Sometimes there are books that I just can’t wait for, and this is one!

Australian photographer Polly Borland and Lauren Child have teamed up previously for The Princess and the Pea, which is one of my all time favourite books. The detail and beauty in this picture book is astounding.

So I am highly anticipating Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which will be released at the end of September in Australia.

The sets for the book took over a year to make and sound magical. The doll and toy collector websites are buzzing with the news that the Goldilocks doll that Polly and Lauren used in the book has been replicated (R. John Wright) and will be available for sale.

And if I lived in the UK, currently I would be rushing to the Green Drops and Moonsquirters exhibition of Lauren’s work at the Manchester Art Gallery. The displays are based on illustrations, characters and themes from all her books and are fully interactive. This is the information from the gallery website…

• Sit at Charlie and Lola’s kitchen table and make meals with food from their fridge.
• Dress-up in Charlie and Lola’s favourite outfits including Lola’s fabulous alligator costume from I Am TOO Absolutely Small For School.
• Draw imaginary friends on a magna-doodle (inspired by Lola’s friend Soren Lorensen).
• Visit Grubby Alley where That Pesky Rat lives.
• Perform puppet shows to an audience of family and friends (in a theatre created from the four-poster bed in The Princess and The Pea).

There is a great review of the exhibition on the blog Writers Block and some photos too.

It would be soooo utterly lovely if this exhibition toured to Australia!