The publisher says the launch of Tom Gates: Happy to Help (Eventually) will be supported with a “kid-safe” consumer campaign across YouTube, a partnership with Kids in Museums, a digital campaign to reach parents across social media, live public events and signings and a major schools campaign including a launch day event on Scholastic Schools Live. It was only when she and her husband were investigating issues for their son as a child – he’s now 30 – that she realised about her own dyslexia. “We discovered that he had various different things like hearing problems, speech problems, and as we were going through the process with him, they always talked to the parents, and everything they were saying was like, well, you’re probably dyslexic. So I’ve never officially been diagnosed, but my family have always thought it.” Guide, British Comedy (2020-12-16). "Catherine Tate and Mark Bonnar voice Tom Gates series". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 2023-06-28 . Retrieved 2023-06-28. Songs included:Nice Cup of Teaby Tea Cup Tony and The Saucers;What You Gonna Do?by Plastic Cup;Shout it Outby Dude3;Delia’s A Weirdoby DogZombies;The Cat Songby DogZombies;The School Dinner Blues (Chips Song)by DogZombies.

Wiegand, Chris (2019-05-13). "Tom Gates Live on Stage! review – songs and sketches from the schoolboy doodler". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2023-06-28 . Retrieved 2023-06-28. This quirky, funny, highly-illustrated, fiction series follows life’s ups and downs of chaotic but loveable Tom, Delia, his old sister, his parents and of course his best friend Derek and his arch enemy, Marcus. Written by award-winning author and illustrator Liz Pichon, Tom is a master of excuses (especially when it comes to homework), creative storyteller and doodler and middle-school comedian extraordinaire. In 2020, Sky Kids announced that it was making The Brilliant World of Tom Gates to be available on Sky's on demand service Sky Kids in the UK and Ireland. [7] The first series, consisting of 20 animated episodes, was released in early 2021, featuring Catherine Tate as both Rita Gates and Granny Mavis, Mark Bonnar as Mr Fullerman, and Logan Matthews as Tom Gates. [8] [9] Creator Liz Pichon also appears in the episodes in a live-action segment in which she gives ideas for creating artwork inspired by the series. [10] The second series was released in 2022. The series also has the Halloween and Christmas specials. [11] Awards [ edit ] Year

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Liz Pichontrained as a graphic designer and has illustrated several picture books. She based a lot of the stories in the Tom Gates books on funny things that happened to her at school. A Tom Gates costume is a super easy dress up for World Book Day at school (great for us lazier mums!) She said: “The thrill of seeing a book published never stops – even after 20 Tom Gates books! I hope children enjoy reading Tom Gates: Happy to Help (Eventually) as much as I did writing and illustrating it.

Liz Pichon has recently released a new book, Shoe Wars. The footastic book features lots of shoe puns! It was released in October 2020. She creates a story map for each book, noting down small events that will take place during her narrative – Derek gets a dog; homework excuse; squirrel wars – and fleshes them out into funny stories. And they are genuinely funny – I’ve watched my eight-year-old chortling away to herself at them on many an occasion, and even my 11-year-old hasn’t quite outgrown them yet, stealing them away from her little sister when she’s in the mood.In 2019, the Birmingham Stage Company presented a stage play called Tom Gates Live on Stage! that featured the characters in live action. [5] It toured the UK and starred Matthew Chase as Tom Gates and Amy Hargreaves as Delia. [6] Television [ edit ] Additionally Tom Gates: The Music Book was released in October 2019. Tom Gates: You Can Draw is due out in March 2022.

There has also been a stage production, Tom Gates Live, which has travelled throughout the UK. There are currently no new dates planned. She started out with other people’s, but then had a go at writing her own picture books. Square-Eyed Pat, about a telly addict dog, was published in 2003, followed by My Big Brother Boris, in which Little Croc and his brother live in a swamp. “It doesn’t seem quite so jolly now,” Pichon says of the title, but it won her the Smarties prize, and got her properly thinking about the kind of book she would have loved to read herself as a child. I loved funny books, and I was being offered funny books to illustrate, but I thought if I wanted to illustrate one I’d better write it myself,” she says. “I didn’t actually get to write my own stories until I was in my mid-40s.”My grandson loved it . Had previously bought all the Tom Gates books for my 7 year old grandson and from being a reluctant reader he absolutely loved them., so when “Random Acts of Fun” came out it was a no-brainer. He absolutely loves this one as well.” PerryE His grandparents are Frank's parents Granny Mavis And Granddad Bob that Tom refers to as "The Fossils", while Rita's parents are known as "The Wrinklies". Sky Kids welcomes the Brilliant World of Tom Gates from TG Entertainment". Sky. 8 July 2020. Archived from the original on 12 July 2021 . Retrieved 12 July 2021. It was an honour to design 2022’s iconic BBC Children in Need T-shirt and I want children to add their own doodles to it too. I know my talented creative readers are going to enjoy ‘The Brilliant World of Tom Gates’ Halloween TV special that I co-wrote, and sing along to the spooky song my music producer husband Mark and I wrote. It’s a super busy time and I’m loving every minute.” Pichon’s Tom Gates series is published by Scholastic and includes titles such as Tom Gates: Biscuits, Bands and Very Big Plans and Tom Gates: The Brilliant World of Tom Gates. The latest book in the series, Tom Gates: Happy to Help (Eventually) will be published on 13th October 2022.