Multi-award-winning author and illustrator Alex T Smith teams up with Natasha Hastings for the second miraculous Sweetmakers adventure.
We are giddy with excitement as we look forward to the publication of The Miraculous Sweetmakers - The Sea Queen, an unputdownable and exciting new tale from the team behind The Miraculous Sweetmakers - The Frost Fair.
In The Sea Queen we meet a cast of beguiling new characters as Thomasina and Anne embark on an underwater quest to find their friend Henry who appears to have disappeared under the choppy waves of the river Thames. This action-packed adventure is crammed with stunning illustrations by Alex T Smith, including beautiful underwater scenes and a cackling Sea Queen. The fluidity and movement in these illustrations will immediately transport you to a mysterious and magical underwater world. Alex has a special talent for character design, his attention to detail and intensive research process, from costume design to historical accuracy shines out on the page. From bunting adorning the page headers, to charming chapter openers and a flourish of large illustrations, Alex’s creations bring atmosphere and intrigue to Natasha’s seat-gripping story. he told us,
'Getting the opportunity to illustrate a text by Natasha Hastings is a dream come true for any illustrator. Her words are so rich and evocative it’s actually quite difficult deciding WHAT to draw - the possibilities are enormous!
What I particularly enjoyed about working on The Sea Queen was that the characters have evolved from who they were in The Frost Fair. They are older and have been changed by the events in the first book, so trying to show that visually was a nice challenge.
I also had a lot of fun with the setting for this new book. Exploring the murky depths of the Thames after the sparkling frost of book one was a great treat!'
Alex has worked in the publishing industry for twenty years, his remarkable style is instantly recognisable. As well as featuring in numerous publishing and advertising projects his work has also hit the small screen, with his Claude series and Coop Troop creations showing on a TV near you. Alex is an avid people watcher and doodler never more than a few steps from his beloved sketchbook and often surrounded by his chickens and various small dogs.
The perfect Autumn or winter read, we hope The Sea Queen becomes just as popular with young readers as the first book in the series and we can’t wait to share Alex’s next project with you.
The Miraculous Sweet Makers the Sea Queen publishes on the 26th September 2024 with HarperCollins.
Alex is a huge talent and you can view his extensive online portfolio on our website.
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