Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury reunite for new festive tale

The creators of popular children’s book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, author Michael Rosen and illustrator Helen Oxenbury, have teamed up with the Big Issue to create a “heartwarming” new seasonal story.

Pax: A Festive Tale will follow a family who are struggling financially, whose cat Pax ventures out into the cold after they are unable to afford food for him.

The tale will feature exclusively in next week’s edition of the magazine, and will mark the third collaboration between Rosen and Oxenbury.

Earlier this year, the pair published a new book titled Oh Dear, Look What I Got!, which was their first project in 36 years since their 1989 book We’re Going On A Bear Hunt.

Former children’s laureate Rosen said: “The Big Issue do exceptional work enabling their homeless and vulnerable vendors to have some stability by selling the Big Issue. So, I do the thing that I can do to support them, which is to write.”

“I love Helen’s vision to illustrate the story from the perspective of ‘we’ the viewer, looking in ‘over the shoulder’ of what the mum and daughter see through the window,” the 79-year-old added.

Oxenbury, 87, said: “I was delighted when I read Michael’s poignant story to be able to contribute to the wonderful work of the Big Issue.

“My contribution was to illustrate his story, and I immediately felt that the emotion was the characters on the outside in the cold looking in.”

She continued: “Michael’s only request to me, was could the cat please be black?

“As that’s the only visual note he has ever asked of me in over 30 years, of course, I have made Pax a black cat – as I know that Michael has two cats, who are mostly black.”

Paul McNamee, UK editor of Big Issue, said: “This is a remarkable, ultimately heartwarming story.

“To have him and Helen team up again to create something so unique is a wonderful Christmas gift. We’re hugely grateful.”

The Big Issue added that the story aims to highlight the reality currently being endured by 3.8 million Brits living in poverty.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said rates of destitution in the UK have more than doubled since 2017, and more than one million children are expected to be facing such circumstances this Christmas.

Pax: A Festive Tale will be available to read in next week’s Big Issue, on December 8.