Exclusive
By Scott Wright
THE creative duo who hold the rights to publish children’s books based on the popular McCoo character are looking forward to their texts being used in Scottish schools.
Writer Shirley Husband and illustrator Maurice Hynds, who began working on the books two years ago, retained the rights to the McCoo characters following the collapse of Ayrshire-based Steven Brown Art, which went into liquidation in July.
The brand and assets of Steven Brown Art, which had employed 21 staff, were transferred to English firm DGD Trading, with the rights for the children’s books subsequently passing over to Ms Husband and Mr Hynds.
Despite the well-publicised collapse of the original firm, Ms Husband and Mr Hynds are now on the brink of seeing their books become part of the Scottish education system.
The breakthrough comes after they were approached last year to develop a topic based on the stories for early-years literacy, which was successfully piloted at a primary school in Kilmarnock.
Ms Husband, who has a degree in English and history from the University of Glasgow, said: “It was really positive. We are working to produce a topic which will go on the procurement list for all the councils in Scotland in March, so they can download all the books on digital format and teach it.
“We have got all sorts of amazing activities, art and projects that they can do to bring out all sorts of different outcomes on the curriculum. It is all tied into coded outcomes in the curriculum.”
Ms Husband said the publicity surrounding the problems at Steven Brown Art had been difficult for her and Mr Hynds, given the financial and emotional investment they have made in the books.
But she said the appeal of the characters and the books’ potential transcends those difficulties.
Ms Husband said: “Whatever anybody says about the McCoo art brand or paintings, writing that [first] book and going into schools, I could see it was something quite magical that happened. The kids were so engaged with those characters. Their parents loved them and they were all using them for art [because] the colours inspired them.”
Ms Husband, a former education assistant, first became involved with Steven Brown Art two years ago, when she was initially asked by the artist Steven Brown and his late business partner Craig Bryson to work on ideas for a children’s book. It was then she began working with Mr Hynds, who was a partner in Kilmarnock-based SeeSaw Creative, after being introduced by a mutual friend.
Ms Husband said: “I immediately wanted to tie each book into an educational outcome on the national curriculum. I had put a wee bit of dialect into it, all the things that I know schools are looking to bring out in children at the moment, a real sense of cultural identity. I thought it was a brilliant opportunity. I wrote the books as a series with that in mind.”
The fourth instalment in the McCoo series, Angus McCoo and the Starry Night, was developed in partnership with The Scottish Dark Sky Observatory. The publisher says the story showcases Scottish winter skies in an “educational but age-
appropriate way through the eyes of Angus McCoo and his wise sidekick, Ollie McOwl”. It was the first published by Ms Husband and Mr Hynds under their NaeBother imprint.
Ms Husband and Mr Hynds will be visiting schools and nurseries, along with astronomers from the observatory, to talk about the book. She noted Scottish Enterprise is supportive of their endeavours, believing that the books are “exportable”.
And she said NaeBother, based at Sir Tom Hunter’s West Coast Accelerator, is looking beyond the McCoo character. Ms Husband has written two books to help children with confidence and anxiety issues, adding that she and Mr Hynds are planning a new series based on Scottish fairies which will “explore myths and legends”.
She added: “McCoo is a gift. It is amazing we have been given the chance to go into schools with those characters that kids already know and love. Ultimately it is about our brand… and creating more characters that kids can identify and grow and love. It brings out the best in them.”
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