Every year, the BookTrust Christmas Appeal raises money to send book parcels to children who are vulnerable or in care. This year, more so than ever before, there will be children who may not be looking forward to Christmas.
Their families might be facing challenging circumstances or significant hardship; and some children may be spending this Christmas away from their families for the first time.
Your donation could help brighten Christmas for 14,250 children who are vulnerable or in care – that’s 1800 more children than last year. And for the first time, some parcels will be given out through community foodbanks to help some families who have been adversely affected by lockdowns and who are facing a difficult Christmas.
For the first time ever this year, the Book Trust will be giving out some of their festive gift books through community food banks, because we know some children aren’t looking forward to Christmas.
The art to promote this year’s BookTrust Appeal is by ward-winning creator Hannah Shaw, author and illustrator of the series Unipiggle the Unicorn Pig. When she was little she wanted to be a gymnast, a champion roller-skater or a penguin keeper but instead she picked up a pen and began to draw. Her picture books include Evil Weasel, School for Bandits, and Bear on a Bike.
She’s also collaborated with other authors to bring their stories to life and has illustrated The Disgusting Sandwich by Gareth Edwards and five books for author Sean Taylor, including The World Famous Cheese Shop Break-in.
• Donate to the BookTrust Christmas appeal here
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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