"Mike delivers everything you could want from a picture book - wit, originality, endearing characters and delightful storytelling. He is a true talent and a star in the ascendance."

"The book was part of the diploma project for the MA. I'd decided that I was going to force myself to draw animals, as I don't draw them very often. The story came out of me looking at rabbits and thinking that what they'd most like is a field full of carrots... This led to the idea of making it a kind of allegory of the credit crunch, but written for children, and hopefully adults could get something from it too. There is a small character in the story who wonders why everyone's falling for it, a bit like the child in the Emperor's New Clothes story. The pictures were all done in gouache and pencil (not computer!)."

"Telling stories is a bit like information design: you're trying to get something across in the clearest way. The MA has been great in helping me develop a way of drawing that is true to me, and not contrived. I think the emphasis on drawing is really important."

"Like many students on the MA Children's Book Illustration programme, Mike works professionally in the design field but is looking to explore his own creative potential further. He is a natural storyteller and is full of original ideas. 'Edward Hopper' evolved as the banking crisis deepened and it works brilliantly on many levels. It's perfectly understandable by children as a simple story of greed but will also resonate with adults. Cambridge School of Art has had many MacMillan award winners over the years but I have to say that Mike's book is one of the most original that I can remember."