Charity auction is marking 40 years of David McKee’s Not Now, Bernard.
40 illustrators have channelled their inner monsters to take part in a charity auction celebrating 40 years of David McKee’s Not Now, Bernard.
Publisher Andersen Press has partnered with Action for Children on the auction, which has seen artists including Rob Biddulph, Posy Simmonds, Chris Riddell, Lydia Monks, Axel Scheffler, Marion Deuchars and Tony Ross bringing their inner monsters to life.
In addition, the auction also includes art from mentees from Pop-Up Pathways Into Children’s Publishing, a two-year programme for illustrators from backgrounds which are underrepresented in children’s publishing.
Discover Children’s Story Centre in East London will share the artwork with its visitors in an exclusive exhibition of 35 pieces, which will open on September 4 as it re-opens its doors following a five-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The exhibition will run until November 2, with the artwork then being sent on to the winning online bidders.
“Discover is delighted to work with Andersen Press and Action for Children to host the Inner Monster exhibition as part of our reopening offer,” said Jessica Ziebland, head of marketing at Discover. “Not Now Bernard is a classic and we’re very excited to have artwork from such a wonderful collection of illustrators in our centre this autumn.”
Carol Iddon, deputy ceo and md of children’s services at Action for Children, added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Andersen Press to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Not Now Bernard.
“The cautionary tale of Bernard and the purple monster longing to be heard is all too common for some children today as they compete with digital devices and other distractions for their parents’ attention. Through our partnership, we hope to encourage families to carve out some special time together as talking and listening to one another really matters.
“Every penny raised will support our charity’s vital work to help children across the country have a safe and happy childhood with the foundations they need to thrive.”
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