So, About That Chicken Story I Mentioned…

If you have read my new kids book, Detective Mo and the Mystery of the Stolen Cake, you might have noticed the title reveal of another book on the back page: Rollo, The Bravest Chicken in the World.

I wrote Rollo ages ago and had intended to have it traditionally published and let someone else illustrate it, but as time wore on I found myself thinking more and more about how I wanted this book to look until eventually I could see the finished product in my minds eye: a small, square shaped book with pictures formed out of simple geometric shapes and bold colours and side-facing characters. If you can imagine ancient Egyptian art but drawn in the colourful geometric style more reminiscent of Hey Duggee, you’ll have a fair idea of what I’m aiming for. It is quite a divergence from the style of Detective Mo, and something which I’m hoping will appeal to younger children.

The story itself was originally inspired (once again) by one of my daughter’s toys: a cuddley toy chicken by the name of Rollercoaster, who is a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

Again, I’m aiming Rollo at much younger children than Detective Mo, and so it is shorter in length (only about 300 words) and is written in rhyming verse, rather than prose.

I’ve got high hopes for this one. Hopefully I’ll have a release date in the coming months so keep your eyes peeled.