Picture Book Artist | Chantelle and Burgen

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Contact us: chantelleandburgenthorne@gmail.com

Picture Books

Picture Books

These thrilling artworks exhibit the cover and interior pictures from the children's book "Once Upon a Lion" written by Ken Wilson Max, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The eye-catching cover art features a majestic lion roaring on a sunlit savanna. A interior spread shows a dynamic scene of Lion leaping towards the viewer, with the word "POUNCE!" in bold letters. The largest illustration depicts a happy scene of Lion, his lioness and their cubs in a moonlit setting. The illustrations are filled with rich colors and textures, capturing the energy and excitement of Africa. The overall impression is one of adventure and wonder, inviting young readers to join Lion's exciting journey.

Whimsical, colorful and vibrant art of a young leopard character depicted in multiple African scenes. The book cover features the title "Once Upon a LEOPARD", written by Ken Wilson Max and illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The cover art has Leopard playfully perched on a branch. The humourous interior spread is of Leopard playfully leaping through the air with a goofy smile on her face. The large image of Leopard gazing curiously at her reflection in the water, emphasizes the rich and engaging visual component of this story. This montage of images showcases the captivating artwork from this delightful children's book.

Vibrant, enticing and humorous illustrations feature a naughty Buffalo and various other African animals, including a lion, springbok, meerkats, skinks and bee eaters. The book cover for "Once Upon a BUFFALO", written by Ken Wilson Max and illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The striking cover image has Buffalo sitting in a savanna mud puddle. The exciting interior spread depicts a smiling Buffalo playfully charging. The biggest image on the left shows various surprised African animals flying through the air. The entire montage showcases some of the hilarious artwork from this delightful children's book.

This atmospheric medley showcases "Trunk Goes THUNK!" by Heather C. Morris, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The cover introduces a diverse cast of woodland creatures, setting the stage for a book exploring opposites. A sample spread depicts a mother bear's journey across a log bridge, returning with berries for her cubs. The main illustration features a heartwarming scene of a raccoon family crossing a tree trunk, encountering a deer amidst a vibrant sunset backdrop. Filled with warmth and charm, these illustrations invite young readers to explore the wonders of the forest, meet delightful animals, and discover the joy of opposites.

This humorous montage presents "Alpacas Make TERRIBLE Librarians!" by Kristi Mahoney, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The cover depicts a glamorous pink Alpaca with blue eyeshadow, wearing a string of bells, she is surrounded by a group of adoring children. The interior pages depict a side-splitting scene inside a library, with children trying to avoid getting sheared by the Alpaca. In the main image the Alpaca librarian shrieks "HEE HAWWW HEEE!", while a sign "PLEASE KEEP QUIET IN THE LIBRARY." hangs mockingly. The illustrations are filled with bright colors and hysterical details, inviting young readers to chuckle at the Alpaca's antics.

This striking collage displays the cover and some of the illustrations from the children's book "Tali and the Toucan" by Mira Z. Amiras, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The cover features a surprised young girl named Tali with a toucan flying towards her. The rich red interior spread pages depict Tali's imagined shattering of herself into a thousand pieces. The largest illustration shows Tali soaring in her pajamas against the misty backdrop of San Francisco, showcasing her connection to reality whilst dreaming. All the illustrations are filled with intense color and playful details, woven together using a hamsa motif. Young readers are invited to embark on a magical journey of self discovery with Tali and her feathered guide.

This captivating composite image highlights "Finley: A Moose in the Caboose," a children's book by Candace Spizziri, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The cover features a charming moose named Finley, sporting a conductor's cap and a bird friend perched on his antler, the caboose and the conductor are introduced against a snowy Alaskan backdrop. The "INDIES FINALIST" badge proudly displays the book's recognition. The content spread shows a scene where he sheepishly looks at the conductor after being discovered, as the train screeches to a halt. The engaging visuals invite young readers to embark on Finley's exciting journey.

This energetic compilation promotes the picture book "Science MATTER and the Baseball Park" written by Catherine Ciocchi, and illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. This book is a winner of the 'Purple Dragonfly Book Award' and is recommended by Bank Street College of Education. The cover depicts a batter at the plate, with opposing players on the diamond in front of a stadium full of fans. The sample spread shows a variety of cameos, these are cleverly used to depict the different states of matter, this is done using dot screens, color, and dynamic zoom effects. The artwork showcases the exciting game of baseball whilst teaching scientific facts about matter.

The storybook “Speedy Monkey” written by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne, is showcased in this energetic montage. The cover features a mischievous monkey swinging by its tail through a moonlit jungle. Content pages depict a diverse group of animals, including a monkey, a leopard, a toucan, and a sloth, all engaged together in a fun and energetic swinging game. The biggest drawing shows a joyful monkey in a jungle of varied flora. This book encourages children to embrace their individuality and appreciate the uniqueness of others.

This collage showcases the holiday picture book “Stan's Frightful Halloween” written by Sandra Sutter, illustrations by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. The main drawing features a diverse group of costumed children trick-or-treating on a spooky Halloween night. The character image depicts a werewolf child with a mischievous grin, adding to the festive atmosphere. Inside spread, an atmospheric moonlit scene depicts a witch on a broomstick alongside Stan, who's having a hilariously disastrous flight. The book highlights the importance of having a fun and inclusive Halloween experience.

A vibrant collage showcasing the children's book “The Farmer in the Dell” written by Sandra Sutter illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. This book is the winner of the prestigious Readers' Favorite Award and Purple Dragonfly Book Award. The cover features an insightful mouse with a pencil, narrating the story. The inside pages show, a colorful truck transporting a family and their animals to a rodeo. A dramatic scene shows a joyful cowgirl on a bucking horse. These illustrations bring the classic nursery rhyme to life with a fresh, modern perspective."

This image selection from the picture book "Kantiga: Finds the Perfect Name" written by Mabel Mnensa, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. This story book was the winner of the Exclusive Books and IBBY SA Best illustrator Award and an IBBY International Honour List Winner. The book cover features a young girl Kantiga gazing inquisitively into a calabash, with her mother and grandmother in the background. The interior pages are filled with vibrant illustrations. These depict Kantiga's grandmother's hut and the contrasting vegetation on either side of the path. The image on the right showcases the daily labor of fetching water, contextualized within the setting of African traditions.

The composite image features the children's book "Wanda" written by Sihle Nontshokweni & Mathabo Tlali, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. Thisbook has received the following accolades, a "Skipping Stones Honor Award." and being one of Bank Street College of Education’s "Best Children's Books of the Year". The book cover shows a young girl, Wanda, looking up with a worried expression at her big hair. The interior page spread includes phrases like "Miss Bush!" and "You're late!" suggesting the bullying and teasing themes of the story. However, the main illustration emphasizes the loving bond between Wanda and her Grandmother.

This is a selection of images from the kid lit book "Shuda Finds Her Magic" written by Shudufadzo Musida, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. This book had the honour of being on the "SA Book Awards Shortlist" and is the story of the Miss South Africa winner Shudu. The images show an empowering story for young readers. The cover shows the final triumph over adversity. The interior pages show Shudu’s humble beginnings as a young rural African child. The largest image shows her love and connection to her grandmother. And the left image is Shudu victorious and winner of the Miss South Africa beauty pageant.

The image collection highlights heartwarming scenes celebrating motherhood. "Mommy Loves You" written by Joshua George, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne. A golden retriever mother proudly stands tall, surrounded by her adorable puppies. Next to her, the book cover features a zebra mother and her foal, their stripes contrasting against a vibrant blue sky. A majestic brown bear mother leads her cubs with a tender expression. On the spread a tiger cub lovingly plays with its mother, and a deer mother and fawn stand in a lush green meadow, their bond evident in their gentle interaction. These images collectively portray the universal love and care that mothers share with their young ones, evoking feelings of warmth and tenderness.

About Us

About Us

Multi-award-winning illustration team Chantelle and Burgen Thorne are eclectic bookworms who delight in the magic of stories… and sometimes, write a story or two themselves. As career illustrators, they’ve learned to draw really fast and are deft wielders of the digital brush. They’re at their happiest drawing kids' stories with a dollop of humour and a ton of animals. When not at their desks, they can be found being towed around the countryside by their three rescue dogs.

Represented internationally by the marvellous
Paul Moreton of Bell Lomax Moreton in London.

www.belllomaxmoreton.co.uk

Awards and Honours

Awards & Honours

2024 - Foreword Picture Book Award, Finalist

for Finley, A Moose on the Caboose,

2024 - Bank Street Best Children’s Books, STEM category

2023 - Purple Dragonfly Award, STEM Honorable Mention

for Science Matter and the Baseball Park

2022 - IBBY SA & Exclusive Books winner of Best Illustrator

2022 - IBBY International Honours List

for Kantiga finds the perfect name

2022 - SA Booksellers shortlist

for Shudu and My Coily, Crowny Hair

2022 - Bank Street Best Children's Books

2021 - Skipping Stones Award

for Wanda

2019 - Reader's Favorite, Gold Medal

2019 - Purple Dragonfly Award

for The Real Farmer in the Dell

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