Murphy the Gnome to star in children’s books

What started as a student prank in the summer of 2008, has led to a garden gnome becoming a celebrity with his own series of books.

When law graduate Simon Randles, took a lone garden gnome from a Gloucester garden, he took it on a seven month tour of the world, recording the gnome’s journey by camera through Africa, New Zealand, Australia and South-East Asia.

On his return to the UK, Simon returned the gnome to his owners along with a photograph album of the gnome’s holiday.

Murphy the Gnome’s owners, Eve and Derrick Kelso, loved the gnome’s epic journey so much that they created a series of children’s books based on Murphy’s adventures.

Children’s author Gordon Volke has been commissioned to write the stories which will include 24 books.

Whilst the books are intended to entertain, education will remain at the heart of the story, which will feature different cultures, languages and places of interest around the world.