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Steve Antony

@mrsteveantony.bsky.social
968 followers 240 following 114 posts

Children's Author/Illustrator of internationally bestselling Mr Panda series, school staple The Queen’s Hat and ‘Best 2024 Picture Book’ Rainbowsaurus. And many more.

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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
The National Year of Reading launched today and it feels like a chance to shout from the hilltops that books matter, libraries matter and giving children time and space to read for pleasure really matters. Every story shared is a small, powerful act. goallin.org.uk.
goallin.org.uk
National Year of Reading 2026 | Go All In
Bring reading closer to culture in 2026. Discover ideas, events and ways to take part at home, school, work and in your community.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Looking forward to tomorrow’s event at @ipswichbookfestival. Link in profile. 😄
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
🚗🐼 Join me & Mr Panda at Ipswich Book Festival We’re celebrating 60yrs of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang + 10yrs of Please Mr Panda 🎉 📚 Sun 5 Oct, 1PM 📍 St. Clement’s Arts Centre ✨ Free event www.ipswichbookfestival.com/events-sunda...
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Hi! Exciting public library events October 11th. 10:30am, Hugerford Library, Church Street, Hungerford, RG17 0JG (booking directly at the library) 2pm, Thatcham Library: Bath Road, Thatcham, RG18 3AG Booking link for Thatcham: ticketpass.org/event/EIWXRV...
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
10!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
It’s been a couple of months. Just a few photos from a recent shoot with Charlotte Knee Photography. The last couple of months have been, well, completely unforeseen… so it was nice to have a day out and smile for the camera. Thanks, Charlotte!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Starting my 49th year by crossing the Capilano suspension bridge in Canada!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 12/05/2025
We are SO thrilled that WE CAN has been long listed for the 2025 Little Rebels Award. This is such an honour! And huge congrats to everyone else on the long list!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
Best thing about the Bologna Children’s Book Fair is catching up with friends and making new ones.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
Jane Elson and I, pictured with the amazing Annie Everall, joined a whole host of authors and illustrators at the UK Pupil Library Assistant of the Year 2025 awards ceremony yesterday at the Pearson building on The Strand in London yesterday.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Patrice Lawrence and I joined Wales Children’s Laureate Alex Wharton and BookTrust Cymru Director Sioned Jones for a panel on representation in early years, part of an important conference led by Cabinet Secretary for Education Prif Siaradwr.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
TSL COVER REVEAL: The featured School Librarian is Karen King! “Karen goes above and beyond helping students both inside and outside of school. She is also very busy on the Secondary School Librarians Facebook page, offering advice, info and often emotional support.”
Karen flying high like a superhero along with a number of other librarians.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
7am Monday morning I will reveal on Instagram which school librarian is the TSL magazine’s next cover star!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Rainbowsauruses at Loddon Primary School 😊
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Event news! Rainbowsaurus (and I) will be at the Ealing Festival Sunday 27 April, 10:30am – 11:30 am at the Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, Ealing Green, London W5 5EQ Tickets now available - link here: www.pitzhanger.org.uk/whatson/eali...
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Today I met with Outreach Librarian Debbie to discuss the 10th annual competition, and her new guide dog Valerie stole the show (and my heart).
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Finishing the final spread of a book is such a great feeling! The ninth Mr Panda picture book is done!* *At least until I receive publisher feedback and proofs, but even so, I feel a huge sense of relief.
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ToBeBooks @tobebooks.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Thank you for your thank you! It’s why we started. We genuinely believe we can make a huge difference. Not just to kids lives but also, to the publishing trade. The biggest misconception there is, if kids borrow books they won’t buy them when the opposite is true. Kids are collectors.
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ToBeBooks @tobebooks.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Pictures of our #worldbookday donation of 450 books to this amazing school! 🥹
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ToBeBooks @tobebooks.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Meet The LiBEARian from William Cobbet’s School Library and the Actual librarian, Caroline.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
Huge congrats, everyone!!!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
The ‘We Can!’ Book Tour launched today and we met the lovely School Librarian Caroline today.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Was great to spend time with Anish (pictured) and Sonia from the NLT’s Swindon Hub today in the main shopping centre. They had books to give away!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Teachers at Bournville Primary School dressed up as the cast from The Queen’s Handbag for World Book Day!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
What a day! Thank you Loddon Primary School for having me! Huge thanks to School Librarian Florence for organising an epic World Book Day.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
In an ever changing world let books lead the way. Happy World Book Day!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Setting things up for my first World Book Day visit this week. Hope everyone has a great week!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
It’s almost upon us! Wishing everyone a fun, memorable week! Today I am at the bookshop in Swindon Central Library. @worldbookdayuk.bsky.social
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Wow. Every paper.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
The world’s FIRST reading of CHICK took place this morning at Croft Playgroup, Swindon - a lovely charity group in Swindon. And they liked it!!
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
From touring Las Vegas with Mr Panda to visiting Vegas County Clark Library, I had the most amazing time in the city that never sleeps. Lovely to meet Librarians Laura, Diana and Jordon. Fab to see ‘Please Mr Panda’ in the District’s top 100 Books Your Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten.
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Alex Strick @alexstrick.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Happy #RandomActsofKindnessDay @mrsteveantony.bsky.social and I want to give away 4 copies of WE CAN so that you can nominate someone to win one. Just like this & comment with their name & #wecan. We'll pick 4 winners at random (UK only pls) on 18 Feb. Pls repost? www.instagram.com/reel/DGLMH01...
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Libraries for all! I love this bus, spotted in San Francisco.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Steal, verb 1. take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it. "thieves stole her artwork" Links to resist the UK government’s proposal here: linktr.ee/MrSteveAntony
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
One moment I’m addressing 200 teachers, the next moment I realise I haven’t spoken to anyone for a whole day. I’ve just finished an illustration for the next Mr Panda book. Been so busy with travelling/events, I’m pooped. Need to ensure I have space before March (WBD). Been home all day with a 🤧.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
My fav thing about this is Penguin’s expression. Happy Valentine’s Day. Give yourself a hug, just like Sloth does in this book, ‘We Love You, Mr Panda’, which published during the pandemic.
Mr Panda riding a bike with a basket on it. Inside the basket is Penguin.
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Jon Biddle @jonnybid.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
The latest Read for Empathy collection has been launched. As always, it's full of absolutely superb books, including graphic novels, poetry, picturebooks and non-fiction. The work @empathylabuk.bsky.social are doing is incredibly important. More information here: www.empathylab.uk/rfe
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Posting this letter to my MP publicly as I know that many, especially those who don’t work within the creative industry, may not clearly grasp the gov’s proposal re copyright & may not feel informed enough to contact their local MP yet still feel strongly re protecting copyright.
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Mags L Halliday @magslhalliday.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
This is, as you’d expect from Sarah, lovely, direct and straightforward.
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Sarah McIntyre @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
A handwritten letter on my illustration work desk to my local MP, Mel Stride, asking him to help UK children's book illustrators keep our copyright during the current AI policy consultation ✍️ @mrsteveantony.bsky.social @alcs-uk.bsky.social @societyofauthors.bsky.social (Typed out in the alt text)
Dear Mr Stride, can you please help me and other UK children’s book illustrators?

The governing is considering AI policy measures that would make us, as copyright holders, ‘opt out’ if we don’t want tech companies breaching our copyright to train their systems. The big companies then use our own art in competition against us.

The UK ought to be proud of its children’s book tradition. Our artwork is exported all over the world, and by giving it away free, we’re ruining the industry. Children will be poorer: there’ll get dumbed-down, mechanical books that have no real person thinking hard about each aspect of them. 

My colleague Steve Antony described it:
“It’s like allowing someone to break into my house and steal my belongings so that they can research, recycle and resell them, unless I stick a label on each and every one of my belongings that says ‘DO NOT STEAL’, even though the objects are clearly not theirs and clearly within someone else’s house. That house bring my copyright. It’s absolutely ridiculous, makes no sense, completely destroys existing copyright laws and insults every single one of us.” 

Please, could you stand up for us and out copyright? If you could mention our concerns to Feryal Clark, Minister for AI & Digital Governent, and to Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industry, Arts & Tourism, I’d greatly appreciate it. 

Warmest wishes, Sarah McIntyre,
Illustrator & Author, Bovey Tracey
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
My thoughts on the government’s proposal to allow AI into all of our houses of copyright to freely rob, recycle and resell our creative work unless we, the copyright owners, stipulate that everything within our respective houses are respectively ours. Links in profile to let your voice be heard.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
I went all the way to Portugal and FORGOT TO TAKE THIS 🤦‍♂️. The Portuguese translation of ‘You Can!’ which I illustrated and was written by Alexandra Strick. It’s such a great example of how children can express themselves creatively.
Me holding up the book whilst sipping a from ‘We Can!’ mug.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Back home after a three day picture book trip to Portugal to celebrate APPInep’s 25th annual seminar for teachers. Walked home in the rain from the coach station and have just ordered a big pizza. Bliss.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PICTURE BOOKS! A summary of a plenary I delivered in Portugal.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
A power that can change lives and maybe even make the world a kinder place. It is a power we can all harness. The power of picture books. This school in Leiria, Centro Social Paroquial, is a great example of how teachers use picture books to bring out the best in their kids.
Me stood next to a colourful Rainbowsaurus welcome banner created by the kids.
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
I have updated my monthly blog for educators and librarians. Find out how you can nominate a school librarian or literacy champion to become a cover star. www.steveantony.com/blog/2025/1/...
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Proofs arrived for Hippo Potty! Looking forward to sharing a sneak peek next week (signing off socials now until Monday). x
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Steve Antony @mrsteveantony.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Shout out to all the snakes - this is your year! Happy Year of the Snake! Yes, I know snakes aren’t orange but this is from Rainbowsaurus.
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