How to read this: each row shows the finished spread on the left and
the empty plate it was assembled from on the right. Rows tinted orange are ones the machine
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Oscar and the School-Gate LionBOY edition
Open the whole book (PDF) The locked lion
Left: the lion character sheet every plate was painted against — this is what
keeps it the same animal on all 13 pages. Right: Oscar's locked hero, the only thing
that changes per customer.
cover
(cover — no text)
scene 98likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p01
On the morning of the first day of school, Oscar found a lion on the doorstep. Not a big lion. Not a fierce lion. A small, worried lion, chewing the end of its own tail.
“I can’t go,” said the lion. “School is too big for lions.” Oscar’s tummy felt exactly the same way. But it’s hard to say so — when a lion says it first.
scene 95likeness 90skinhaireyeschild presentroll 2
p02
“Lions are supposed to be brave,” said Oscar. “Everyone knows that.”
“I never learned,” sniffed the lion. “I missed that day.”
“Then walk with me,” said Oscar. “I’m starting school today. We can learn brave together.” The lion thought about it, tail going swish, swish. “Only if you hold my paw at the crossings.”
scene 98likeness 85skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p03
They walked the school way. The lion hid behind every lamppost, and twice inside a hedge.
“Watch me,” said Oscar, and showed the lion how to walk tall — chin up, steps steady, school bag high on both shoulders. By the last corner, the lion was almost doing it. Almost.
scene 98likeness 88skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p04
The school gate was the tallest thing the lion had ever seen. “Nope,” said the lion. “Nope, nope, nope.”
“Chin up,” said Oscar. “Paws steady. One step, then another — that’s all a gate needs.” And the gate was only tall for a moment. Then it was behind them, and the lion was through it — and so, Oscar noticed, was he.
scene 100likeness 98skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p05
Inside stood a row of pegs, and one peg wore a little card. Oscar read it out loud — it said Oscar.
“That’s me. This is my peg. It was waiting for me.” The lion looked at the card for a long time. “It knew you were coming,” it whispered. “That means you belong.”
scene 98likeness 85skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p06
On the carpet, sitting still was hard for lions. The tail wanted to swish. The paws wanted to pad.
Oscar showed the lion crossed legs and a listening face, and the lion copied everything — even the listening face. “Am I doing it?” it whispered. “You are the best-sitting lion I have ever seen,” said Oscar.
scene 98likeness 95skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p07
In the building corner they made a tower taller than the lion — until the lion’s tail went swish, and down it came. CRASH. Oh no.
But the child beside Oscar just laughed a kind laugh and said, “Again?” So they built it again, twice as tall, everybody helping. The lion held the bottom brick very, very still.
scene 100likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p08
Then came lunchtime. The lunch hall was a ROAR — trays clattering, a hundred voices at once. Too much roar, even for a lion. A flash of tail, and the lion was gone, out of the door.
Oscar stood in all that loud, on his own, a wobble starting in his lip. Somebody had to find that lion. And there was nobody to do it but Oscar.
scene 95likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p09
So Oscar walked through the loud — past the trays, past all hundred voices — one step, then another, chin up, just the way he had taught the lion at the gate.
And there, curled up small in the quiet book corner, was one worried lion. “You came,” it said. “Through all that roar. On your own.” — “I know,” said Oscar, a little surprised. “I did.”
scene 100likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 3
p10
The lion sat up straight. For the first time all day, it didn’t look worried at all.
“I have a secret,” it said. “Lions aren’t born brave. Nobody is. Brave is a thing you practise — and every time you were brave for me, you were really being brave for you.” Oscar thought about the gate, and the peg, and the roar. “Then I’ve had a whole day of practice.”
scene 98likeness 90skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p11
In the afternoon there was painting. Oscar painted a lion, of course — a huge one, with a mane like a sunburst, standing at a school gate, not one bit afraid.
The real lion studied the picture for a long time. “Is that me?” it asked. “That’s you tomorrow,” said Oscar.
scene 100likeness 98skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p12
At home time they walked out through the big gate together — and the lion didn’t hide, not even once. It walked tall, tail high. “Same again tomorrow?” it asked.
“Same again tomorrow,” said Oscar. “But tomorrow, YOU carry the bag.” And that night, a certain lion slept at the end of Oscar’s bed, dreaming the brave and gentle dreams of lions.
scene 98likeness 90skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
Nia and the School-Gate UnicornGIRL edition
Open the whole book (PDF) The locked unicorn
Left: the unicorn character sheet every plate was painted against — this is what
keeps it the same animal on all 13 pages. Right: Nia's locked hero, the only thing
that changes per customer.
cover
(cover — no text)
scene 98likeness 95skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p01
On the morning of the first day of school, Nia found a unicorn on the doorstep. Not a big unicorn. Not a fierce unicorn. A small, worried unicorn, chewing the end of its own tail.
“I can’t go,” said the unicorn. “School is too big for unicorns.” Nia’s tummy felt exactly the same way. But it’s hard to say so — when a unicorn says it first.
scene 98likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p02
“Unicorns are supposed to be magical,” said Nia. “Everyone knows that.”
“Magic is easy,” sniffed the unicorn. “Brave is the bit I never learned.”
“Then walk with me,” said Nia. “I’m starting school today. We can learn brave together.” The unicorn thought about it, tail going swish, swish. “Only if you hold my hoof at the crossings.”
scene 88likeness 94skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p03
They walked the school way. The unicorn hid behind every lamppost, and twice inside a hedge.
“Watch me,” said Nia, and showed the unicorn how to walk tall — chin up, steps steady, school bag high on both shoulders. By the last corner, the unicorn was almost doing it. Almost.
scene 98likeness 95skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p04
The school gate was the tallest thing the unicorn had ever seen. “Nope,” said the unicorn. “Nope, nope, nope.”
“Chin up,” said Nia. “Hooves steady. One step, then another — that’s all a gate needs.” And the gate was only tall for a moment. Then it was behind them, and the unicorn was through it — and so, Nia noticed, was she.
scene 98likeness 95skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p05
Inside stood a row of pegs, and one peg wore a little card. Nia read it out loud — it said Nia.
“That’s me. This is my peg. It was waiting for me.” The unicorn looked at the card for a long time. “It knew you were coming,” it whispered. “That means you belong.”
scene 85likeness 90skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p06
On the carpet, sitting still was hard for unicorns. The tail wanted to swish. The hooves wanted to trot.
Nia showed the unicorn crossed legs and a listening face, and the unicorn copied everything — even the listening face. “Am I doing it?” it whispered. “You are the best-sitting unicorn I have ever seen,” said Nia.
scene 98likeness 95skinhaireyeschild presentroll 2
p07
In the building corner they made a tower taller than the unicorn — until the unicorn’s tail went swish, and down it came. CRASH. Oh no.
But the child beside Nia just laughed a kind laugh and said, “Again?” So they built it again, twice as tall, everybody helping. The unicorn held the bottom brick very, very still.
scene 100likeness 98skinhaireyeschild presentroll 2
p08
Then came lunchtime. The lunch hall was a ROAR — trays clattering, a hundred voices at once. Too much roar, even for a unicorn. A flash of tail, and the unicorn was gone, out of the door.
Nia stood in all that loud, on her own, a wobble starting in her lip. Somebody had to find that unicorn. And there was nobody to do it but Nia.
scene 95likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 3
p09
So Nia walked through the loud — past the trays, past all hundred voices — one step, then another, chin up, just the way she had taught the unicorn at the gate.
And there, curled up small in the quiet book corner, was one worried unicorn. “You came,” it said. “Through all that roar. On your own.” — “I know,” said Nia, a little surprised. “I did.”
scene 98likeness 95skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p10
The unicorn sat up straight. For the first time all day, it didn’t look worried at all.
“I have a secret,” it said. “Unicorns aren’t born brave. Nobody is. Brave is a thing you practise — and every time you were brave for me, you were really being brave for you.” Nia thought about the gate, and the peg, and the roar. “Then I’ve had a whole day of practice.”
scene 100likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1
p11
In the afternoon there was painting. Nia painted a unicorn, of course — a huge one, with a mane like a rainbow, standing at a school gate, not one bit afraid.
The real unicorn studied the picture for a long time. “Is that me?” it asked. “That’s you tomorrow,” said Nia.
scene 98likeness 92skinhaireyeschild presentroll 2
p12
At home time they walked out through the big gate together — and the unicorn didn’t hide, not even once. It walked tall, tail high. “Same again tomorrow?” it asked.
“Same again tomorrow,” said Nia. “But tomorrow, YOU carry the bag.” And that night, a certain unicorn slept at the end of Nia’s bed, dreaming the brave and gentle dreams of unicorns.
scene 100likeness 90skinhaireyeschild presentroll 1