Hold on to your Viking helmets, you are about to meet the inimitable Murray and Bun for the very first time. Arena Illustrator Adam Stower is set to create unique, hilarious illustrated fiction adventures for Harper Collins Children’s Books featuring his latest character creations Murray (a cat) and Bun (a rabbit!) - not an iced bun.
Murray and Bun! Murray the Viking the debut title in the series hits the bookshelves this week and is set to take the book world by storm. Illustrated throughout with Adam's infinitely recognisable illustration style. This series will feature a huge cast of wacky characters, as Murray goes through the magic catflap to a brand new adventure in each book.
"Murray and Bun have been in my mind and in my sketchbooks for several years now and it is such a thrill to see them come alive on the page and now venture out into the world. I wanted to write short, fun and varied stories for newly independent readers. Inspired by my own cat Murray, I realised that when he leaves the house I never really know where he goes, and the idea of a magic cat flap was born, a cat flap that sometimes leads to the garden, but mostly leads to ADVENTURE! This was the catalyst (bad pun…) for the Murray and Bun series. It allows me to write stories set anywhere and at any time and I’m having the time of my life. I love telling stories with words and pictures and these books are packed with illustrations , visual gags and even Bun’s Bonus bits. It’s been a joy making these books and I hope it’s a joy to read them. Check out my grid for a few moments from Murray’s Viking adventure. Happy days!"
- Adam Stower
So be prepared to step through Murray’s enchanted cat flap and embark on one heck of an adventure!
In the first book in the series Murray and Bun are hurtled into a world of Viking folklore and set on a mission to Troll Island to rescue Eggrik the Viking, unless the hairy nosed Trolls have gobbled him up already.
At the end of the book is a section called 'Bun's Bonus Bits' including; how to draw Murray, postcards from Troll Island and Murray's family album.
You can check out more of the illustrations from the book on Adam's portfolio.
Bravo and congratulations to Adam on this exciting new adventure.
Adam is renowned for his impeccable talent for character and world creation having worked with the likes of David Walliams, Jeanne Willis and Pip Jones, but his incredible talent for storytelling really shines through in his solo projects. The visual humour and detailing really makes these books stand out from the crowd. Adam lives on the south coast with his wife and real-life cat Murray.
Grab a copy HERE! And Psssst, if you’ve been looking for a knight in shining armour perhaps pre-order book 2 while you’re there! It's published in August but no harm in getting in there early.
Here's a few photos from the launch party held at the brilliant Cartoon Museum in London . . .
