Not content with making his mark on Paris, Mister Chicken is again flying the coop, this time taking London by storm.
From Trafalgar Square to Big Ben via a spot of tea with the Queen, the favourite feathery creation of Williamstown artist and author Leigh Hobbs is back for a new adventure, this time inspired by a city very close to his creator’s heart.
Hobbs has visited London more than 20 times, drawn again and again by the chance to stroll streets with layer upon layer of history.
“Since I was a kid of 12 I’ve had ambitions: one was to be an artist, the other was to go to England,” he says.
“London is not the most beautiful city in the world – Paris is far more beautiful – but I have always had an interest in English history. As a boy it was castles, knights and pirates; as I got older my fascination shifted to architecture and art.”
Mr Chicken Goes To Paris was adapted for a stage production and shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, and has been a steady seller in the Louvre Museum bookshop in Paris.
Yet despite its success, Hobbs wasn’t planning another adventure until it dawned on him that having Mr Chicken visit London was a way to create a love story for the place.
“During my last few visits I started doing some drawings – what would he do, where would he go?,” he says.
Mr Chicken Lands On London will be launched at the Sun Bookshop in Yarraville from 4pm Wednesday, June 25.
Children are being encouraged to take paper and pencils. Free booking: 9689 0661 or info@sunbookshop.com
