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Lollies Blog Tour:The Prince of Pants #Lollies2017

Nothing quite beats a book that gets you giggling, so we are delighted to be taking part in the LAUGH OUT LOUD 2017 Book Awards Blog Tour. The Lollies were created by Scholastic to celebrate the funniest books for children and are awarded in three categories: Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book; Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6-8s; and Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9-13s. The winning books will be announced early next year and are decided by children's votes. To view the shortlisted books and to place your vote visit the Lollies website.



Today we are over the moon to be featuring a very special Q&A with award winning duo, Alan MacDonald and Sarah McIntyre, the author and illustrator of The Prince of Pants. The Prince of Pants has been nominated in the Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book Category. It is a very colourful and funny book about Prince Pip, who just loves pants! However, it's his birthday and all his pants have disappeared! How will he be able to celebrate with no pants? Well, that would be telling but what we can say is there are lots of pants to spot throughout the book and a glow-in-the-dark surprise at the end, which is sure to get everyone laughing out loud! The Mini Reviewers, who are big fans of this book, had such fun coming up with some questions for Sarah and Alan and you can read their pants-tastic interviews below...



Q&A with Sarah:


We love Pip's Glow In the Dark Pants but which pants were your favourite to draw?
Thanks! Ha ha, there are a LOT of pants in this book! I think my favourite were the secret pants, the ones that Prince Pip can't see, but the reader can. So my favourites would have to either be the pants on the maid's tea tray:



...Or the pants on the soldier's head.

The book is full of fantastic animals and people. Which animals did you like to draw the most and why?
Definitely the corgis! They're not mentioned in the text, but they kind of popped up and I had loads of fun making them look a bit nuts. Unlike the other characters, they always look straight ahead at the reader and look slightly zombie-like. Very often they wear pants.


Pip is delighted with his Birthday pants. What's the best birthday present you've ever received?
My aunt in America used to make me the most amazing cakes for my birthday parties. Sometimes they were shaped like characters from the newspaper comic strips, but my all-time favourite one was a fancy cake model of a merry-go-round, with beautiful biscuit horses and straws for poles.
Finally, who was your favourite illustrator growing up?
That's so difficult! I loved and still love Maurice Sendak and Bill Watterson, but one local illustrator named Jasper Tomkins actually visited our school for a library event and brought a big piece of original artwork from his picture book NIMBY, about a lonely cloud. That was the first time I realised the illustrator of a book was an actual real person who made stories with pictures, and it made me think that maybe it was something I could do, too.  


Q&A with Alan:


There's nothing funnier than pants and this book is packed with them. What first made you decide to write a story all about undies?
Pants are always funny and I wanted a character who owned hundreds of different pairs to wear on different occasions.

We really like Prince Pip and his friends. Are they based on people you know? 
No but I usually have a picture in my head of the character. I imagined Prince Pip bouncing out of bed full of excitement like any child on their birthday.

Pip's surprise party looks pant-astic! What's the best surprise you've ever had?
When I was at primary school it was announced in assembly that I'd won a fountain pen in a national handwriting competition. It had my name engraved on it in gold lettering.  (My handwriting isn't anywhere near as neat these days!)

Finally, which book made you giggle the most as a child?
My Dad had a copy of a Nigel Molesworth book, 'Down with Skool!' and the wonderful cartoons of children and horrible teachers really made me laugh.

We hope you enjoyed reading Sarah and Alan's answers as much as we did. The Prince of Pants will certainly be getting our vote in this year's Lollies. Vote for your favourite now!

Why not follow the Lollies Blog Tour? Tomorrow's stop is Childtastic.



7 comments:

  1. This looks a fun read. Pants are a popular topic with my boys. In particular they enjoyed The Queens Knickers along with activities back when Prince William and Kate got married. We were at a Royal themed house party #readwithme

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    1. I don't think we've read the Queen's Knickers! Sounds a fun book,one to dig out! Thank you for stopping by!

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  2. Aaaa I love these awards, so many great books to choose from, this was my youngest's favourite book in the awards. #readwithme

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    1. Great selection to choose from this year, we also love Oi Dog! :)

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  3. Fab interviews, I love these books. Reading is so important for kids.

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    1. Funny books seem to really encouraged kids to get reading :)

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  4. Jake and the Neverland Pirates bath set

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