Muddy Publishing and illustrator Matt Buckingham worked with the Canal & River Trust on a vital water safety campaign. We produced a storybook to teach young children about staying safe around canals and rivers. ‘Quack, Quack Take Two Steps Back‘ is created in consultation with parents and carers. The book is designed to take children on an exciting adventure with Squirrel and Mouse and their acorn ball.
The consultation revealed that parents want an engaging and accessible way to talk about water safety with their children. The characters have been developed and refined to help support the concept of diversity and environmental awareness.
Matt worked with the Canal and River Trust team to create an exciting storyline to keep children engaged and enthused. It was also important that key safety messages were repeated and reinforced.
Hold hands, take two steps back
As well as sharing these safety messages, it was also important that the story was fun and enjoyable to read. Once the plot had been approved Matt created the rhyming narrative which was again finetuned with the team. Special attention is given to authentic canal animal and plant life representations.
We designed the book collaboratively and organised the books to be produced to high ethical and environmental standards. The books are printed in the UK on FSC non-coated paper. Sharing the book and passing it on to a friend is also promoted.
Buy a copy of the book here
