Amy, Charlie and Helen

2026 is The National Year of Reading in the UK, and we’re delighted to support their Go All In 2026 campaign. #GoAllIn2026 We asked the Pickled Inkers to pick a Very Important Book, and tell us why it matters to them, and today we share answers from the supremely talented paper cut artist @lauraksayers 1️⃣ Tell us about your Very Important Book and why you’ve chosen it. 'The Line Sophie Drew' by Peter and Susan Barrett is an old 1970s book I've had since I was a child, bought secondhand from the library by my mum for 30p. The story is very plainly written, but the rich, painterly illustrations add so much imagination to each page, showing how each character sees Sophie's wiggly line as something slightly different. It reminds me of passing the time as a kid by scribbling down a line, finding an image within the shapes and then forming a story from there. 2️⃣ Do you have a favourite place where you like to read? I like having a quiet moment to invest in a good book from a comfy armchair in the corner of our living room with a cup of tea. It's a chair that doesn't get used for much else, so it feels like a proper activity to sit and read in it and shut off for a while.  3️⃣ The National Year of Reading's Go All In campaign champions the idea If You’re Into It, Read Into It. Is there a subject or hobby that you want to read more about and why? I'm trying to track down a book called 'Wintering' by Katherine May, about how to make the most of the colder, darker seasons. These months are my least favourite but I am open to having my mind changed! #GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearOfReading2026 #ifyoureintoitreadintoit #lauraksayers #papercutart #papercutartist #fortheloveofminiaturethings #illustrator #pickledink #thelinesophiedrew #peterandsusanbarrett #wintering #katherinemay

Chugga-chugga! Vroom! Vroom! Happy Publication Day to author @michellerobinsonbooks and illustrator @jeztuya ! ‘Tractors on the Go!’ is the third book in the Busy Vehicles series and is a must-read for little tractor enthusiasts 🚜 Published by @andersenpress #picturebooks #pickledink #childrensillustration #jeztuya #vehicles

@laura_ellen_anderson brand new series: ‘STAR KITTIES: Detective Kitty is on the Case’ is officially OUT in the Whiskery wilds TODAY! We can’t wait for you to meet these wonderful new characters! #starkitties #cats #childrensbooks #chapterbooks #lauraellenanderson

‘The Dangerous Pet Lover’s Guide to Sea Monsters’ is out in the world! The companion book to ‘Pet Lover’s Guide to Dragons’ that came out last year, @lindsay_dangerous_pets_hirst and @mckalice are back with another monster-care manual. Learn everything you need to know about keeping a sea monster as a pet - you’ll find a host of tips, tricks and advice, from how best to feed and name your sea monster, to playing games together (top tip: ALWAYS let them win) - all colourfully illustrated by @mckalice . Published by @bloomsburychildrens #alicemckinley #pickledink #childrensbooks #picturebooks

Thank you so much @barnesandnoble for selecting “HOGBERT” on the shortlist of the Barnes & Noble 2026 Children’s and YA Book Awards! Published by the wonderful @candlewickpress “When Mommy Boar sends her little snufflebugs to explore the forest for the first time, she cautions them to stick together. After all, the Big Bad Wolf could be near! But Hogbert’s keen nose has other ideas, and after following a trail too far, he finds himself trembling alone in fear. What’s that rustling in the leaves? Just a little red squirrel on her way to visit her sick granny! What’s that growl coming through the trees? Just a snoring white doe who took a bite of an apple that made her sleepy! With each temporarily scary encounter, Hogbert finds that the world is a less frightening place, and that the same sense of smell that led him into trouble may just lead them all out of it again.“ #hogbert #barnesandnoblechildrensandyabookawards #barnesandnoble #picturebooks #wildboar

@paoesco8ar has illustrated the latest cover for @Zohra_Nabi ’s Cassia Thorne series. ‘Witch Light’, is the spooky sequel to ‘Deep Dark’ - think Enola Holmes with a supernatural twist! Published by @simonkidsuk #CassiaThorne #childrensfantasy #childrensbooks #paolaescobar #pickledink

Happy publication to this beauty - The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away by @sophieandersonauthor with a gorgeous cover illustration by our @melissa.castrillon and would you look at those @waterstones_kids exclusive sprayed edge designs?? Published by @usborne_books and out now!

Today is the U.K publication day of <Home is a Hug>! I still remember the first time (can’t believe it was in 2024!) I presented this story idea to the team at @postwave_books with my dearest agent, Helen, from @pickledink . Joanna, the editorial director at PostWave, told me, “This looks very you,” after hearing the presentation. In that moment, I felt that HOME had found its home. The PostWave team also introduced possible die-cut and flap editorial directions into the project, which became one of the book’s highlights. I couldn’t be more grateful for this. And on the publication day, I feel like saying thank you to brilliant people from postwave (particularly Joanna, Phoebe and Avni), my lovely agency (particularly my agent-Helen), my family & friends, Bao (my cat) and everyone who believes in this book. And more importantly, to the readers. The books wouldn’t complete without the each of you. If any of you feel connected or resonated while reading the book, it’d be the happiest thing to happen to me. The book will first be published in the U.K & U.S and will be out in French, Complex Chinese by @diancan_books , Spanish, Catlan and Portuguese later. (And hopefully more will come!) Thank you again for reading this looooong post and yeah….happy publication to <Home is a Hug> ! >3<

The Living Paintings Trust is an incredible charity providing specially adapted books for blind & visually impaired children and young people in the UK.  They recently published an edition of ‘Margaret’s Unicorn’ by Briony May Smith. You can see a few snippets of how they created a tactile version of the baby unicorn here. But for a more detailed look into how the book was created and the amazing work of @livingpaintingscharity head over to our blog to read an interview with head of marketing & communications, Helen Molyneux. --- You’ll need to copy and paste this link to your browser: /blog As you’ll discover, creating an audio tactile book with The Living Paintings Trust involves a lot of skilled craftspeople, dedicated volunteers, generous investors and last but not least some very astute and eager children who road-test the books before they go to print. We also need to shout out the The Royal Mail who send and return the books for free through Royal Mail’s Articles for the Blind. #thelivingpaintingstrust #booksforblindchildren #margaretsunicorn #brionymaysmith #accessibilityforall #RaiseAReader #livingpaintingscharity #royalmailarticlesfortheblind

2026 is The National Year of Reading in the UK, and we’re delighted to support their Go All In 2026 campaign. #GoAllIn2026 We asked the Pickled Inkers to pick a Very Important Book, and tell us why it matters to them. Next up we share answers from @BrionyMaySmith - the creator of much-loved picture books such as 'Margaret’s Unicorn' (Schwartz & Wade) and 'Hogbert' (Walker Books) 1️⃣ Tell us about your Very Important Book and why you’ve chosen it. I have three that I loved so much as a child: 'The Eleventh Hour', by Graeme Base. (I buy this for all my friends with newborns) 'The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies' by Cicely Mary Barker, especially as there are two ‘Bryony’ fairies! But I’ll focus on 'Portly’s Hat' by Lucy Cousins. It’s so gentle, so funny, and so heartfelt all at once. And it’s perfection in its pacing and humour. It’s about a penguin who loves his hat, a seagull steals it, his little friend comforts and helps him. 2️⃣ Do you have a favourite place where you like to read? I like going on holiday by myself, so taking a book to a restaurant is such a relaxing way to end the day. As I imagine most people will say, I love taking a book on holiday, or to the beach, and in bed to wind down and switch off. I think my favourite place would be in some restaurant or pub after a big hike on a walking holiday, while I scarf down a burger and inevitably cover the pages in grease. 3️⃣ The National Year of Reading's Go All In campaign champions the idea If You’re Into It, Read Into It. Is there a subject or hobby that you want to read more about and why? I completely devoured books on myths and folklore when I was younger, so I’d like to get back into that. I was given 'The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2026' by Lia Leendertz so I’m looking forward to learning bitesize chunks of folklore as the seasons change. #GoAllIn2026 #NationalYearOfReading2026 #ifyoureintoitreadintoit #brionymaysmith #author #illustrator #picturebooks #pickledink #portlyshat #lucycousins #theeleventhhour #graemebase #thecompletebookoftheflowerfairies #cicelymarybarker #thealmanac #lialeendertz #folklore #myths

We love a painted bookshop window and they don’t get much cuter than at @huntingravenbooks in Frome right now. Painted by Robin Boyden for his adorable picture book, ‘Raindrops’. There are signed copies in store so go go go and grab a bookish Easter treat for your little (or big) loves this weekend. Happy Easter folks! Ps - who can spot @lo_cole ‘Doris’ hiding in the background?? #windowpainting #raindrops #robinboyden #huntingravenbooks #winstones #farshorebooks #bookisheastertreats

I am so excited to share the cover of my upcoming picture book “The Secret Dragon” publishing in the US in September with the wonderful @anneschwartzbooks @randomhousekids available to preorder now! 🏰 More than anything, Prince Griffin of Wyrmrock wants a pet. The only problem? His mother, the Queen, is allergic to ALL magical beasts. Luckily for Griff, his aunt, the great Sorceress Morgana, has a trick up her sleeve. For his eighth birthday, she sneaks him a mysterious gift: an egg that hatches to reveal... a baby dragon! It isn’t terribly difficult, at first, to keep Sir Pipsqueak the dragon a secret. But soon enough, Pip is much too big to hide in Griffin’s cloak pocket. Or behind the gargoyle statue. Or even in the grand armory... Plus, who knew dragons spontaneously breathe fire?? Forsooth, how will Griff ever keep the Queen from finding out about his beloved pet? #dragon #dragonillustration #medieval #medievaldragon #thesecretdragon /books/722883/the-secret-dragon-by-briony-may-smith/