Thelma and Moo-ise

My new Book has been set free it is now truly ON THE ROAD….

I’m like a big kid when I have a new book out, ooh spotty endpapers! Ooh lovely paper…ooh look at this…It’s in a shop!

The team at Walker Books have done a wonderful job on the book. Especially my designer, Deirdre McDermott, my editors Penny and David. Thanks guys!

This idea was hatched in Skerries; I had been painting some giant murals in my daughter’s school. They were based around two characters Rocket dog and Space Chicken.

Above is a photo of one of the murals, when I painted the two characters on the moon, silhouetted against the night sky it really struck a chord with me.

At the time I had also been watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Chicken Run campaign on TV. Hugh was on a mission to convert the chicken eating public to a free-range future. Good idea Hugh.

I thought what if I had two characters a cow and a chicken whom take the idea of Free Range to its very limits.When I started to doodle Mavis and Marge turned up on the page. Marge is named after my Dad’s sister who is ‘smarter than the average chicken.’

Mavis is well…just Mavis.

And two years after painting the mural, Mavis and Marge get their debut in the real world. I threw in bit of Huck Finn and a dash of Kerouac for the under fours. It’s my homage to Thelma and Moo-ise…