COMP CLOSED | Book Giveaway | Boingo

A beautifully illustrated counting book from an internationally acclaimed storyboard artist

One day, the wind charged through the forest, and swept away Boingo’s favourite thing. His golden balloon.

Boingo and the Golden Balloon is a exquisite illustrated counting book by internationally acclaimed film storyboard artist Dylan Coburn. Dylan wanted to write a book that not only provides pure entertainment to little kids, but a story that is educational.

‘This world takes a lot of figuring out when you have just arrived,’ says Dylan. ‘I wanted to write a book that added zero-conflict to already challenging days for wee ones, a book that celebrates how awesome it is to be small and bouncy and one that offered the chance for them to learn something useful.’

‘I remembered being amazed at how my son used to wake up in the morning and immediately RUN out of bed – who does that? Toddlers do! So let’s celebrate the action of being little and bouncy and count our jumps.’

With all the jumping and counting Dylan’s hero character instinctively was a bouncy bunny. One with a name that says just that — BOINGO!

What Dylan wants the most is for kids to love spending time with Boingo and his friends. Enjoying being with Boingo will bring children back to the book time and time again.

‘If being on this journey with Boingo is something little kids want to experience with parents and caregivers, then I’ve done my job. If one day they realise the power of the theme of the book – that the journey is often more exciting than the destination — that’s a bonus!’

The road to completing the book was a long one. The most enjoyable moment being when Dylan knew it was completed at a rough drawing stage.

‘First, I have a manuscript I think is finished, then I’m ready to draw, so I thumbnail the illustrations and design the book, and following that process, I always want to go back and edit the manuscript. I go back and forth many times until the words and rough drawings are ready together as a cohesive book. This is the moment I enjoy the most. Then, the remaining part of the process feels more like follow-through — redrawing the final art, choosing fonts and laying out the book is real work. The magic happens earlier, finishing the book in its rough form is the truly magic moment.’

Preschoolers will love meeting new friends and adding numbers 1-5 with Boingo as he bounces up the forest to recover his golden balloon.

About Dylan Coburn

From Donald Duck to The Lord of the Rings and beyond, Dylan Coburn has been a professional artist since 1995. Drawing storyboards for some of the largest film/TV productions on the planet, illustrating over 30 children’s publications, making award- winning original animated and live-action films, and now writing and drawing his very own picture book.

Inspired by his son Zac’s zest for life, and the magic of the parent/child/book experience, Dylan created Boingo and the Golden Balloon for little kids anywhere and everywhere to enjoy — because they deserve it!

Auckland-based Dylan Coburn has devised sequences and drawn storyboards with some of the best Directors and Cinematographers in the lm and television industry.

Recently, in addition to supervising storyboards through pre-production & shooting, Dylan served as visual effects art director through post-production on the first season of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

He has won multiple awards for his original films. His latest short film, Fear Incarnate releases in film festivals in 2022.

Terms and conditions

1. 1. You must be a GrownUps member and receive our newsletter to be eligible to win.
   2. Competition closes on the 19th December 2022, winners will be notified via email by 20th December 2022.
   3. It is your responsibility to ensure you correctly enter a New Zealand postal address where the prize can be couriered. GrownUps will not take responsibility for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
   4. Winners are drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
   5. GrownUps employees and family are not eligible to enter.
   6. By entering the giveaway, you approve for GrownUps to use your name on social media as winner of the competition.
   7. One entry per person.
   8. Prize is non transferrable.
   9. You must reside in New Zealand – the prize will only be posted within New Zealand.
   10. You must be over 50 years of age to enter, check your details are correct in your membership dashboard.