During the past few weeks, I’ve been putting together a series
of seven stories about an inept detective, who also happens to be an ostrich,
called Hugh McPearson. So inept in fact that he’s described as a ‘Ten of Spades
Detective’ as he certainly isn’t an Ace detective. (Although confusingly he has
a brother, also called Hugh who is an Ave detective.)
The stories were written mainly for fun over a period of
several years, although the first one eventually got modified to explore the
maths of probability in an unconventional format by Hopscotch Educational
Publishing.
Over that time, I sent copies of the stories to my mum and dad
and to my delight, quite unasked for, dad created some wonderful – well I think
they’re wonderful – illustrations of the first few stories. As the years went
by the proportion of illustrations per story declined as dad became frailer but
it was always a joy to receive them.
For ages now I’ve wanted to collate them into one volume, mainly to
give dad’s illustrations a vehicle to be displayed all together. As the process
has eaten into my blog writing time, I thought I would like to share a few of
dad’s illustrations with you.
I do need to mention that although dad did countless drawings
in an amateur capacity, several of his drawings were published professionally.
Dad had been a teacher in Uganda (where my sisters and I were born) and with his
colleague and friend Mary Hodges he wrote two history textbooks, which were
used in schools all across Africa in their heyday. Dad’s illustrations were
used for the first book – I know I’m biased – they are far more characterful
than the illustrations in the second book, when the publishers (Nelson) called
on the services of a ‘proper’ illustrator.
Talking of ‘proper’ illustrators, when I was working on a
series of maths and science stories, I asked the publishers (Hopscotch) if we
could use his drawings. In the first instance they refused, saying “we only use
professional illustrators” and so the first few books were… shall we politely
just say… illustrated. Needing to make clearer how I hoped my maths-based
cowboy story Hank Bullman rides into Certain City should be illustrated,
I sent the publishers the drawings dad had done. The publishers almost
immediately got back to me asking if dad would be willing to illustrate the
rest of the books! As admitted before, I am of course biased, but I strongly
believe that dad’s illustrations brought those books to life, rather than them
being merely… illustrated.
It was wonderful
that for a period of time we got to work together as a father and son team.
So here we go…
Just to let you know, Hugh believes himself to be a master of disguises…
Here he’s disguised as a lamppost (he is there just in case
you can’t see him…)
Here he’s a coat hanger.*
On other occasions he blends into the background. Here he is
in the back of a Range Rover with some mathematical goats… *
* Yes he really is there too…
He comes across some interesting characters, such as Bathplug
who works in the sweet factory…
He also encounters his dad in surprising circumstances…
My personal favourite however has always been Hugh’s encounter
with head gangster Mr Big… (Who happens to be a hedgehog.)
~~~~~
I hope you enjoyed the illustrations. The first story was published
in the High Achievers Supplement of Using Stories to Teach Maths Age
9 – 11 (second edition) ISBN 9781909860001
I hope to self-publish (KDP) the collection soon as Hugh McPearson
Ten of Spades Detective The Inconsequential Investigations Collection Volume One soon!
~~~~~~
Update. The collection is now available! Kindle ASIN: BOCHBKJ475
Paperback ISBN: 979-8860393295 Hardback 979-8860663824
