Meet the shortlist 2025: Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie

Up third in our Oscar’s Book Prize shortlist extravaganza is Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie for their tale of a very naughty (and noisy) goose: Hank Goes Honk!

Maudie Powell-Tuck has been writing, editing and dreaming about picture books for over 12 years. She has worked in a children’s bookshop and as an editor for a children's publisher, so she can enthuse about kids books ’til the cows come home. When not writing or editing, Maudie can be found pootling around charity shops with her kids, reading, and watching embarrassingly trashy reality tv. She is forever losing her hearing aids and has dropped her phone 1,345,566 times. Miraculously it still works.

Duncan Beedie is a bestselling children's author and illustrator from Bristol. He has worked on a number of Little Tiger titles, including the Agent Llama series by Angela Woolfe, The Bush Baby Adventure series by Karl Newson and his own story, Heavy Metal Badger, which has been nominated for several children's literature awards. When not drawing badgers, bears and bush babies, Duncan likes to get out in the woods or sit in a comfy chair to read ghost stories.

And here’s their answers to our Q&A

Maudie Powell-Tuck’s answers:

Who or what do you think Hank’s favourite picture book character would be, and why?

Hank would adore Stephanie Blake’s Simon Rabbit. They both have a devilish glint in their eyes and a proclivity for mischief!  

How did you come up with the idea for writing this story? 

I’ve always wanted to write a picture book about an anti-hero and Hank pretty much pecked his way onto my page and demanded I write a story about him. He’s a very obnoxious goose with a loud HONK so he’s hard to ignore! It was fun to write a character who is (I hope!) unlike myself, but what I like best about Hank is that he accepts he's flawed and tries to change, even though he makes many mistakes along the way.

 What is your favourite picture book of all time, and who would you read it with?

Oh it's torture to choose just one! I have SO MANY favourites. But if I had to choose, I’d curl up with my kids and all my nieces and nephews on a big squashy sofa and read them Millie’s Marvellous Hat by Satoshi Kitamura. It perfectly captures how creativity and imagination can inspire empathy and connection - and best of all, it's funny too!  

Duncan Beedie’s Answers:

Who or what do you think Hank’s favourite picture book character would be, and why?

As Hank can have a bit of a destructive streak when things don't go his way, I imagine he would probably err towards someone like Rumplestiltskin. Hank would no doubt be secretly impressed with foot-stomping, hissy fit-having ways.

How did you decide what Hank and the other characters would look like?

Hank's look was determined over a period of time that saw him morph from MIchael Douglas' character in 'Falling Down', then donning a cowboy hat and roller skates, to how he finally looks in the books. Don't ask me how we got there. There's no method in his madness.

What is your favourite picture book of all time, and who would you read it with?

Of all the books I remember having as a young child, Mr Bump was probably the one I returned to the most. I wasn't necessarily a clumsy kid myself, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the little chap. I would gladly read it with anyone who had suffered a particularly bumpy day, in order to cheer them up.