Six–year–old Internet sensation Jack Draws Anything has signed a book deal with national book publishers Hodder Children’s Books
The book, which is being rushed through to be printed by October 6, will feature a collection of Jack’s drawings and a share of profits from its sale will go to the Sick Kids’ Friends Foundation.
To date, Jack Henderson, of Prestonpans, East Lothian, has raised almost £17,000 after setting an initial target of £100 for the hospital baby brother Noah attends with chest problems.
Sara O’Connor, Senior Editorial Manager, said:
I found out about the project one week in through Facebook. A friend of my 'liked' it and I clicked on her link. The first picture I saw was "Heatblast for Charlie Prentice #27" and then flipped through the rest of the pictures and stories and couldn’t stop smiling. This was a story that deserved a much wider audience.
Jack has had over 600 picture requests and had to set a deadline for requests just two weeks since the site was launched. In that time he had raised over £10,000.
He has appeared on television with Dad Ed, Mum Rose and brothers Toby and Noah and the website jackdrawsanything.com has received over 100,000 hits from all over the world.
Jack’s Dad Ed said:
“This whole thing has taken off beyond anything we could ever have imagined. We’re very proud of Jack, as we are of all our boys, and we are determined as a family to raise as much as we can to support the Sick Kids’ Friends Foundation.
Jack is a third of the way through his drawings, having completed 200 in 63 days, and Ed estimates he will be finished by the end of the summer.
Anne McNeill, Publishing Director of Hodder Children’s Books, said:
The joy of a book like this is the authentic creativity and kindness of the child at the heart of it. Thank you to Jack. We're so proud to publish it.
Maureen Harrison, Chief Executive of The Sick Kids’ Friends Foundation, said:
Little did we know when Jack decided that he would do drawings for friends to raise funds for the Sick Kids’ Friends Foundation, to thank staff at the children’s hospital in Edinburgh for the care that his little brother Noah has had, that Jack Draws Anything would become an Internet phenomenon and now a book, published by such a prestigious company as Hodder. We are thrilled that Jack’s wonderful talent has achieved such acclaim and that he and his family have chosen to donate royalties from the book to Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity (previously The Sick Kids Friends Foundation).
The book will be published 6th October 2011
For further information, please contact Rose & Ed Henderson (Jack’s Mum & Dad), me@jackdrawsanything.com
