About Duncan Beedie

“I am a children’s author and illustrator from Bristol, UK. I’ve been obsessed with drawing ever since I could hold a felt tip in my clammy little fist, and I have fond memories of sprawling out on my parents’ living room carpet for hours on end, filling sketchbooks with my doodles.

My debut picture book ‘The Bear Who Stared’ (Templar) was nominated for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2017 and my follow up ‘The Lumberjack’s Beard’ was shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards in 2018. Since then I have gone on to write and illustrate titles for Little Tiger, Quarto, Walker Books, and was recently commissioned to design the illustrated autumn trail at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire.

When not busy drawing kung-fu kicking llamas, heavy metal badgers, or starey bears, I can be found ambling through the woods or reading ghost stories.”

About A Holiday for Bear

The brilliant Bear, lovable hero of Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlisted The Bear Who Stared, is back. This time he leaves his familiar forest and sets off on… HOLIDAY!

Expertly brought to life by author-illustrator Duncan Beedie.

Do you ever get the feeling that every day and every thing is… well, the SAME?! Bear does. Luckily, Bear’s wise friend, Frog, has an excellent idea to change things up. . .

A HOLIDAY! But what kind of holiday? A skiing holiday? An ADVENTURE holiday? No, no, no! A BEACH holiday. When Bear arrives, he can’t believe his eyes. It all looks SO different! Before long, he is eating his picnic, playing volleyball and floating in the clear water.

But when Bear builds a sand sculpture that takes on a familiar shape, he realises he’s actually getting homesick and misses his friends. Can Bear find a way to get the best of both worlds? The fourth instalment in this beloved series doesn’t disappoint. The story is packed with laugh-out-loud escapades and Duncan’s signature fun and wit, while also perfectly summarising the thrill of going on holiday but also the comfort of coming home at the end.

It is the ideal book for summer holiday reading and for those heading off on their first holiday and aren’t sure what to expect! An excellent choice for readers of: You Can’t Take an Elephant on Holiday!, Clem and Crab and Dinos Don’t Give Up!

Duncan Beedie: A Holiday for Bear (free event)