Not content with making an impact forever with her role as Kate in Lost, or revitalising her career with an excellent, stand-out performance as Tauriel in THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, the versatile Evangeline Lilly has now announced her debut kids book The Squickerwonkers – What an unforgettable title!
Alongside impressive illustrations from WETA’s Johnny Fraser-Allen, Lilly brings to life the ill-mannered and unruly Selma of the Rin-Run Royals as she wanders into a carnival ride and meets a clan of travelling marionette puppets; each of which is singular in their strange and sorry qualities.
These are the uproarious Squickerwonkers and they’re going to get up to all sorts of mischief in this first of the series – so get ready for some fun!
For fans of Dr Seuss, Guillermo Del Toro and the world of Tolkien, this poetic, eccentric, visually tantalising cautionary tale (aimed at 5-8 year olds) will appeal to all ages. Lilly had this to say about her debut and her collaboration with Fraser-Allen:
‘Johnny’s beautiful work perfectly compliments my own vision of an eerier and sharper children’s book, and one that plays off my own childhood interests in the darkly fantastical, as well as my interests as a mother. I’ve found there are few books that address the very real desire I see in my own children to explore darker material – children’s inquisitiveness implies an understanding and ability to safely engage with stories such as this without being frightened.’
The Oscar-winning, and awesome, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh had this to add:
‘Every now and then, if you are lucky, you come across a story full of magic… The Squickerwonkers is just such a wonderful tale. Cleverly told and stunningly visual, children of all ages will delight in the book’s deliciously dark mischief… We can’t wait to see where the Squickerwonkers take us next!’
For more information, head over to these handy links below:
www.evangelinelilly.com/thesquickerwonkers
http://www.wetanz.com/weta-workshop-services
