press release
Local illustrator wins international award for interactive
children’s book.
A local illustrator has scooped a Silver award in the Children’s
Interactive category of the international Independent Publisher
Book Awards 2012 for his latest book.
May 2012
Ocean Deep by Richard Hatfield of Ashford, and co-writer Sue Baker, is aimed at children aged between five
and nine years, and published by leading independent publishers, Child’s Play, who first spotted Rick’s talent
when he was exhibiting his art as a university student 20 years ago.
The tunnel-effect board book with a cut-away cover features detailed colour illustrations of the layers of the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Striking visuals are accompanied by factual copy about the creatures inhabiting
each layer, from the surface to the ocean floor.
Rick, 44, now works full time as creative director at Newingreen-based design agency, OakCreative.net, but
has maintained a personal interest in natural history since his university days.
Rick has published similar board books about snakes and chameleons, painting in acrylic on thick watercolour
paper stretched onto board. Ocean Deep took more than two years to research, write and illustrate. Rick will
pick up his award at a glittering ceremony in New York in June.
“I am so chuffed to have won this award – we worked long and hard to create a book that would take children
on a journey to explore a very exciting world. It’s like outer space on planet earth. The oceans surround us, yet
we still know so little about them.
Rick Hatfield explores Ocean Deep
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“And as we search and discover more, our environmental impact grows – hopefully
another message that comes out of the book,” said Rick.
May 2012
“I would love to go down to the deep, and hope that this book will encourage a sense of
wonder in young people,” he added.
The ‘IPPY’ Awards launched in 1996, recognising 10 outstanding books of the year and
awarding gold, silver and bronze medals to winners in 72 additional categories from the
US and Canada, and 10 other countries.
Ocean Deep by Richard Hatfield and Sue Baker is available from Amazon and www.childsplay.com, priced at £7.99.
To find out more about Rick, visit www.oakcreative.net
Notes to editors
Photo caption: “Rick Hatfield explores Ocean Deep”
Ocean Deep
Board book: 14 pages
Publisher: Child’s Play (International) Ltd, December 2011
Language English
ISBN-10: 0859539296
ISBN-13: 978-0859539296
Product Dimensions: 27.1 x 24.7 x 1.6 cm
IPPY Awards 2012:
Children’s Interactive results
Gold: Dinomazes: The Colossal Fossil Book, by Elizabeth Carpenter (Workman Publishing)
Silver (tie): Adventures with Jonny: Road Trip to the Parks!, by Michael A. Dilorenzo;
Illustrated by Jenniffer Julich (Running Moose Publications) and Ocean Deep, by Richard
Hatfield (Child’s Play)
Bronze: Surrealism for Kids, by Queensland Art Gallery
More than 2,400 independent authors and publishers participated in the 16th annual, 2012
Independent Publisher Book Awards contest. Entry totals were the largest ever, with 4,813
print book entries and 390 e-book entries.
The Independent Publisher Book Awards were conceived in 1996 as a broad-based,
unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the independent publishing industry
worldwide. The awards are intended to bring increased recognition to the thousands of
exemplary independent, university, and self-published titles produced each year, and
reward those who exhibit the courage, innovation, and creativity to bring about change in
the world of publishing.
For more information contact
Helen Gillilan
01303 816335
[email protected]
Oak creative - Royal Oak Building, Ashford Road, Newingreen, Hythe, Kent.
Tel: 01303 812848 [email protected] www.oakcreative.net
© Oak Creative 2012