Templar Books, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK, is delighted to announce the acquisition of an epic dinosaur-drawing adventure, Doodle with Duddle: How to Draw Dinosaurs by Jonny Duddle, celebrating 10 roarsome years of Gigantosaurus and its creator.
Sophie Hallam, Head of Templar, acquired world rights for Doodle with Duddle: How to Draw Dinosaurs from Tamlyn Francis of Arena Illustration.
Doodle with Duddle: How to Draw Dinosaurs features step-by-step guides on how to draw a range of dinosaurs – including characters from the original Gigantosaurus book – a draw-your-own-story section and the chance for readers to create their own made-up dinosaur, plus each page is packed with real dinosaur facts, trivia and prehistoric paraphernalia – think dinosaur meals, fascinating fossils and even dinosaur babies! With hilarious jokes throughout, this is the perfect book for resident dino buffs aged five plus – complete with a QR code on the back cover that links to Jonny Duddle’s YouTube draw-along videos.
The year sees an exciting celebration of Jonny Duddle to commemorate 10 years of Gigantosaurus and the Doodle with Duddle launch with an extensive Marketing & Publicity campaign planned, including major public events and festival appearances from Jonny, a 360 digital campaign, offline Gigantosaurus summer holiday trail and a wide-reaching influencer campaign with 20 family influencers.
Jonny Duddle said: “I can’t believe it’s been ten years since the publication of Gigantosaurus. It’s grown into something much bigger than I’d ever imagined, thanks to the Gigantosaurus TV show. I’m delighted that Templar are publishing a new edition of the original picture book, with some extra pages of dino-doodling goodness, and that there’s more dinosaur fun on the way with my brand-new book, Doodle with Duddle: How to Draw Dinosaurs!”
Helen Wicks, Managing Director, Children’s Trade said: “It is truly fantastic to have Jonny back on board with a dino-mite new title, ten years after first unleashing Gigantosaurus! We can’t wait for readers of all ages to get drawing.”
Rachael Roberts, Templar Editor, said: “If I could name two of Jonny’s passions, I would say ‘doodling’ and ‘dinosaurs’, so of course this book is brilliant! Whether you’re a fan of dinosaurs, you love to draw or you’re a long time Jonny Duddle fan, there really is something special in this book for every child.”
Jonny Duddle overheard the story of his first book The Pirate Cruncher while sailing on a square-rigger. Since then, he has written even stranger tales including The Pirates of Scurvy Sands, The Pirates Next Door, Gigantosaurus and The King of Space. The Pirates Next Door won the Waterstones Prize in 2012 and was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Now in danger of becoming a landlubber, Jonny lives in Wales with his wife, Jane, and their daughters.
Doodle with Duddle: How to Draw Dinosaurs will be publishing in paperback and ebook on 20th June 2024. Gigantosaurus: 10th Anniversary Edition, with an excerpt from Jonny’s new book, is out on 14th March.
