A very Happy New Year to all Bug Belly readers. 

Let's hope 2021 is even better than last. After all, BB2 is published this coming Spring so there is that to look forward to. Meanwhile don't forget if you're home schooling or just want a bit of froggy fun with your Maths and English please click the Froggy Goodies link above and check out my

BB home school packs.

Welcome to Bug Belly the frog's home pad.
If you're looking for RESOURCES for kids and schools then please click the FROGGY GOODIES tab above.

And scroll down below this for all the videos.

This is his favourite lily pad and home to loads of cool, froggy crafts and activities. There are videos of Paul reading the book, videos of 'How-to-draw', Make edible bugs, and much, much more.
If you've not yet read how BB rescues 100's of desperate little taddies when their pond starts to empty, then follow the links on the right if you'd like to buy the book online. Or maybe you fancy reading a sample taster chapter first, or watching the video trailer? 

What are you waiting for?!

All images strictly copyright © Paul Morton

11 Bug Belly videos now available

Video #11- Make a magical never-ending, forever folding Bug Belly Booklet

An amazingly simple piece of paper folding magic. Watch the video first to learn how to make it and then download the printed instructions and get the FREE BUG BELLY TEMPLATES with illustrations.

> Template front <  > Template back <

Video #10- Make Bug Belly's top ten favourite bug snacks - and then EAT THEM!

Watch the video and then download the recipes in FROGGY GOODIES.

Video #9- Paul explores his own pond to find some real taddies and froglets

Video #7- Great tips for getting good ideas for your stories. Then try Paul's Summer Reading Story Writing Challenge.

Video #1- Paul reading from Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble part 1

Video #2- Paul drawing Splodge and making a frog wobbler

Video #3- Paul reading from Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble part 2

Video #4- Paul reading from Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble part 3

Video #5- Drawing Splash, painting water and making a Splash wobbler

Video #6- Paul reading from Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble part 4

Video #8- How to draw Bug Belly

MAKE BUG BELLY'S FAVOURITE BUG SNACKS 

AND THEN EAT THEM!!

If you've read right to the very last page of Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble you will know that Bug Belly has some particular favourite bug snacks. Lava Pops and Worm Whirls are just two for example.

How would you like to make some of Bug Belly's favourite bug snacks?.. and then EAT THEM?? You can if you follow these delumptious edible bug recipes. The first three are available for downloading now, Worm Whirls, Chrysalis Candies and brand new FLY FUDGE! and all the rest to follow later.

WORM WHIRLS RECIPE

CHRYSALIS CANDY PART 1

CHRYSALIS CANDY PART 2

FLY FUDGE PART 1

FLY FUDGE PART 2

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THE MAKING OF A BUG BELLY ILLUSTRATION

For Babysitting Trouble I produced well over 1000 drawings. From the rough early thumbnail sketches, numerous progressive sketches to the final artwork (on each of the 96 pages). These following images show how a typical illustration was created, from sketchbook to final printed page.

Any story that I'm working on starts in my sketchbook, well actually, appears in my mind first of all, and then I put it down into my sketchbook. I see my sketchbook as my 'extra memory', like Dumbledore's pensive. Repositories for storing lots of extra ideas and images.

When the text is completed it's chopped into page spreads by my editor and book designer. They are looking for pace and page turning drama. I already know by now roughly what image I'm planning for each spread. So I can refine the sketch over and over until I feel I've captured the spirit of the story incident and the liveliness and accuracy of the characters. I'm not looking to mirror what is said in the text, but to add to and expand upon the words.

These sketches get pasted into a mocked up full 'finished' dummy book and are submitted to get approval from editorial and publisher.

 Then it's time to buckle down to the artwork. I love working in these rich black Polychromos pencils. The only downside is that if I make a mark I'm not happy with it can't easily be erased. So I redraw the scene over again. That, or digitally erase those bits after scanning the image into Photoshop.

 And it's in Photoshop, or ProCreate, that I digitally paint in the extra textures over my pencil work. I've created custom brushes that enhance the natural pencil marks. 

 These early reader books are printed in black with one extra colour. This is also added digitally and then pre-print separated before handing over to my book designer for getting print ready.

EVERYONE'S FRIEND!! THE COCKROACH
Here's a bug that most people are familiar with. Whether running around shops and restaurants or scuttling into the bedroom. The Cockroach is truly a fascination little critter, and has been so for 320 million years! It's obviously doing something right.

BUG #6 THE COCKROACH

PREVIOUSLY
BUG #1 TRILOBITE BEETLE

BUG #2 THE STICK INSECT

BUG #3 QUEEN TERMITE

BUG #4 THE MOLE CRICKET

BUG #5 THE DUNG BEETLE

THE DUNG BEETLE is a fascinating bug.
Take time to go and research each of these fascinating bugs and you'll discover, for instance, that one Dung beetle can bury 250 times it's own weight in dung - IN ONE NIGHT!

BUG #5 THE DUNG BEETLE

PREVIOUSLY
BUG #1 TRILOBITE BEETLE

BUG #2 THE STICK INSECT

BUG #3 QUEEN TERMITE

BUG #4 THE MOLE CRICKET

BUG #4 THE MOLE CRICKET
This month I've had a special request from Eddie in Barnsley. He introduced me to the MOLE CRICKET. So please let me present to YOU to this impressive beast of a bug! Thanks Eddie.

BUG #4 THE MOLE CRICKET

PREVIOUSLY
BUG #1 TRILOBITE BEETLE

BUG #2 THE STICK INSECT

BUG #3 QUEEN TERMITE





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Take a look at the rather strange looking Queen Termite she's this month's Bug of the Month. Like an ant in a sleeping bag!

BUG #3 QUEEN TERMITE

BUG #1 TRILOBITE BEETLE

BUG #2 THE STICK INSECT





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HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY

To celebrate WBD Bug Belly is giving away this free
downloadable book mark.

It features Splish, Splash and Splodge in a balancing act and is perfect for colouring in.

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Already into month number two and so here we have the second amazing bug in Bug Belly's insectopedia.

BUG #2 THE STICK INSECT

BUG #1 TRILOBITE BEETLE

!• ITS FROGSPAWN TIME  •!

Well, very nearly depending on new storms and other freak weather conditions.

In South Yorkshire pond activity can begin anywhere towards the end of February and quite often frogspawn has been laid on the same day - 14th March.

Here are a couple of photographs taken last year when I was helped by my young friend Atlas. We caught thousands of "shiny black blobs. Jiggling and giggling like a sea of happy jelly beans coming to the boil." 
Just like it says in my Bug Belly book!

 

Here's the first in an exciting series of amazing bugs, collect the set.

THE TRILOBITE BEETLE