Sir Quentin Blake

Beyond the Page - cover illustration

Another Christmas present from my wife was a very expensive, signed copy of Beyond the Page by Quentin Blake. It was fun to see that he received a knighthood a few days after I received the book. His contribution to children's literature is well documented but his contribution to a variety of charities and the creation of stimulating spaces for children (and adults) less so. A recent exhibition we saw at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle highlighted the latter.
He has also helped set up and pledged his archive collection to The House of Illustration to provide a centre for illustration in the UK.

http://www.houseofillustration.org.uk/

A visit to this site shows a section entitled "Illustrating Science" which got my immediate attention. Their illustrators, working with the Wellcome Institute and primary schools have designed resources to help teach the following KS2 Science topics - Life Cycle of Plants, Local Nature Spotters, The Heart & Circulation and Micro-organisms. Hopefully, with the coming of Spring, I might be able to involve a particular school with the Local Nature Spotter's unit.

Sir Quentin is probably best know for his illustrations for books by Roald Dahl. My favourite for reading to my son was The Giraffe, the Pelly and Me, though I really liked the illustrations for The Twits.

Harper Colins (2009) ISBN 978-0-00-727905-0

Co-incidentally, Mr Stink by David Walliams was on the TV at Christmas and the original book was illustrated by Blake. This was Walliams second children's book, the first being The Boy in the Dress , also illustrated by Blake. He's since produced a further three all illustrated by Tony Ross.