Paul Linnet (born April 1968) is an English author and illustrator based in Brighton.[1] Along with British author and illustrator Sue Hendra, Linnet has published over 100 children's books.

Linnet is a regular guest at Edinburgh International Book Festival[2] and the International Literature Festival Dublin.[3]

Work

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Sue Hendra and Linnet's children's books include Barry the Fish With Fingers, Egg, and the series of Supertato books,[4] the first of which has sold over a million copies.[5]

Linnet and Hendra wrote Supertato: Hap-Pea Ever After for pre-school children in 2016 for World Book Day, and a handmade book in 2023 titled The Story of a Story for the British Library[3]

The Supertato books topped the children's book charts in 2020,[6] 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and The Guardian described Supertato as "an absolute juggernaut of a book, beloved by kids to the point of hysteria."[7] Linnet and Hendra's Supertato discovered a new audience when Tom Hiddleston read one of their books on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.[8][9]

In 2022 Supertato was turned into a series for CBeebies on BBC. In late 2023, a range of Supertato merchandise for A/W 2024 was announced via BBC.[10][11]

In March 2024, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Supertato books, a special edition logo and book was released[12]

In September 2024, Linnet said he was honoured that one of the Supertato books would be adapted for visually impaired children by accessible book publisher Living Paintings, and read by Greg James[13]

Awards and honors

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Books Are Rubbish! was a Sunday Times best seller.[14]

Awards for Linnet's books
Year Title Award Result Ref.
2014 No-Bot Oxfordshire Book Award for Picture Book Winner [15]
2016 I Need a Wee Scholastic Corporation Laugh Out Loud Award for Best Picture Book Winner [16]
2023 Mean Green Time Machine British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Shortlist [17]

Selected publications

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Supertato books

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  • Linnet, Paul; Hendra, Sue (2014). Supertato. London: Simon & Schuster Ltd. ISBN 978-0-8570-7447-8.[4][7][14]
  • Linnet, Paul; Hendra, Sue (2017). Eviltato Vs. Superpea. London: Simon & Schuster Ltd. ISBN 978-1-3985-1170-5.[18]
  • Linnet, Paul; Hendra, Sue (2023). Supertato Mean Green Time Machine. London: Simon & Schuster Ltd. ISBN 978-1-3985-1167-5.[19]

Standalone books

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References

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  1. ^ "Paul Linnet". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet: Supertato - The Origin". Edinburgh International Book Festival. Archived from the original on 24 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b The British Library. "Create a Handmade Library".[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Book Reviews for Supertato By Sue Hendra | Toppsta". Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Supertato | Books". Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  6. ^ O'Brien, Kiera. "World Book Day's Supertato smashes into the top spot". Archived from the original on 8 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  7. ^ a b Heritage, Stuart (27 January 2022). "'Nothing short of revelatory': the 10 best CBeebies' Bedtime Stories – ranked". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Star signing for CBeebies Bedtime Story". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 16 June 2021. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  9. ^ Heritage, Stuart (27 January 2022). "'Nothing short of revelatory': The 10 best CBeebies' Bedtime Stories – ranked". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  10. ^ "BBC studios secures Golden Bear as licensee for Supertato". 5 October 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ Hendra, Sue; Linnet, Paul (4 July 2024). Supertato: Tenth Anniversary Edition. Simon & Schuster, Limited. ISBN 978-1-3985-2826-0. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  13. ^ https://livingpaintings.org/news/supertato-comes-to-life-for-blind-children-thanks-to-support-from-simon-schuester
  14. ^ a b Times, The Sunday (18 December 2020). "The Sunday Times bestsellers of the year: children's books and manuals". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Archived from the original on 5 July 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  15. ^ Cotterill, Jo (19 January 2015). "Oxfordshire Book Awards Niceness". Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b Scholastic Blog. "The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards 2016". Archived from the original on 8 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  17. ^ "The British Book Awards 2023 Books of the Year: Children's Shortlists". LoveReading4Kids. 17 March 2023. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  18. ^ Williams, Imogen Russell (23 February 2024). "Children's and teens roundup – the best new picture books and novels". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  19. ^ "Albert and the Pond / Supertato: Mean Green Time Machine". 16 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Family book reviews - gallery". 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024 – via www.theguardian.com.
  21. ^ "I Need to Wee! by Sue Hendra, Paul Linnet". Publishers Weekly. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Review: I Need to Wee by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet". Archived from the original on 12 August 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  23. ^ https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book/e/egg/
  24. ^ "Barry the Fish with Fingers by Sue Hendra - review". 21 May 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024 – via The Guardian.
  25. ^ Kantor, Emma (25 September 2020). "2020 Halloween Reads for Kids and Teens". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  26. ^ "I Spy Island (Book Review)". Forts and Fairies. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
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