A book co-written by HRH King Charles, while in his former role as The Prince of Wales, has been illustrated exclusively by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) graduate Aleesha Nandhra.
The 48-page Ladybird book, Climate Change, explores the global causes and effects of climate change on human life and the natural world, while also highlighting the actions individuals can take to make a difference.
Aleesha was commissioned to produce bespoke illustrations for a new edition of the title, adapted from a Ladybird Expert book originally published in 2017, which is published this week and is available as both a hardback and an electronic version.
Having graduated from the BA (Hons) Illustration course at ARU’s Cambridge School of Art, Aleesha has gone on to complete commissions for a plethora of high-profile clients including Google, Harper Collins and Bloomsbury.
Her latest commission forms part of an ever-growing encyclopaedic series of Ladybird books designed to engage curious young readers with issues facing society.
Aleesha said: “Illustrating a Ladybird book was an absolute dream project for me.
“I think there are certainly a couple of generations in my family that grew up reading them at school, and it's been wonderful to see new editions of them emerge in the past few years. So, as you can imagine, when I was asked to work on one there was no hesitation to accept! The fact that the book was to be on such an important and pressing topic relating to nature was also a bonus as nature is something I love to explore in my works.
“I had no idea about the 'unique' contributor to the book until very late in the process, so it was certainly a little shock seeing my name printed next to the King's... It certainly adds to the whole surreal and wonderful experience of getting to illustrate a title like this!
“Hopefully the book will inspire anyone that reads it to pay more attention to our planet, and what we can do to look after it, and everything and everyone that lives on it.”
Outlining the importance of Climate Change, as part of the book’s afterword, HRH King Charles noted: “Ever since I was a young teenager I have been deeply worried about the way we have shaped our world. I am pleased to see that children across the world […] are now raising the alarm and calling for big changes to happen.
“Their efforts have emphasised the importance of caring about what life will be like in the future – there is a lesson in this for us all.”
Libby Walden, Commissioning Editor at Ladybird, said: “Ladybird has a long history of making non-fiction accessible for children with our mini hardback series.
“When the team were thinking about new titles and what topics children might be interested in, climate change and the importance of protecting our world was something we really wanted to explore.
“We are incredibly proud to be publishing A Ladybird Book: Climate Change and hope that it informs, engages and empowers young people.”
Image: Climate Change - illustration by Aleesha Nandhra
