Edinburgh graduate illustrates woke' picture book for kids

An arts graduate has teamed up with a musician and model to launch a children’s book celebrating diversity.
Kate Hazell with her daughterKate Hazell with her daughter
Kate Hazell with her daughter

Edinburgh Art School graduate Kate Hazell has illustrated Lily and the Magic Comb, a new picture book which follows the adventures of a young girl with big curly hair who can transport herself anywhere she wants to go, thanks to a magic comb.

Ms Hazell was commissioned to draw the book by musician and model turned author V V Brown who produced the book for her daughter out of frustration at a lack of books featuring children from diverse backgrounds.

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The illustrations by mum-of-two Ms Hazell show Lily as she travels to outer space to meet an astronaut, dances around planets, eats cake with aliens and daydreams about her future self as a scientist, musician, athlete and explorer.

Colourful: one of the illustrationsColourful: one of the illustrations
Colourful: one of the illustrations

She illustrated the book during the Covid-19 lockdown, while caring for a newborn daughter and her son.

Writer Ms Brown, who has set up her own publishing company Woke Kids to tackle the lack of diversity in kids books, said the comb is about encouraging youngsters who are often under-represented in children’s literature to take pride in their identities.

Just seven per cent of books published in the UK feature characters from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background, according to charity the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.

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Ms Hazell graduated with First Class Honours in Illustration from Edinburgh College of Art in 2006 and is now a magazine illustrator and regular contributor to Prospect, BBC World History, Aquilla and Saga magazines.

Author and musician V V Brown with a copy of Lily and the Magic CombAuthor and musician V V Brown with a copy of Lily and the Magic Comb
Author and musician V V Brown with a copy of Lily and the Magic Comb

She said: “Edinburgh is where I learned my craft and is a city I love. I’m very excited to see this book hit the shelves in Edinburgh, and across the country. It is so important to ensure kids of all backgrounds are represented in children’s literature. This book not only celebrates diversity, but I hope will empower children – but showing them who they can be. It’s a real sense of achievement especially as I was illustrating it, with a new baby, during lockdown. I love reading it with my own kids.”

Author Ms Brown said:

“It was a struggle trying to find books for my children. As we continued to fall in love with the joy of reading together, it was becoming apparent that things were a little different when we searched for books at the library or in stores. There wasn't a lot of brown faces and curly haired boys and girls in the books we were reading.

“So I thought I’d write one. I thought it might be possible with my songwriting background. When it was finished It was a struggle to get the book published as a lot of the bigger publishers said the book was good but was a niche market. I didn’t understand why the word niche was being used. I shelved it and moved on. In 2020 I felt inspired to make it happen and I decided to set up my own publishing company, Woke Kidz Books.”

V V Brown and  daughters Effie-Grace and Josephine Price reading Lily and The Magic Comb.V V Brown and  daughters Effie-Grace and Josephine Price reading Lily and The Magic Comb.
V V Brown and daughters Effie-Grace and Josephine Price reading Lily and The Magic Comb.

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