Charlie's Ark

By Mike Payne and Adam Pescott

Charlie’s Ark is a collection of stories about a five-year-old boy and his toy box ark which contain many animals which magically come to life when he whispers a ‘Wordspell’. Engaging, charming and a moral within every story together with beautiful illustrations, this book is a delight.

Created and written by award-winning artist Mike Payne who is also the creator and original artist of the grey, blue-nosed bear “Tatty Teddy”.

“Classics, children’s classics in particular, endure because a child’s soul inherently recognises a communion we adults only faintly remember. Storytelling is an art. Story writing is a craft. What has been collectively accomplished here is the gem at the pinnacle of the creative crown – inspiration. May Charlie’s Ark join the classics of yore to be loved by legions of children as yet unborn and generations beyond that. Magic has been created here.”
MARY JANE, NEW ORLEANS USA

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Sep 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9781035846313

Mike Payne

A man with a head full of ideas, captured colourful images, wrapped them into a cocoon with his mother’s words shared with love. Mike Payne held these beautiful thoughts throughout his corporate career. Eventually he left the hustle and bustle of the office… …to follow his dreams. Moving into cartoons, imagery and design, his passion for drawing began to take shape. He had been drawing since he was a baby in a cot. He crayoned on the walls through the bars to conjure those ideas that floated in every part of his being. Sketching, drawing and creative ideas were a major part of his life as he grew up. He recalls that he always had a pencil and paper in his hand. To his amazement, when he was five years old his mother said, “It is better to give than to receive.” He did not understand this and thought she had lost the plot! Presents were a delight, especially the anticipation at the tender age of five, there was nothing better… Only, as the years rolled on, did he understand that his mother was right. An opportunity to put her thoughts into a story arose from a seed of an idea. Mike explained that his stories are a narrative with a moral in the story. He links kindness and love woven in with humour, a touch of magic and a vivid imagination. There is lively action, line drawings and exquisite colours. Charlie’s Ark was born. …a story arose from a seed of an idea. Charlie’s Ark is a beautiful compendium of stories centred on five year old Charlie and his magical toybox ark full of animals. Charlie’s adventures begin. Often read to children these stories are not too long and open up to incorporate the child’s imagination. Every detail is worked. Charlie’s face is always kept out of view. What does he look like? There is ambiguity and intrigue that offer the reader more to enrich their own imagination. One never sees the human characters faces! The toy box Ark…. Charlie’s ark toybox was given to Charlie as a gift from his grandmother which was made by her father for her to play with as a child. From his workshop he saw a beam of sunlight fall on a chisel blade reflecting the spectrum of a rainbow at the ark which gave it magical qualities. When Charlie speaks the magic ‘Wordspell’ the animals come alive with a cascade of colour and a tingle of rainbow in their being. The stories are a joy for Mike to write but the detail and demand for stories has led him to bring a talented illustrator and friend from Ireland, Adam Pescott to assist him with the illustrations. Together the pictures come alive on the pages. Mike’s current project fills his days, but he reflects on the time it has taken to reach this point in his career. He would recommend that anyone that has an idea should work it and ‘never give up’. His experiences with Charlie’s Ark have taken him down many roads, but despite knockbacks and disappointments he has recently made the breakthrough and been told ‘No, this is too good, you must take it further yourself.’ No, this is too good… A moment in time. Mike had waited for someone to believe in Charlie’s Ark and could see the potential. He reflects on inventing and making Tatty Teddy a global brand for someone else. Using his own unique style, he can rekindle that five year old boy in his work. Now the magic and his determination to never give up has meant that Charlie’s Ark promises to be made into a global children’s television series.

Book preview

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Mike Payne

Illustrated by Adam Pescott and Mike Payne

Copyright © Mike Payne 2023

The right of Mike Payne to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035846290 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035846306 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781035846313 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2023

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

This book is dedicated to my dear and valued friend Arthur Maxfield

Foreword

Charlie’s Ark is about a five-year-old boy and his magical toy box. The toy box is in the shape of an ark and contains many animals which are magically brought to life by a secret ‘Wordspell’.

The stories are in rhyme and have a moral message. They are a throwback to traditional values and there is a warmth and truth in all the stories which will resonate with everyone. They remind adults of a time when they themselves were children.

Whether young or young at heart, you will not fail to be utterly enthralled by Charlie and the adventures he has with his magical animals in Charlie’s Ark.

Prologue

Sixty or so years ago there lived a little girl who had a passion for her toy animals. She kept them in a cardboard box, which wasn’t ideal, but then she had an idea. She asked her father, who was a carpenter by trade, to make her a magical toy box in the shape of an ark for them all to live in. Her father loved his daughter dearly, and decided he would make the finest, most beautiful toy box ark there had ever been.

Early one morning, as he entered his workshop and saw the ark that he was working on there on his bench, he gave a sharp intake of breath. The sunlight was streaming through the little window and was dancing and playing on the blade of one of his chisels. The light shone directly onto the ark with wondrous colours of the rainbow. He looked at the ark and said to himself, This ark is not an ordinary toy box…no, I do believe it is magical. He finished it that very day. He worked and worked, sanding and polishing the walls, but the last thing he did was to put a little scrap of paper into the roof. It wasn’t just any old scrap of paper though, for on it he had written a few simple words…

The next morning, he presented it to his precious daughter. The little girl was thrilled with it and jumped up and down with delight. It was everything she could have imagined it to be. She hugged her father really tightly, and both had tears of happiness in their eyes.

Now an old lady, she remembers that moment as if it was yesterday and, one afternoon, she made a decision. She would give the ark to her only grandson Charlie as a gift. She knew he loved animals, and that he would treasure it as much as she had. She would also pass on that little scrap of paper to him…and the magical secret.

Later that day she presented it to him, and he was thrilled, just as she had been. Whilst Charlie was hugging her, her mind went back to when she had hugged her father in exactly the same way and, smiling, she pressed the little folded scrap of paper into Charlie’s hand.

There was a question in his eyes, but she put her finger to her lips and said, Ssshhh. Then, speaking really quietly, she said, Only read this out loud when you are with your ark and you are on your own. It’s a ‘Wordspell’. She leaned in even closer and whispered, "After saying these words,