Magical new chapter book series from Stripes Publishing, illustrated by Hoang Giang

Earlier this year, June 2022, Charlie Moyler from Stripes Publishing (an imprint of Little Tiger) contacted us as she believed Hoang Giang could be the one to bring a fresh, contemporary and slightly edgier feel to a new early readers, chapter book series.

This certainly played true, as it resulted in Giang’s fantastic colour cover - as seen here (front, back, spine) and very cute interior illustrations. This new series by Linda Chapman (author of STAR FRIENDS) is perfect for youngsters who are growing in confidence and making the jump to short chapter books. Here’s a little description of “Magic Keepers” below…

Hidden away in a bustling old market town, Curio House and its mysterious collection of artefacts has been undisturbed for years. Until now... When her mum inherits the Curio House, Ava is nervous about moving into the creaky Victorian villa, especially when she discovers a room filled with unusual objects and a box of 'magic' crystals. Ava knows they can't really be magic, but when her mischievous Tibetan terrier Pepper tries to eat one of the artefacts, a series of strange and definitely magical events unfold - and soon the whole town is in trouble! Luckily her new friends Sarah and Lily are on hand to help, but can three ordinary girls (and Pepper) learn to control the crystals and protect the world around them?

Hoang Giang was born in Dalat, a small highland city in Vietnam before moving to Ho Chi Minh City to pursue a career in illustration. Hoang describes that "back then, there was almost no definition for such a career; working as a freelance illustrator equalled to unemployment, at least that was my parents point of view." She was a self-taught illustrator until she found herself lost in the middle of nowhere which is basically called an ‘art block’. She took a break, spending a year in Cambridge, UK in 2016 to study MA Illustration and book arts. This course helped her a lot. Hoang gradually found her voice, not only as an illustrator but also as a storyteller. Her strength is that she always has fun while working. She tends to make the characters as lively as possible because to her, after all, the story belongs to the characters themselves.

If you have any questions or a specific project in mind, please do get in touch: [email protected]

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