View all of Lisa Bentley’s latest projects, collaborations, upcoming book releases and other collaborations here.
Latest book releases:
I Am Not Your Hat!
I Am Not Your Hat! is a heartwarming and funny picture book about friendship, identity, and staying true to yourself. When Bert, a chatty big bird, lets others mistake his best friend Dot for a hat, he enjoys the attention—until Dot has had enough! Now, Bert must make things right and learn what truly matters. A perfect read for fans of Jon Klassen and Kaz Windness, this beautifully illustrated story by Lisa Bentley is a must-have for young readers.
USA – out now!
UK – out now!
“A charming lesson on the power of accountability, apology, and friendship”. Read full review on Kirkus Reviews here.
The Dreams We Made
The Dreams We Made is a heartfelt picture book about love, loss, and carrying cherished memories forward. A little girl and her daddy build dreams together every night—until one day, he doesn’t come home. As she navigates grief with the support of her mother, she discovers that the love they shared will always be with her. Written and illustrated by Lisa Bentley, this beautifully moving story offers comfort and hope for young readers experiencing loss.
Out Now
Watch my read and learn on the @simonkids YouTube channel below as well as my interview on Kidlit LIVE with Arden Jones.
Ay Up Me Duck Trail
Lisa is delighted that her design, inspired by the work of John Flamsteed, has been chosen by the public to feature as part of the Ay Up Me Duck Trail being run by Visit Amber Valley to promote the area.
John Flamsteed (born in Denby in Amber Valley and just a short drive from where Lisa lives and works) was appointed as England’s first Astronomer Royal in 1675. Coupled with Lisa’s love of the night sky, it felt like a perfect opportunity to celebrate an important piece of Amber Valley’s history.
Lisa’s duck (affectionately named as Derek by Instagram followers) is one of eight designs by various artists that were selected for the trail following a public vote.
The trail will take place across towns in Amber Valley and you can find out more at the Visit Amber Valley website.
Lisa has been doing her best to promote the trail in conjunction with Making Trails appearing on BBC radio and local news.
Collaborations with Publishers and Artists
Out Now
Book – The Rainy Day Zoo
“The Rainy Day Zoo is a colourful and vibrant story about a young Ghanaian-British child who uses the magic of his imagination to turn a sad and grey rainy day inside into a wonderful adventure of the Zoo trip he didn’t get to go on.”
I was so excited to be asked to collaborate on this project and we had such a great time bringing these characters to life.
The project aims of increasing access to quality children’s literature and supporting schools in Ghana whilst, also, tackling the wider issue around a lack of ethnic representation in books were really inspiring and I know my kids can’t wait to see the rest of the animals!
