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Rebecca Ashdown

@familyofbeasts

Award winning children's book illustrator & author. Seeks beauty in chaos. Represented by Millie van Grutten at RCW Literary Agency.

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15.11.2024
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Latest posts by Rebecca Ashdown @familyofbeasts

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I've just updated my Etsy shop with cards for the festive season! ➡️ www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4...
NEW! A Dorset trio featuring views of Colmer's Hill, a Frost Fair scene & a set of 10 semi-abstract Cotswold landscapes featuring places I love.

Do have a browse & share if you have a moment. Thank you!

17.11.2025 18:48 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Thanks you, Jill!

09.07.2025 10:07 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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COMPETITION TIME for anyone who's purchased or pre-ordered a copy of The Hug Button! 🎉 @naomijones1.bsky.social To enter:

Email proof of purchase/pre-order of The Hug Button to tradepublicity.uk@oup.com
Use subject line 'The Hug Button Competition' in your email
T&Cs www.instagram.com/p/DLWtdxpuyPh

26.06.2025 14:35 👍 4 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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✨🐦 KERFUFFLE BIRD is out this week!!! 🐦✨
Illustrated by Gwen Millward @oxfordchildrens.bsky.social

Huge thanks to Gerry Smith for the FAB Kerfuffle Bird song 🎵 & to @imogencarter.bsky.social @familyofbeasts.bsky.social @marcelafwrites.bsky.social for the reviews 💗💛💚

Available to pre-order now! 😍

02.06.2025 13:48 👍 9 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0

We have some at Oxford Children’s including Thunderboots by @naomijones1.bsky.social and @familyofbeasts.bsky.social (Dyslexia), Cloud Boy by Greg Stobbs (ADHD), Bear-Shaped by Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden (Autism), & How to Bath a Giraffe by Sarah Horne (boy with cochlear implant, incidental to story)

09.03.2025 12:46 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

It was fab! 'I've got an elf called Trixie' was one of my favourite quotes of the day. Like you I was too busy to take many pics! 😁

07.03.2025 13:26 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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I've got my box of tricks ready for #WorldBookDay to celebrate the WONDER OF BOOKS! Have a great World Book Day everyone @naomijones1.bsky.social @oxfordchildrens.bsky.social

06.03.2025 10:44 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
Dear Mr Stride, can you please help me and other UK children’s book illustrators?

The governing is considering AI policy measures that would make us, as copyright holders, ‘opt out’ if we don’t want tech companies breaching our copyright to train their systems. The big companies then use our own art in competition against us.

The UK ought to be proud of its children’s book tradition. Our artwork is exported all over the world, and by giving it away free, we’re ruining the industry. Children will be poorer: there’ll get dumbed-down, mechanical books that have no real person thinking hard about each aspect of them. 

My colleague Steve Antony described it:
“It’s like allowing someone to break into my house and steal my belongings so that they can research, recycle and resell them, unless I stick a label on each and every one of my belongings that says ‘DO NOT STEAL’, even though the objects are clearly not theirs and clearly within someone else’s house. That house bring my copyright. It’s absolutely ridiculous, makes no sense, completely destroys existing copyright laws and insults every single one of us.” 

Please, could you stand up for us and out copyright? If you could mention our concerns to Feryal Clark, Minister for AI & Digital Governent, and to Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industry, Arts & Tourism, I’d greatly appreciate it. 

Warmest wishes, Sarah McIntyre,
Illustrator & Author, Bovey Tracey

Dear Mr Stride, can you please help me and other UK children’s book illustrators? The governing is considering AI policy measures that would make us, as copyright holders, ‘opt out’ if we don’t want tech companies breaching our copyright to train their systems. The big companies then use our own art in competition against us. The UK ought to be proud of its children’s book tradition. Our artwork is exported all over the world, and by giving it away free, we’re ruining the industry. Children will be poorer: there’ll get dumbed-down, mechanical books that have no real person thinking hard about each aspect of them. My colleague Steve Antony described it: “It’s like allowing someone to break into my house and steal my belongings so that they can research, recycle and resell them, unless I stick a label on each and every one of my belongings that says ‘DO NOT STEAL’, even though the objects are clearly not theirs and clearly within someone else’s house. That house bring my copyright. It’s absolutely ridiculous, makes no sense, completely destroys existing copyright laws and insults every single one of us.” Please, could you stand up for us and out copyright? If you could mention our concerns to Feryal Clark, Minister for AI & Digital Governent, and to Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industry, Arts & Tourism, I’d greatly appreciate it. Warmest wishes, Sarah McIntyre, Illustrator & Author, Bovey Tracey

A handwritten letter on my illustration work desk to my local MP, Mel Stride, asking him to help UK children's book illustrators keep our copyright during the current AI policy consultation ✍️

@mrsteveantony.bsky.social
@alcs-uk.bsky.social
@societyofauthors.bsky.social
(Typed out in the alt text)

12.02.2025 18:10 👍 315 🔁 110 💬 7 📌 9
Covers of Thunderboots, The Last Boy, Feather, and Darkly

Covers of Thunderboots, The Last Boy, Feather, and Darkly

Our new blog: https://buff.ly/4hkoCPx
📗 Thunderboots @naomijones1.bsky.social & @familyofbeasts.bsky.social
📘 The Last Boy @evemcdonnell.bsky.social @everywithwords.bsky.social
📙 Feather by Manon Steffan Ros, @fireflypress.bsky.social
📕 Darkly by Marisha Pessl, Walker Books
#ReadingForPleasure

05.02.2025 07:27 👍 16 🔁 10 💬 2 📌 1

So excited for this, Naomi! 🤗⭐❤️

04.02.2025 18:31 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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It was so exciting to spot my new book illustrated by @familyofbeasts.bsky.social in the @the-bookseller.bsky.social Children’s guide.

The Hug Button publishes in July - not long to wait now! @oxfordchildrens.bsky.social

04.02.2025 10:15 👍 6 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0

It was such a pleasure chatting to you both! 🙏🏼

26.01.2025 12:15 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Words and Pictures with Rebecca Ashdown Award winning artist, author, tutor and creative soul

It was such a joy talking to my picture book making partner @familyofbeasts.bsky.social about creativity, her inspiration and the teaching work she does.

You can watch the whole chat over at Words and Pictures:

open.substack.com/pub/naomiand...

@oxfordchildrens.bsky.social

24.01.2025 07:38 👍 4 🔁 3 💬 1 📌 0
Book launch invitation for All The Ways I Love You by Helen Docherty and Daniela Sosa - 29th Jan, 6 - 8 pm, The Alligator's Mouth, Richmond

Book launch invitation for All The Ways I Love You by Helen Docherty and Daniela Sosa - 29th Jan, 6 - 8 pm, The Alligator's Mouth, Richmond

Join me and Daniela Sosa on 29th Jan at the wonderful @alligatorsmouth.bsky.social for a celebration of our new book 💗All The Ways I Love You💗 and the chance to buy a signed & dedicated copy for the little ones in your life! 💗

@scholastic.bsky.social #booklaunch #picturebook #love

16.01.2025 12:33 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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I'm a little bit obsessed with these trees and the way they grow in the winter months. They possess character and life. Potential of what's to come, despite the harsh chop.

#trees #canal #pollard #stroudcanal #stroud #a3 #sketch

13.01.2025 12:01 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Sunrise 🧡💙💜

10.01.2025 09:28 👍 7 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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It's 3 weeks until ##LibbyandtheEgyptianEscapade illustrated by @beckamoor.bsky.social publishes. Thanks to Helen Peters for this fabulous endorsement
Signed & dedicated copies available exclusively via @rshipbshop.bsky.social
#TheTravellingSchoolMysteries
rocketshipbookshop.co.uk/product/libb...

26.12.2024 11:18 👍 11 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 2
A Christmas tree model made out of a variety of green resin shapes and copper wire

A Christmas tree model made out of a variety of green resin shapes and copper wire

Festive greetings fellow travellers 🌲
#merrychristmas #happyholidays #blueskychristmas

23.12.2024 19:11 👍 11 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0

Lovely Lenny, we shall all miss him ⭐

24.12.2024 08:16 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Here's to longer days ☀️

24.12.2024 08:15 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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All stories matter Why we need diverse voices

The schools events I did with @familyofbeasts.bsky.social at Derby Book Festival really made an impact on me.

This is why...

naomijones.substack.com/p/all-storie...

05.12.2024 10:00 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
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I will never, ever get over this.

03.12.2024 17:49 👍 41430 🔁 5381 💬 1350 📌 514
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Free picture book mentoring For an underrepresented writer

I'm offering 3 hours of free picture book mentoring for a UK based writer whose voice is underrepresented in children's publishing.

Please help me spread the word by sharing this post.

Full details of how to apply are here:

naomiandjamesjones.substack.com/p/free-pictu...

03.12.2024 15:59 👍 33 🔁 35 💬 0 📌 3

Being kept waiting - often for months - for contracts and payments to come through is incredibly stressful, especially when you're supporting a family 😟 I'm sure many other #writers, #illustrators, #artists and #creatives feel the same way. But what can we do about it? #selfemployed #stress

03.12.2024 18:54 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

😂

04.12.2024 13:02 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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My next #picturebook, All the Ways I Love You ❤️ (beautifully illustrated by Daniela Sosa) is coming out Jan 2025 🎉
We're hoping to hold an evening book launch 📚 🍷
#London people, who'd like to join us? Any #teachers or #librarians? All welcome! 🥰
Thanks for your support & for spreading the word! ❤️

02.12.2024 16:50 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
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28.11.2024 22:36 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Hello there #kidlitartpostcard day!
I am Children’s Book Illustrator.
This illustration from Let Me Call You Sweetheart written by Mary Lee Donovan and published by @greenwillowbooks
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#kidlit #kidlitart #childrensbooks #writershouse #childrenillustration #childrensbookillustration

05.09.2024 20:29 👍 61 🔁 7 💬 1 📌 0
Me with my four picture books published in 2024: Superwolf, The Green-Fingered Witch, Someone Just Like You (paperback edition) and All The Things We Carry

Me with my four picture books published in 2024: Superwolf, The Green-Fingered Witch, Someone Just Like You (paperback edition) and All The Things We Carry

I'm so proud to have had FOUR picture books published in 2024! 📚 🥰 Illustrated by four equally amazing #illustrators: #DavidRoberts, @brizidamagro.bsky.social, @thomasdocherty.bsky.social & @stevenlenton.bsky.social ✨✨✨✨
These would all make great #Christmas #gifts, just saying 😉💖 #picturebooks

28.11.2024 16:04 👍 48 🔁 6 💬 3 📌 0