The Starlings are squabbling
the Crows are making a terrible din – 
it’s SO NOISY the Squirrel babies just CAN’T sleep.
Squirrel knows there’s only one thing to do. She must ask Owl for help…

And so begins a magical woodland journey with Owl’s amazing Silence Catcher. Owl and Squirrel discover the hush inside a hollow tree…then the stillness when an acorn drops…and last of all, the silence between the lightning’s flash and the thunder’s roll. They capture pockets of peace, moments of stillness, bubbles of silence…and Owl puts them all together for Squirrel.

Now, when Squirrel goes back home to her babies, could there be A Little Bit of Hush?

This lovely story by Paul Stewart was a joy to illustrate – I particularly enjoyed making all the woodland scenes – see below for more.

Published by Otter Barry Books, April 2022. There’s a link to pre-order here.

Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week, 1st May 2022.

“An ingenious picture book with bright collage about being alert to quietness and finding rest”, Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times

“Jane Porter’s bright and appealing collage-style drawings create a magical woodland for Owl and Squirrel to walk through… the perfect story for sharing at bedtime.” Anne Horemans, Books for Keeps

“In her collage illustrations, Jane Porter beautifully captures the noisy woodland environment of the creatures’ quest for peace and quiet, amusingly portraying the various sources of the distractions.” Jill Bennett, Red Reading Hub

You can see inside the book and watch me and Paul chatting about the story here:

And you can watch me making the characters for the cover here: