A book featuring previously unseen works by the late Peter Woolcock is set to be launched next Friday at the Bermuda National Gallery.

Woolcock’s Wonders includes a number of children’s illustrations, including drawings from three unpublished children’s books — The Early Days of -, Pandora’s Pets and A New Bestiary for Children — one unfinished fourth book, The Mad Dog, and a series of illustrated nursery rhymes. Prior to his death late last year, Mr Woolcock had been working with the Bermuda National Gallery for a retrospective of his work which would have included the art.

“These were his passion,” said Gallery curator Sophie Cressall.

“When we first went to Peter about the exhibition, these were the pieces he showed us and he was most interested in showing through the exhibition. He said he would love for the whole exhibition to be about his children’s works.

“This is why we really wanted to honour that in this book. Of course, we were only able to do this with the support of his family, specifically his daughter Diana and son Robin.”

The unpublished works included in Woolcock’s Wonders showcase a variety of styles, with The Early Days of - presenting a colourful take on history and A New Bestiary tackling the rhyming creativity reminiscent of Dr Seuss.

“Peter wanted to have these works published but unfortunately never managed to accomplish it in his lifetime,” Ms Cressall said. “We feel that it is only fitting to publish these works for Peter. Every story and each illustration is a gem that should be shared with every adult and child in Bermuda. We can all in some way identify with the characters that Peter has created.”

The book will be published in a limited run of 1,000 — matching the limited runs of Mr Woolcock’s popular Woppened series — and are set to sell for $30.

Meanwhile, the Bermuda National Gallery will open an exhibition of Mr Woolcock’s work early next year, highlighting illustrations from the artist’s entire career, his time serving in the Second World War, and even a drawing done when Mr Woolcock was a teenager.

Asked if she felt the book would be a fitting tribute to Mr Woolcock’s legacy, Ms Cressall said it was just a start. “This is just a small part of the immense character, personality and talent of Peter Woolcock,” she said. “This book is a small token to celebrate Peter’s talent and passion in creating children stories.

“He was an incredibly important figure in the political arena in Bermuda — documenting decades of Bermuda’s politics during a time that was revolutionary.”

The formal book launch will take place on December 18 at the Bermuda National Gallery in City Hall between 11am and 1pm.