Illustrator and author James Mayhew was at St Francis’ College in Letchworth last Saturday for an art workshop with 17 contest winners.

The Comet: Illustrator and author James Mayhew speaks to children at St Francis' College in Letchworth.Illustrator and author James Mayhew speaks to children at St Francis' College in Letchworth. (Image: Archant)

The kids, aged from six to 11, had designed covers for a book called ‘Katie comes to Letchworth’, based on James’ Katie books – with the author himself judging the entries.

James told a story while drawing to illustrate what he was saying, and the children then made their own pictures to represent the story.

The two-hour workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by all, with the children picking up many great tips about how to make her artwork better.

Director of art Tabitha Wilson said: “James Mayhew captured the interest of young minds, igniting much excitement through his storytelling and illustration workshop.

“He told us of the magical tales of The Orange Princess and, in doing so, he has inspired a young generation of artists to discover, imagine and dream big.”