David O'Connell

An illustration of a tour bus filled with bugs. A slug called Reg Scribble leads the party.

An illustration of a bunch of bugs watching a ladybird give a poetry reading on stage in a juice bar.

An infographic comparing the appeal of kittens versus maggots. The result is fairly even.

The cover of Beastie Bros: Dungeons and Dragonflies, featuring Dribble the snail and Dash the firefly.

Beastie Bros: Dungeons and Dragonflies is out this week! It has daring deeds, a choose-your-own-adventure chapter, maggots, a sword called Jennifer Richards, and open mic poetry! I had a heap of fun making it with lovely @scholasticuk.bsky.social. #kidlituk ##ukkidlit

Lovely review for Beastie Bros: Dungeons & Dragonflies! Out on August 15th. 🐌🐉#kidlituk

Thank you, Jacqui! Much appreciated. 🐌

Cool!

This has crept up quickly! New Beastie Bros out in August.

Start the new school year by inspiring reading in your class!

From 15th – 19th September, we're hosting a full week of exciting author events to help you promote reading for pleasure, including story-times, draw-alongs and Q&As with beloved authors and illustrators.

a cartoon of a snail holding a bag that says books are my bug Alt: An animated gif of a snail and a firefly holding a bag that says books are my bug.

Pre-orders are very welcome, especially as it's Independent Bookshop Week! Give your local indie bookshop some love.

The book cover of Beastie Bros: Dungeons & Dragonflies, featuring Dribble the snail and Dash the firefly being chased by a fierce giant dragonfly.

Hello! BEASTIE BROS: DUNGEONS & DRAGONFLIES is out in August! Dribble & Dash are on a quest to find the Gumdrop of Destiny, but perils await in the maze of tunnels beneath the ant hill...

Fantasy fun featuring fake beards, custard lakes & a trusty sword called Jennifer Richards! #ukkidlit #kidlituk

Last call for our picture book-making course!

Writing & Illustrating a Children's Picture Book with Curtis Brown Creative Our 10-week writing and illustrating a picture book course helps you learn how to bring new worlds to life on the page as you create stories and characters that capture the imaginations and hearts of…

Want to illustrate picture books? 🖍️

Children's author-illustrators @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social & @davidoconnell.bsky.social will help you to bring your stories for children to life on our six-week Writing & Illustrating a Children's Picture Book course!

📆 Course starts 15 May, enrol now:

Writing & Illustrating a Children's Picture Book with Curtis Brown Creative Our 10-week writing and illustrating a picture book course helps you learn how to bring new worlds to life on the page as you create stories and characters that capture the imaginations and hearts of…

Create brilliant stories for young readers! 📖🖌️

Our ten-week online Writing & Illustrating a Children’s Picture Book course includes expert advice from children’s author-illustrators, @sarahmcintyre.bsky.social and @davidoconnell.bsky.social

Course starts 15 May:

Picture book writing course written by me - starts soon! #ukkidlit #kidlituk

Thank you!

Hercules Hero to Zero Hercules Hero to ZeroTom Vaughan, illustrated by David O’ConnellScholastic Hercules Braver returns for a third set of adventures presented in the usual diary form and taking place during the school…

Hercules Braver presents his 3rd set of adventures diary form in #HerculesHerotoZero wherein he tries to get rich @storyandplot.bsky.social ills. @davidoconnell.bsky.social scholasticuk -it’s #RedReadingHub’s #fiction #kidlit book of the day reviewed on the blog wp.me/p11DI5-d8v

Beastie Bros cover with a Dribble the snail and Dash the firefly on the cover.

A blueprint of Roboslug, Dribble's invention, showing how it makes cabbage juice out of cabbage leaves.

The naughty slugs, Reg Scribble and Flattened Dominic, doing karaoke.

A map of Bugtown.

BEASTIE BROS is out today, squishing everything I've learned about books & story making into something that's absorbing, informative & engaging, & visually dynamic too!

Huge thanks to Scholastic, particularly brilliant editor Julia Sanderson & fab designer Sarah Baldwin! shorturl.at/l2XBi #ukkidlit

I've created an activity pack to go with my Beastie Bros book (out on Thursday!). Including wordsearch, colouring sheet, and story-making ideas - might keep young ones busy for a bit during half-term. Download for free from here: shop.scholastic.co.uk/resources/48... ##ukkidlit #kidlituk

3 comics

4 comics

3 comics

Lets have a comics sale. Till the end of the month I'm selling three different bundles of comics, as pictured below, £10 each, free postage. UK only sorry. Why not have a look? Cheers robjacksoncomics.blogspot.com/2025/02/febr...

Last one of these - I saved the best until last (debatable)!

Possibly my favourite characters in Beastie Bros.

Grottibottigan’s Juice Bar is the coolest hangout in Bugtown.

Some of Dribble and Dash's friends...

Happy Together is out today! 🎶🥁🎺🎸🎵
It's currently only available on Amazon here in the UK, but hopefully your local bookshop will be able to order a copy or two today! 😊
#kidlituk

a drawing of a snail and a fly with the words awkward written on the bottom ALT: a drawing of a snail and a fly with the words awkward written on the bottom

I knew you'd lower the tone.

I've realised Dribble and Dash represent different aspects of me. Mostly I'm grumpy Dribble, but I have my Dash moments (except I don't flash my bum too often these days).

Introducing some of the characters from my book out next week! 🐌 (I promise I will stop going on about it at some point. Just not yet.) #ukkidlit #kidlituk

This competition closes at the end of this week! Win a visit to your class by actual bugs! In a non-infestational way, because that would awkward. But, who knows? Perhaps if they like it they might stay. You could sit next to them at lunch break and compare sandwich fillings or whatever. 🐌🐞🦗🐜🐛🦋🐝

You’re welcome! 🐌

Not long until #HappyTogether is out. (Feb 4th!) Head to your local bookshop to preorder a copy 😊

On brand!