of the 2019 Independent Book Shop Picture Book Award which has been translated into 13 languages, this beautifully illustrated, powerful and heartwarming text shows children that everyone's voice can be powerful and beautiful, however small.  Allison Colpoys’ gorgeous artwork spills from every page as she shows this most heartwarming of tales. Follow a child who is so shy she doesn't speak.With the encouragement on an enchanting and magical teacher, she writes a poem. But a poem is meant to be read aloud! She musters all her courage, stands at the front of the class and shows her classmates that she does have a voice. And her voice is BEAUTIFUL!  The perfect way to encourage empathy in young children and show shy children how to feel brave, this beautiful story will delight readers time and time again.

*Sunday Times: One to Watch*This beautiful and moving picture book from Waterstones Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho, tells the story of how a big, hairy argument gets in between two best friends. "The argument came from nowhere.It sat huge and bloatedin the middle of the playgroundbetween me and my best friend."This big hairy monster appears out of the blue one day, splitting up the best friends and growing bigger and bigger, until it starts to ruin all the children in the playground's fun.Together, they learn how to shrink the monster until it vanishes completely, to the point where they can't even remember what it looks like!Coelho's gentle and lyrical verse pair perfectly with Allison Colpoys' beautiful illustrations to create a book which will be treasured by young readers.This is an ode to the power of an apology and the importance of saying sorry, and to treasuring a special bond that runs deeper than even the friends realised.

Waterstones Children's Laureate, Joseph Coelho, tells the story of a hairy monster that rips two best friends apart. And there’s only one little word that can make it go away!This big hairy monster slowly balloons in size, ruining everyone’s fun.But this isn’t any old monster. This is a hairy argument that just won’t go away. They try calling it names, yelling at it, and even ignoring it. Nothing works."The argument came from nowhere.It sat huge and bloatedin the middle of the playgroundbetween me and my best friend."Until… the best friends say that one little word that makes everything better. They learn how to shrink the monster until it vanishes completely. And soon, they can't even remember what it looks like!We all know how an argument can balloon into something we never expected. What starts as a simple tiff has the power to really hurt our feelings. This book describes those intense feelings perfectly and provides a comforting solution in the form of an apology, which serves to cool down and reunite the friends.The perfect metaphor for difficult discussions that can get in the way of daily life, and a gentle way to introduce your child to the concept of compromise. Coelho's gentle and lyrical verse pairs perfectly with Allison Colpoys' classic illustrations to create a book which will be treasured by young readers. This is an ode to the power of an apology, and to treasuring a special bond that runs deeper than even the friends realized.