Charlie's Ark – The Greatest Gift

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 given to his grandmother which contains many animals which magically come to life when he whispers a ‘Wordspell’.

This is the second Charlie’s Ark book and is full of many new adventures for Charlie and his ark animals.

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

Charlie’s Ark is now being made into a global television series for children.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035858958

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

Copyright Information ©

Mike Payne 2024

The right of Mike Payne to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author 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 9781035858934 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035858941 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781035858958 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Dedication

This second Charlie’s Ark book is dedicated to my darling wife Myfanwy and to my step-daughter Samantha whose son was the inspiration for Charlie.

Foreword

Charlie’s Ark is about a five-year-old boy and his magical toy-box which is in the form of an ark and contains many animals. These animals 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 new adventures he has with his magical animals in the second book of Charlie’s Ark – The Greatest Gift.

s1

Prologue

In the first Charlie’s Ark book you will remember that Charlie’s grandmother had a toy-box ark made for her by her carpenter father when she was a little girl.

You may also remember that a shaft of early morning sunlight reflected on the blade of an old chisel projecting a rainbow into the ark while he was working on it which gave the ark magical qualities. Now an old lady she decided to give her grandson Charlie the toy-box ark containing the toy animals that magically come to life when the Wordspell is said.

Charlie continues his many adventures with his magical toy animal friends and we are introduced to some other characters that feature in Charlie’s world. This book continues with twenty five new adventures together with new life lessons learnt along the way.

Charlie’s Concern –Part 1

Charlie was worried and was wide awake.

His mind was so busy it really did ache.

It was something he’d seen last night on tv.

It had started him thinking "How can this be?

My ark friends will answer my questions the best

Answers they’ll give will put my mind to rest."

The time, Charlie noted, was half past four,

But he got up quickly and crossed the floor.

No animals slept with him in bed tonight

So he was alone and that added to his fright.

He went to the playroom as quietly as he could.

He approached the ark and silently stood.

He then quietly said the secret Wordspell

Bringing magic to the ark and the animals as well.

"In this Ark right here right now

Animals awake! Come alive somehow!"

The lid of the ark lifted off as before

And the animals tumbled out onto the floor.

Charlie was here early and they all wondered why.

Spud the hippo gave a yawn and let out a sigh.

Buss the lion stretched and Flo the cow just sat.

They all waited for Charlie to start the chat.

Charlie said "I saw something on tv last night.

It’s about our planet, and it just isn’t right.

Our planet, the earth, is getting warmer by the day.

Is there anything I can do to help it go away?"

It’s called ‘global warming’, said the owl called Gray,

"Climate change is making the earth heat up this way.

My icebergs are melting!

said Ace the polar bear.

"Here one day and the next

they’re not there!

Soon polar bears will have

nowhere to stay.

They’ll just disappear

and fade quickly away."

That’s awful! said Charlie, a tear in his eye,

We’ve got to do something! We’ve got to try!

Other animals are in danger as well, said Gray,

"And many people too if we continue this way.

Sea levels will rise and homes will be lost.

It’ll be very hard to count the cost.

Forest fires, floods and bad weather will be our fate."

Charlie asked, What can we do before it’s too late?

Gray said, "It’s carbon we produce that goes into the air,

We have to cut it back so it’s hardly ever there.

We all can make a difference and do it with ease,

For