We are thrilled to celebrate a brand-new adventure series for 7 to 11-year-olds, written by Gary Panton and illustrated by our very own Dotty Sutton. Prepare to meet The Notwitches - They're Not Witches, Honest. Dotty has an incredible talent for character creation and along with Gary’s superb descriptive text, she has created a cast of the most visually iconic characters from evil aunts to rebellious protagonists.
With an attention-grabbing cover treatment, this book also features spooky chapter head designs and vignettes as well as full page and double page black-and-white illustrations perfectly complimenting this action-packed adventure story.
This is a big-hearted and very funny adventure brimming with loathsome villains and an almost-talking cat! Melanda has three horrible aunts, they really are the WORST! They're almost suspiciously horrible... After all, it's not as though they're witches - are they?! Luckily, Melanda meets Mitch, a young witch who knows of a magic spell that might make everything better... All they have to do is find one special ingredient, a mermaid scale. How hard can that be?
Dotty loved creating the characters and world for this book and said:
"Working on The Notwitches was such a pleasure. For one, Gary's story is outrageously funny. It’s exactly my kind of book: brilliantly imaginative characters and incredibly silly. Bringing characters to life is the best part of my job, and Gary made it very easy with his hilarious descriptions. Aunt Claggy is one of my favourite characters I have ever drawn!
I was given a lot of creative freedom on the inside illustrations. The whole thing felt very collaborative. I love how the final book feels so densely packed with drawings. I personally love the double page of the Hairy Skulls on the beach and how the cover turned out. Chicken House went all out with the embossing, the gloss, the neon orange, and foil! I think it’s going to really pop on the shelves!
I had the pleasure of meeting Gary recently at a Chicken House event. He is such a lovely guy, I hope the book does amazingly! If only I could go on a quest for a mermaid scale to make a spell so everyone would go read it."
Here's that wonderful spread of biker gang, the Hairy Skulls on the beach, along with a few more of Dotty's wonderful characters from The Notwitches!
The Notwitches publishes with Chicken House Books on the 13th Feb, read a sneaky extract here… and then grab a copy here....Pssssttttt….book two is also COMING SOON!
Take a look at more of Dotty's inside illustrations from The Notwitches over on her portfolio.
Shortlisted for the V&A Illustration award Dotty was quickly spotted as a vibrant illustrative talent, she has since gone on to illustrate several successful fiction titles. Based in Edinburgh, she works digitally and finds huge inspiration in mythology, pirates, princesses, and documentaries, she is also an accomplished model maker.
You can find Dotty on Instagram where she shares some brilliant video content and sneak peeks of work in progress. Find her online portfolio over on our website and please drop us a line at info@arenaillustration.com with enquiries regarding collaborations.
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