By Rachel Lawson, publisher-at-large The phrase “fractured fairy tale” took a while to permeate the Gecko Press lexicon. Possibly because we saw most of these books first as funny stories. It turns out we’ve made a number of fairy tales with a difference over the years. They have familiar characters and a story structure we… Read more »
Olivier Tallec was born in Brittany, France. After graduating from the École Supérieure d’Arts Appliqués Duperré in Paris, he travelled extensively and now lives and works in Paris. He has illustrated over 60 books for children, along with his work as both author and illustrator. He has two books with Gecko… Read more »
by rachel lawson, publisher-at-large One of the best books we’ve published at Gecko Press is All the Dear Little Animals by Ulf Nilsson and Eva Eriksson. Three children start a funeral business to bury the dead animals they find in their neighbourhood. This book takes me instantly to my own childhood garden and to important… Read more »
The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate is an enduring story by Joy Cowley that was first published as a school reader in 1984. Gecko Press published a picture book edition illustrated by Sarah Davis in 2010. In 2024, Japanese publisher Tokuma Shoten commissioned Miho Satake to create illustrations to go alongside their Japanese… Read more »
By Rachel Lawson The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate has the kind of publishing history you find with Joy Cowley’s most enduring stories. The tale of the fierce little woman who walked up and down the jetty playing her bagpipes to the seagulls was originally published in 1984 as a school reader. Gecko… Read more »
David Barrow is author and illustrator of Have You Seen Elephant? and Have You Seen Dinosaur? Come in to his studio… My studio is at the bottom of my garden. It’s built from an old outbuilding previously used by Kettering shoemakers to make shoes from home. It’s warm, has internet, and is my happy place…. Read more »
Julia Marshall is the former publisher of Gecko Press and still our number one translator from Swedish. We asked her to write about translating Giraffe Island by Sofia Chanfreau and Amanda Chanfreau. Giraffe Island is a magical realist mystery adventure for 8- to 12-year-olds. It is a playful, fresh and beautifully written story about a… Read more »
David Barrow has an MA from the Cambridge School of Art, where he now teaches. His first book, Have You Seen Elephant?, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Prize, longlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize, and received a Dutch Silver Pencil award. It has also been translated into 11 languages. Barrow won the Sebastian Walker Award and has since written and illustrated many picture books and illustrated a children’s novel.
Explore Aurore Petit’s creative process, from observing children’s daily life to crafting picture books that resonate with both kids and adults. Learn more here!
Discover how Antje Damm blends architecture with storytelling in her unique picture books. Learn about her creative process, inspirations, and upcoming Picture Me Festival visit.
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