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InspirationIllustration

Kerry Hyndman illustrates Survivors, an award-winning book on inspiring real-life stories

Survivors is a collection of 23 real-life stories from around the world, written by David Long and illustrated by Kerry Hyndman, and has just been unveiled as the winner of the 2017 Blue Peter Book Award for 'Best Book with Facts'.

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A figure in red clings to a rope suspended from a dark rocky outcrop above white clouds and blue sky in an illustration from Survivors

The inspiring stories are accompanied by illustrations depicting dramatic scenes in which the protagonists have to fight for their lives against the natural elements. Some of the stories are famous, like pioneering explorer Ernest Shackleton's death-defying South Pole expedition and a hunter's close shave with a grizzly bear, which inspired the film, The Revenant.

Other stories are less well known, but equally inspiring, such as the tale of a teenage girl who survived a plane crash and trekked through the Amazon jungle to safety.

Kerry has created dramatic, textured illustrations focusing on the scale and intensity of the landscapes to bring the scenes to life. She used Illustrator, Photoshop and hand-drawn textures to create the 46 illustrations throughout the book.

The aim of the collection is to inspire children and help them understand how far self-belief and bravery took these adventurers, and how far it could take them too.

Published by Faber & Faber, you can buy the book or find out more about Kerry Hyndman at kerryhyndman.com.

A woman with reddish hair floats in turquoise water surrounded by lush green jungle foliage, a red snake, and tropical plants with yellow flowers
Lighthouse beacon sweeping across a starry night sky above a snow-covered forest landscape, with a hot air balloon drifting overhead and a crescent moon visible in the distance
A solitary figure in a small boat navigates towering turquoise waves with white foam crests beneath a dark, stormy sky
Two figures run towards a river in a forested landscape beneath dramatic storm clouds, illustration from Kerry Hyndman's Survivors
Underwater scene with a sunken aircraft wreckage surrounded by colourful coral and sea life in deep teal waters, illustrated by Kerry Hyndman for Survivors
Aerial view of a wooden boat with occupants surrounded by black and white seabirds flying over turquoise water with shark silhouettes below
A group of people gather around a campfire amid icy terrain, with a sailing ship suspended above craggy ice formations under a golden sunset sky
A person in an orange jacket holds a torch while facing an aggressive dark bear in a dense forest, with more bears visible in the background
A figure crouches on golden sand dunes beneath a bright sun in a vast desert landscape scattered with sparse vegetation and rocks
Aerial view of a person crossing a frozen lake surrounded by snowy terrain and evergreen trees in Kerry Hyndman's illustration for Survivors
A skier in a yellow jacket descends a snowy slope bordered by trees, with tracks visible across the frozen landscape below
Underwater illustration of a sunken ship's silhouette with a freediver ascending towards sunlight filtering through blue water, surrounded by small fish
Two figures fish in a desert stream beneath towering red rock formations under a bright blue sky, illustrated in Kerry Hyndman's style for the book Survivors
A small plane flies over an expansive African savannah landscape with scattered acacia trees, grazing elephants and a lone figure with a parachute descending toward the golden plains below
A figure in a red jacket clings to a rope while scaling a towering cliff face, with rocks crumbling around them and misty mountains visible far below
Silhouetted figure holding a torch stands at the mouth of a vast cave lit by golden light, gazing out at the illuminated landscape beyond
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