Today I went to a tea party to celebrate 40 years of the children’s reading charity Beanstalk (formerly Volunteer Reading Help) – and the publication of their first ever book, Jack and The Beanstalk. The charity asked various authors and illustrators to re-interpret the traditional fairy tale – my job was to illustrate Saviour Pirotta’s version, which opens the book. I used pen and ink with a wash, and tried to give it a folkloric feel. Copies are going to be given to all of the thousands of children being helped by Beanstalk’s volunteer reading helpers. It was a lovely afternoon, and a great project to be involved in.