A STOURBRIDGE based musician has taken some time out from his rock band to illustrate a children’s book about an elephant called Flo and a tiger called Teddy.

WEAK13 frontman Nick J Townsend, who works at Stourbridge’s Base Studios, has always had a passion for art and kept a promise he made at college that he would illustrate his friend’s first children’s book.

He has now completed artwork for free for pal Louise E. Lench’s Flo and Teddy books - and he is now helping to find the £3,000 needed to publish the series, which is aimed at two to five-year-olds.

Nick said: “This book is in the hands of the public, they can bring these two characters to life by pledging towards this book.

“They can find Flo And Teddy details on floandteddy.co.uk and this is a great story for children and I know a lot of dedicated parents will agree.”

Louise was inspired to write children’s literature by her two-year-old son after she grew tired of buying books that she found distasteful and not very calming to a child’s mind.

Louise said: “Nick was fantastic to work with on this, he has an unrivalled imagination perfect for bringing my characters to life."

Nick added: “In my youth, the pictures in a children's book were always closely bonded with the story, it's another window into the author’s imagination and I made sure Louise was completely happy with the development and look of Flo and Teddy.”

He said he would sit doodling in Stourbridge coffee shops, during his lunchbreaks at Base Studios and at Stourbridge train station and he added: “I based some of the landscapes I illustrated on locations in and around Stourbridge town parks.

“It was quite a relaxing way of drawing for me. I like to add realism to my illustrations and the beautiful town of Stourbridge is perfect.”

Nick and already have £1,000 worth of pledges for the series and each person who helps fund the publishing, will receive books, clothing or artwork.

Louise is also donating books to Children in Need with each pledge.

For more information visit floandteddy.co.uk