Jack and the keen swap

Young artist and internet star Jack Henderson has had the tables turned on him after becoming a drawing of his own.

Jack, from Prestonpans, has raised 20,000 by producing drawings in exchange for donations to the Sick Kids Friends Foundation.

His fundraising effort began with the intention of gathering just 100 via his website, www.jackdrawsanything.com, but after word spread on social networking sites he received more than 500 drawing requests from all over the world.

Among those to have heard of his artistic enterprise was author and illustrator Thomas Docherty, who created books including Big Scary Monster, Little Boat and The Lighthouse Under The Clouds.

He is currently working with the Scottish Book Trust on its Scottish Friendly Children's Book Tour to encourage children to draw and write.

The organisation asked Jack if he would draw a picture that Mr Docherty could take with him on the tour of Scottish primary schools to inspire other youngsters.

Jack elected to draw a picture of Mr Docherty, who was so impressed by his effort that he decided Jack deserved to be drawn himself.

He created a full-colour illustration of the young artist standing on a snow-capped mountain, holding a giant pencil, from the tip of which are sprouting some of the things he has drawn, including an elephant, a yacht, a bird and a rocket.

Mr Docherty said: "When I heard about this I thought it was a brilliant idea.

"I had a look at Jack's website and what he is doing is truly inspiring. I was honoured to take part in some small way and do a portrait of him."

In exchange for the picture drawn by Jack, the Scottish Book Trust is to donate a box of children's books to the Sick Kids hospital, which regularly treats his two-year-old brother, Noah, for chest problems.

Jack's father, Ed Henderson, said his son was delighted by the drawing swap.

He said: "He gets so excited by things he falls over. He was really happy. One thing he likes is when people put bits of his own drawings into their drawing.

"It's win-win for everyone - we get the drawing, the Scottish Book Trust gets their drawing and the Sick Kids get a box of books."

Chris Newton, children's events manager for the Scottish Book Trust, said: "We thought it was such a great project. We wanted to help and support it and had the idea that, rather than donating money - which we don't have a lot of - we do have lots of books, so we could donate some of them."

A selection of Jack's drawings is to be published by Hodder Children's Books in October.

The book deal makes him the publisher's youngest-ever signing and a share of the proceeds will go to the Sick Kids.