Super Miraculous Blog Tour of Freddie Yates

Good afternoon, and welcome back to the Book Worm Hole.



Today it's my turn to host the blog tour for The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates, written by Jenny Pearson and illustrated by Rob Biddulph.




Freddie Yates likes facts. Just not the one staring him in the face – that his secret plan is not, in fact, secret.

Because Freddie's journey wasn't meant to involve Big Trev and the onion-eating competition or the loo-exploding pear-and-potato turnovers. And Freddie definitely didn't expect to end up, with his two best friends, on national television in a supergirl costume.

But journeys never take you where you think they will. And for Freddie, that fact might just have to be enough...




I have a couple of Rob's illustrations to share with you, alongside a piece by Jenny discussing them.
Speaking of which, have you seen his #DrawWithRob series? It's so cool! I followed one of his videos and drew a very cute little dinosaur. Check them out here.


Anyway, over to Jenny.

Super illustrations from Rob Biddulph

There are so many people who have been involved in turning The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates into a REAL BOOK and each and every person brings a unique talent that has made the book something far beyond even my own imaginings but a truly exciting moment was when I first saw the wondrous illustrations that Rob Biddulph produced. I do go on about this a lot and it is probably getting to the point where he might feel uncomfortable – but I can’t help it. I love the illustrations so much.

Here is Llewlyn-the-Great, a boat moored in Barry Island where Freddie and his friends, Ben and Charlie, inadvertently – and without proper permission – end up staying the night. In the story, the boys fall in the water during a heated argument and then Charlie decides to try and dry them on Llewlyn-the-Great’s oven hob. Not a good idea as he ends up setting fire to their clothes. This was inspired by the time I put my bra into the microwave, and it went up in flames. Luckily, I beat it to death with a spatula.

In The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates I didn’t want to shy away from the grief Freddie felt when he lost his Grams. I wanted to say that we can still love people, even if they are no longer with us. But I also wanted to show children that there is humour to be found, even at the darkest of times. And this is why I wrote a scene where Freddie accidentally ends up sniffing his grandma’s underpants. Rob’s illustration here manages to convey both the humour and the sadness.

Thank you so much, Jenny. The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates sounds like a beautiful mix of humour and emotion. I've just recently received a review copy, so look out for a full review here soon. And how good to Rob's illustrations look?

Don't forget to check out the rest of the blog tour, and there are a lot more virtual activities planned you can also join in with. I'll stick all of the details at the bottom of the post.

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates is written by Jenny Pearson, illustrated by Rob Biddulph and published by Usborne. It is available now from all good booksellers.