Oh Zoe Books

Oh Zoe! make beautiful, personalised children’s picture books that have joyful, engaging stories and visually stunning illustrations.

16/04/2019

Here at Oh Zoe we've been talking about diversity in kids books for yonks. This new stat from makes fairly depressing reading. BUT it's also exciting. It goes some way to us understanding why there is such an issue with diversity in UK children's books. This type of information gathering is the start of conversations. It's the start of action. Coming not too long after the report last year highlighting the fact that just 1% of kids books had a black, Asian or ethnic lead character it feels that the right kind of conversations are starting to happen. When a third of classroom age kids are from these backgrounds, we need to be both telling stories that reflect our world and our kids, but also telling our kids that they can be the authors, illustrators and publishers that MAKE those stories.

However, for me the conversation is wider than this. Diversity isn't skin deep. We need to be looking at disability, hidden disability and class in the same light. I could talk about this all day. But this is a start. Well done Book Trust!

This is what have to say...

Reposted from - Today's fact: our research shows that fewer than 2% of children's book creators were British people of colour in 2017.
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We want to help change that, so today we're launching BookTrust Represents - a new project to support, encourage and promote writers and illustrators of colour working in the world of children's books.
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We'll be offering support to creators, building an online community, and hosting events in bookshops, libraries and schools to make sure children have access to books that truly reflect our country's wonderful diversity.
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To find out more about our research, the project, and how to get involved, follow the link in our bio!
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11/04/2019

What was the first book you bought for your baby? We're thinking of starting a proper bedtime soon for our growing-too-quickly baby, which means I'm off out this morning to buy him his first bedtime story. One that's special, just for him. What are your recommendations?

I bought my daughter Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury as her first story book...fun to read (lots of toe tickling!), a lovely message and sentimental enough that it made me teary the first time I read it (that pesky sleep deprivation!).

So I need something just as good this time ...what should I go for??

04/04/2019

Where's your happy place? The place that acts as a balm to your soul and brings calm to the madness? I love being next to, in or on water, and the Lake District has it all - a watery, mountainous land that is simultaneously uplifting and grounding.
Matt and I have been going for years, so it's also now full of happy memories. Since two became three, and more recently four, life has been pretty hectic, so we booked one night in a hotel, packed up the car and disappeared off just the four of us for two days. It was BLISS.

The three year old even managed a bit of a hike up to Lantys Tarn and as the view was revealed a squeal of "wow I love this!" added yet another great memory to the mix.Though I think there was slight disappointment that we didn't meet a Yeti in the snowy mountains like Meg and Mog.... 🤔 .
@ Windermere

13/03/2019

BOOKS. Reading for pleasure, reading to learn, reading to broaden your ideas and get your off the ground. And because we make kids books, a little bit of silliness goes a long way, so my daughter helped with the photo "I think the octopus will look good there too". Yup! 🐙

I have to admit, most of the reading is being done by Matt, whilst I do a lot of baby wrangling. The juggle is real, but when you support each other, the sky's the limit.

08/03/2019

Conquer mountains, embody greatness, jump for joy, save lives, invent the future, visit the moon, splash in puddles, break the mold, lead the way, inspire change, be the change, smile from ear to ear, question everything, invent and reinvent. She can do anything and everything. Just believe in her.

Illustration by , from The Forgotten Forest, written by Victoria Richards . All mega women.

06/03/2019

Here's a super easy World Book Day costume! Follow the link in our bio (play.ohzoe.com) to download our FREE personalised activity pack which includes a cut out frost spirit mask! Simply dress up in blue and white frosty coloured clothes, pop on your mask and get busy casting mischievous magic! ❄️🌬️

And we'd LOVE to see your dressing up, so tag us in your post or use

Have fun!! 📚😃

25/02/2019

It's probably just me, but with spring sunshine arriving so early, the flowers look almost surprised to be out and waving their little heads around! 🌞🌷🌞🌷

Update: Yep, definitely just me. Apparently sunshine makes me giddy!!
🎨Detail from The Forgotten Forest, our personalised picture book illustrated by

19/02/2019

I had a really interesting chat with my mum the other day about gendered products for kids. I am a child of the 80s, so my mum has well over 30 years experience buying toys and books for kids and she was bemoaning the fact that some things have got WORSE and not BETTER. When we were kids there were no sets in pink. There weren't pink and blue ones. Yes, there were plenty of gendered toys, but why oh why are we going backwards?? When the first sets of pink boxed Lego came out, their defence was that they were trying to make Lego more accessible to girls, and more appealing. This is disturbing on so many levels. The idea that to 'solve' gender issues means you need to make things more extreme - more 'girly' or more 'masculine' - is so misguided, so utterly bonkers, and so damaging a narrative to give our children.

We need to tell our kids - of both genders - that they can be who they want to be, achieve anything, and reach for any toy, book, or goal in life without a doubt that it's for them.
So you won't find any gender assumptions in our books or in our personalisation options.

Want to make a book for a boy with long hair? Brilliant. Want to make a book for a girl called Bob? Fabulous. Unlike our competitors we don't ask if you're making this book for a girl or a boy. It really doesn't matter. We just ask for a pronoun preference - for her, for him, or a gender neutral option.

Our books are for kids. Simple really.
Launching later this spring... 🎨: Detail from The Forgotten Forest, our personalised picture book illustrated by

19/02/2019

I had a really interesting chat with my mum the other day about gendered products for kids. I am a child of the 80s, so my mum has well over 30 years experience buying toys and books for kids and she was bemoaning the fact that some things have got WORSE and not BETTER. When we were kids there were no sets in pink. There weren't pink and blue ones. Yes, there were plenty of gendered toys, but why oh why are we going backwards??

When the first sets of pink boxed Lego came out, their defence was that they were trying to make Lego more accessible to girls, and more appealing. This is disturbing on so many levels. The idea that to 'solve' gender issues means you need to make things more extreme - more 'girly' or more 'masculine' - is so misguided, so utterly bonkers, and so damaging a narrative to give our children.

We need to tell our kids - of both genders - that they can be who they want to be, achieve anything, and reach for any toy, book, or goal in life without a doubt that it's for them.

So you won't find any gender assumptions in our books or in our personalisation options.

Want to make a book for a boy with long hair? Brilliant. Want to make a book for a girl called Bob? Fabulous. Unlike our competitors we don't ask if you're making this book for a girl or a boy. It really doesn't matter. We just ask for a pronoun preference - for her, for him, or a gender neutral option.

Our books are for kids. Simple really.

Launching later this spring...

🎨: Detail from The Forgotten Forest, our personalised picture book illustrated by

14/02/2019

Happy celebrating-the-people-you-love day!

🎨: detail from our picture book The Forgotten Forest, artwork by

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