The Sock Goblins have arrived! Meet Whizzo, Zee, Glump and Thunda (Left to Right). They are the sneaky little stars of our most recent publication...Sock Goblins!
Sock Goblins is a fantastic kids book written by Craig Trevett and illustrated by David Skinner and introduces us to the world of the sock goblins who hunt down our old worn out socks. It's written in rhyme and is a great bedtime read - it is certainly not one to miss.
We spoke with the author and illustrator, so we could find a bit more about the inspiration behind Sock Goblins and here's what they said...
Author: Craig Trevett
Home Town: London
About the Author: I have always enjoyed writing and being creative; from a young age I would write stories and perform for my family (nobody had Sky TV when I was a kid). As well as writing children’s stories I am also a stand-up comedian on the open mic circuit which is something I really enjoy. Charlie Chaplin once said that “A day without laughter is a day wasted” and this is a rule I live by every day. I am aslo a father to two sons Freddy and Alfie who are my inspiration and make my immature tendencies both acceptable and cool. You would find me in my spare time either writing, making a room full of strangers laugh or running around a park after my children under the alias ‘Shark Man’ who is both feared and revered in the Trevett household.
Illustrator: David Skinner
Home Town: London
About the Illustrator:
I have always loved drawing and creating images. Ever since I was a child, I can remember, I used to be fascinated with children's fantasy, from TV, films and books from the library. It became a hobby and a bit of an obsession for me, illustrating a scene from my favourite films, I can remember I was once fascinated with drawing the little monsters from the movie 'The Gremlins', etc. My talent for drawing gave me some exciting opportunities too. The drama teacher would get me to paint the scenery for the school plays and as a teenager, a group of friends and I became spray can artists. We were fortunate to be commissioned to paint murals for youth centres. I took a foundation course in illustration and drawing, as an option to develop a bit of a career from what I enjoy doing and this is how I met Craig.
What is the book about?
C: ‘Sock Goblins’ is the story of one boy's frustration at continuously having to search for socks and rarely finding a matching pair. Having now been told by his mum that he will have to use his own pocket money to buy socks, he decides to find out who is stealing them. The answer to this question and the discovery as to why, will amaze and change his life forever.
What inspired you to write it?
C: The inspiration for this story came in two parts, firstly from my own childhood: I remember always looking for that illusive other sock in the mayhem of the morning school rush, that was when the idea of a ‘Sock Goblin’ first formulated in my mind. As a parent myself, many years later I found myself hunting down pairs of socks and the idea popped up again and I found a pen and wrote the first line of the story.
How did the project come together?
C: I Initially wrote ‘Sock Goblins’ among many other stories as a bed time story to read to my children. David, the illustrator, and I where first introduced after a chance conversation with David’s sister about the book and she suggested that her brother was an illustrator and might be interested. Within thirty seconds of meeting, I knew it would be a great partnership as we share similar creative views. On our first meeting David bought along some ideas that he had drawn as to what a ‘Sock Goblin’ would look like and all I could do was smile and throw up a high five because it was exactly how I had envisaged.
D: I was introduced to Craig through my sister Tanya. Craig contacted me with a layout of the story 'Sock Goblins'. So I drew up some sketches of different variations of goblins. I showed him what I could do and he really liked them, so we met and discussed a layout. I spent some time creating profiles of each character and their traits. I have two cats at home, their names are Sly and Robbie and I would study their behaviour and personalities, which were very Imp-like and had a great influence on me for creating two of the characters, Glump and Whizzo. I then put together a story board, illustrating a scene from the writing and placed in sequence. Then I was ready to create the front cover presentation of the 'Sock Goblins'. I would then work on each artwork for the scenes.
Tell us a bit more about the Sock Goblins and their world...
C: The 'Sock Goblins' hail from the Land of Nod. It is said that the mere sound of the Great King Guffaw’s laughter could induce tears of joy to one-thousand children. Once a beautiful and tranquil place, where laughter and luxury flourished in abundance; all of this came to a sudden halt when Lord Snore overthrew the King, with the help of his Nightmare Men. The Nightmare Men are made of chocolate and cheese and all other things parents say to avoid before bed time. All happiness floundered in the Land of Nod, with the King now locked away in a newly built gloomy dungeon. Many of the King's subjects escaped and are said to be scattered all over the universe, wanting to bring happiness to others. This is where Zee, the Leader of the ‘Sock Goblins’ came up with the idea of the Dream Machine...a machine so powerful and complex that it can create good dreams, as the sadness that has fell over the Land of Nod is now creating darkness and misery to many others.
Why should I read it?
D: We love to hear stories, especially of folk tales. Goblins and Faeries continue to intrigue children and even adults to this day. Craigs tale 'Sock Goblins' is reviving. He narrates the tale, set out in rhyme. Its skippy, jumpy flow of words, are like sprites . Together with colourful illustrations, is fun and exciting to read. I hope 'Sock Golins' is a tale that can continue to mystify and entertain the future generations of children.
C: Once you have read ‘Sock Goblins’ you will never look at that solemn odd sock in the same way ever again.
So check out Sock Goblins now! You can download it from the following links:
Amazon/Kindle iTunes Kobo
And also listen out on Fun Kids Radio for an exclusive interview coming soon at www.funkidslive.com
Sock Goblins is a fantastic kids book written by Craig Trevett and illustrated by David Skinner and introduces us to the world of the sock goblins who hunt down our old worn out socks. It's written in rhyme and is a great bedtime read - it is certainly not one to miss.
We spoke with the author and illustrator, so we could find a bit more about the inspiration behind Sock Goblins and here's what they said...
Author: Craig Trevett
Home Town: London
About the Author: I have always enjoyed writing and being creative; from a young age I would write stories and perform for my family (nobody had Sky TV when I was a kid). As well as writing children’s stories I am also a stand-up comedian on the open mic circuit which is something I really enjoy. Charlie Chaplin once said that “A day without laughter is a day wasted” and this is a rule I live by every day. I am aslo a father to two sons Freddy and Alfie who are my inspiration and make my immature tendencies both acceptable and cool. You would find me in my spare time either writing, making a room full of strangers laugh or running around a park after my children under the alias ‘Shark Man’ who is both feared and revered in the Trevett household.
Illustrator: David Skinner
Home Town: London
About the Illustrator:
I have always loved drawing and creating images. Ever since I was a child, I can remember, I used to be fascinated with children's fantasy, from TV, films and books from the library. It became a hobby and a bit of an obsession for me, illustrating a scene from my favourite films, I can remember I was once fascinated with drawing the little monsters from the movie 'The Gremlins', etc. My talent for drawing gave me some exciting opportunities too. The drama teacher would get me to paint the scenery for the school plays and as a teenager, a group of friends and I became spray can artists. We were fortunate to be commissioned to paint murals for youth centres. I took a foundation course in illustration and drawing, as an option to develop a bit of a career from what I enjoy doing and this is how I met Craig.
What is the book about?
C: ‘Sock Goblins’ is the story of one boy's frustration at continuously having to search for socks and rarely finding a matching pair. Having now been told by his mum that he will have to use his own pocket money to buy socks, he decides to find out who is stealing them. The answer to this question and the discovery as to why, will amaze and change his life forever.
What inspired you to write it?
C: The inspiration for this story came in two parts, firstly from my own childhood: I remember always looking for that illusive other sock in the mayhem of the morning school rush, that was when the idea of a ‘Sock Goblin’ first formulated in my mind. As a parent myself, many years later I found myself hunting down pairs of socks and the idea popped up again and I found a pen and wrote the first line of the story.
How did the project come together?
C: I Initially wrote ‘Sock Goblins’ among many other stories as a bed time story to read to my children. David, the illustrator, and I where first introduced after a chance conversation with David’s sister about the book and she suggested that her brother was an illustrator and might be interested. Within thirty seconds of meeting, I knew it would be a great partnership as we share similar creative views. On our first meeting David bought along some ideas that he had drawn as to what a ‘Sock Goblin’ would look like and all I could do was smile and throw up a high five because it was exactly how I had envisaged.
D: I was introduced to Craig through my sister Tanya. Craig contacted me with a layout of the story 'Sock Goblins'. So I drew up some sketches of different variations of goblins. I showed him what I could do and he really liked them, so we met and discussed a layout. I spent some time creating profiles of each character and their traits. I have two cats at home, their names are Sly and Robbie and I would study their behaviour and personalities, which were very Imp-like and had a great influence on me for creating two of the characters, Glump and Whizzo. I then put together a story board, illustrating a scene from the writing and placed in sequence. Then I was ready to create the front cover presentation of the 'Sock Goblins'. I would then work on each artwork for the scenes.
Tell us a bit more about the Sock Goblins and their world...
C: The 'Sock Goblins' hail from the Land of Nod. It is said that the mere sound of the Great King Guffaw’s laughter could induce tears of joy to one-thousand children. Once a beautiful and tranquil place, where laughter and luxury flourished in abundance; all of this came to a sudden halt when Lord Snore overthrew the King, with the help of his Nightmare Men. The Nightmare Men are made of chocolate and cheese and all other things parents say to avoid before bed time. All happiness floundered in the Land of Nod, with the King now locked away in a newly built gloomy dungeon. Many of the King's subjects escaped and are said to be scattered all over the universe, wanting to bring happiness to others. This is where Zee, the Leader of the ‘Sock Goblins’ came up with the idea of the Dream Machine...a machine so powerful and complex that it can create good dreams, as the sadness that has fell over the Land of Nod is now creating darkness and misery to many others.
Why should I read it?
D: We love to hear stories, especially of folk tales. Goblins and Faeries continue to intrigue children and even adults to this day. Craigs tale 'Sock Goblins' is reviving. He narrates the tale, set out in rhyme. Its skippy, jumpy flow of words, are like sprites . Together with colourful illustrations, is fun and exciting to read. I hope 'Sock Golins' is a tale that can continue to mystify and entertain the future generations of children.
C: Once you have read ‘Sock Goblins’ you will never look at that solemn odd sock in the same way ever again.
So check out Sock Goblins now! You can download it from the following links:
Amazon/Kindle iTunes Kobo
And also listen out on Fun Kids Radio for an exclusive interview coming soon at www.funkidslive.com
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