Chris Haughton's Portfolio - SHH! WE HAVE A PLAN

LANGUAGES

Japanese しーっ!―ひみつのさくせん

Complex Chinese 噓! 我們有個計畫!

Simplified Chinese edition coming in November 2014

Italian coming soon with the title Shh! Abbiamo un piano
Swedish coming in early 2015 with the title Schh! Vi har en plan

AWARDS

WINNER: ASSOCIATION OF ILLUSTRATORS 2014 AWARD for Childrens Books
WINNER: Baby & Me Style award 2014

REVIEWS

'Pleasingly spare and simple in design and storyline, and ending with a good joke, this is a perfectly executed picture book. ... Chris Haughton plays tribute to Tomi Ungerer’s classic The Three Robbers in using only muted blues and blacks while the hunt is on, before bursting into colour as the joke unfolds' Guardian

'He scored critical hits with his first two books and is back with a third, brimming with the same offbeat humour and distinctive, bold artwork' The Bookseller

'Wonderfully quirky, hilarious and utterly engaging' Junior - Best Books for March

'a wonderful bedtime read' Angels and Urchins

'Chris Haughton tells a big story in stunning illustrations in his near-wordless picture book… a wittily told story with a strong message about communication' Love Reading

'Through seemingly simple but wonderfully sophisticated visual techniques, Haughton excels in his goal and in doing so, proves that even as profound a concept as achieving peace through understanding can be conveyed visually, without words' Look/Book

'The truth of one of Bornholdt’s observations – “Reading a book of pictures is still reading” – will become immediately obvious to the “reader” of Chris Haughton’s picture book Shh! We Have a Plan True, there is a minimalist text of just over 100 words, but it is in the dynamism of the magnificent artwork that Haughton’s creativity is most clearly visible. His combination of collage and silhouette, aided by a judiciously selective use of colour, results in a sequence of images that, in more than one sense, tell their own story. They also manage to reflect the mischief and comedy inherent in a narrative where a group of hapless humans insists on becoming bird-catchers, even if one of them has reservations about their intentions. But some people, as the concluding pages remind us, never learn' Irish Times

'This is a beautifully produced book which will take pride of place on my bookshelf alongside Chris Haughton's other books.' Being a Mummy

'An intriguing story, with wonderful quirky characters' Nursery World

'Strikingly individual and fantastic to look at' Bookwitch

'One of the most exciting author/illustrators in children’s books today and this latest offering is a delight ... a lovely book for reading aloud full of expression and fun, with a final twist in the furry tail' Daily Mail

'packed with atmosphere ... a journey which no reader is likely to forget'Independent on Sunday

'Picture book perfection' Metro

'This is his best yet: simple, original, very blue and HILARIOUS...every single school in the country should have a copy' Families (South East)

'I like the quirky design and somehow it works very well, perhaps because the story is funny and easy to follow...I like the ending of the story, which made me laugh, and overall this was an enjoyable book to share and one that we will easily and happily come back to for repeat readings' The Book Bag

'Through deft visual storytelling, sparse text, and a keen sense of comedy, Shh! We Have A Plan exemplifies the simple brilliance of the picture book form. It’s impeccably designed – from Haughton’s stylised paper cut characters and distinctive blocky font, to the illustrated endpapers and careful composition of each scene – and a terrific sense of theatre and anticipation is created through clever pacing. Shh! We Have A Plan is a rare and exotic bird indeed'

'Shh! We Have a Plan is a book to fall in love with . . . The characters are so warm and endearing, their antics so gentle and funny that children will take them to their hearts. . . a lovely, lovely book' Armadillo

'This simple tale of adventure and innocence is a delight to the senses, stunningly crafted in his signature style. . . a sensational picture book for early readers and will leave adults coveting the captivating design' The Looking Glass

'Four friends- three big and one little, tip-toe very slowly with nets poised to catch a beautiful bird perched in a tree. But at the turn of the page we find a ridiculous bunch of very tangled characters and a blissfully ignorant bird flying away. Hilarious, foiled plans follow from the goofy trio- so it’s up to the littlest friend to find a solution!' Mums & Tots

'Four friends out for a walk decide they must have the beautiful bird perched high in a tree. They have a plan... Trouble is, their plans don't quite work and each time they land up in a tangled heap as the bird flies off. But look more closely and you will see that the littlest one doesn't join in - he has a much better idea. Even then, things don't quite go according to plan in this almost wordless picture book which relies heavily on the clever picture to relate the story.' Parents in Touch

'Will have the little ones in fits of giggles . . . engaging and fun' Baby London

'A very funny picture book . . . most of the story is revealed in the simple, expressive pictures, making it perfect for new readers' Primary Times (North Yorkshire) and (West London)

'An entertaining tale of hapless hunters being bamboozled by birds with plenty of repetition and humour to keep both a 20 month old and nearly five year old amused. And, of course, this against the backdrop of Haughton’s distinctive illustrations, which are divine' Babino Goodies

'One of the most exciting new voices in children’s literature, comes a new picture book about a beautiful bird, an unquenchable desire and plans gone awry' The Publisher’s Association’s Best New Children’s Books Summer 2014, The Guardian

Download 3 fun activity sheets here

LANGUAGES
ENGLISH Shh! We have a plan

SPANISH Shhh! Tenemos un plan

CATALAN Shhh! Tenim un pla

NORWAY Shh! Vi har en plan

DENMARK Ssh! Vi har en plan

NETHERLANDS Ssst! We hebben een plan

FRANCE Chut! On a un plan

Germany: Pssst! Wir haben einen vogel

Brazil: Shhh! Nos Temos um plano

しーっ!―ひみつのさくせんShh! We have a plan in Japanese 噓! 我們有個計畫!

Shh! We have a plan in Complex Chinese

Simplified Chinese edition coming in November 2014

Italian coming soon with the title Shh! Abbiamo un piano Swedish coming in early 2015 with the title Schh! Vi har en plan

AWARDS

WINNER: ASSOCIATION OF ILLUSTRATORS 2014 AWARD for Childrens Books
WINNER: Baby & Me Style award 2014

REVIEWS

'Pleasingly spare and simple in design and storyline, and ending with a good joke, this is a perfectly executed picture book. ... Chris Haughton plays tribute to Tomi Ungerer’s classic The Three Robbers in using only muted blues and blacks while the hunt is on, before bursting into colour as the joke unfolds' Guardian

'He scored critical hits with his first two books and is back with a third, brimming with the same offbeat humour and distinctive, bold artwork' The Bookseller

'Wonderfully quirky, hilarious and utterly engaging' Junior - Best Books for March

'a wonderful bedtime read' Angels and Urchins

'Chris Haughton tells a big story in stunning illustrations in his near-wordless picture book… a wittily told story with a strong message about communication' Love Reading

'Through seemingly simple but wonderfully sophisticated visual techniques, Haughton excels in his goal and in doing so, proves that even as profound a concept as achieving peace through understanding can be conveyed visually, without words' Look/Book

'The truth of one of Bornholdt’s observations – “Reading a book of pictures is still reading” – will become immediately obvious to the “reader” of Chris Haughton’s picture book Shh! We Have a Plan True, there is a minimalist text of just over 100 words, but it is in the dynamism of the magnificent artwork that Haughton’s creativity is most clearly visible. His combination of collage and silhouette, aided by a judiciously selective use of colour, results in a sequence of images that, in more than one sense, tell their own story. They also manage to reflect the mischief and comedy inherent in a narrative where a group of hapless humans insists on becoming bird-catchers, even if one of them has reservations about their intentions. But some people, as the concluding pages remind us, never learn' Irish Times

'This is a beautifully produced book which will take pride of place on my bookshelf alongside Chris Haughton's other books.' Being a Mummy

'An intriguing story, with wonderful quirky characters' Nursery World

'Strikingly individual and fantastic to look at' Bookwitch

'One of the most exciting author/illustrators in children’s books today and this latest offering is a delight ... a lovely book for reading aloud full of expression and fun, with a final twist in the furry tail' Daily Mail

'packed with atmosphere ... a journey which no reader is likely to forget' Independent on Sunday

'Picture book perfection' Metro

'This is his best yet: simple, original, very blue and HILARIOUS...every single school in the country should have a copy' Families (South East)

'I like the quirky design and somehow it works very well, perhaps because the story is funny and easy to follow...I like the ending of the story, which made me laugh, and overall this was an enjoyable book to share and one that we will easily and happily come back to for repeat readings' The Book Bag

'Through deft visual storytelling, sparse text, and a keen sense of comedy, Shh! We Have A Plan exemplifies the simple brilliance of the picture book form. It’s impeccably designed – from Haughton’s stylised paper cut characters and distinctive blocky font, to the illustrated endpapers and careful composition of each scene – and a terrific sense of theatre and anticipation is created through clever pacing. Shh! We Have A Plan is a rare and exotic bird indeed'

' Shh! We Have a Plan is a book to fall in love with . . . The characters are so warm and endearing, their antics so gentle and funny that children will take them to their hearts. . . a lovely, lovely book' Armadillo

'This simple tale of adventure and innocence is a delight to the senses, stunningly crafted in his signature style. . . a sensational picture book for early readers and will leave adults coveting the captivating design' The Looking Glass

'Four friends- three big and one little, tip-toe very slowly with nets poised to catch a beautiful bird perched in a tree. But at the turn of the page we find a ridiculous bunch of very tangled characters and a blissfully ignorant bird flying away. Hilarious, foiled plans follow from the goofy trio- so it’s up to the littlest friend to find a solution!' Mums & Tots

'Four friends out for a walk decide they must have the beautiful bird perched high in a tree. They have a plan... Trouble is, their plans don't quite work and each time they land up in a tangled heap as the bird flies off. But look more closely and you will see that the littlest one doesn't join in - he has a much better idea. Even then, things don't quite go according to plan in this almost wordless picture book which relies heavily on the clever picture to relate the story.' Parents in Touch

'Will have the little ones in fits of giggles . . . engaging and fun' Baby London

'A very funny picture book . . . most of the story is revealed in the simple, expressive pictures, making it perfect for new readers' Primary Times (North Yorkshire) and (West London)

'An entertaining tale of hapless hunters being bamboozled by birds with plenty of repetition and humour to keep both a 20 month old and nearly five year old amused. And, of course, this against the backdrop of Haughton’s distinctive illustrations, which are divine' Babino Goodies

'One of the most exciting new voices in children’s literature, comes a new picture book about a beautiful bird, an unquenchable desire and plans gone awry' The Publisher’s Association’s Best New Children’s Books Summer 2014, The Guardian