There was nothing funny about April Fool’s Day 2005 for Hollywood illustrator Chris Ayers. It was the day he was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukaemia, a vicious form of blood cancer.

Even less humourous were the months of “mouth sores, extreme fatigue, fevers, chills, hair loss and bone pain“ that followed as the 36-year-old underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant.

But after a year Chris had an idea that would have him, thousands more, and a class of pupils in Enfield smiling.

“Though I was feeling nearly fully recovered, physically I realised that I still had some work to do, especially on the emotional and mental levels,“ explains Chris, who has designed characters for Men In Black II and Fantastic Four.

The brainwave? Draw an animal, every day, for a whole year.

“I hoped this would challenge my imagination and self-discipline but most importantly,“ explains Chris, “after enduring a terrifying and arduous battle with cancer, I hoped it would provide me the focused opportunity to celebrate the gift of each healthy day by doing something I’ve always found to be rewarding: making art and nurturing my creativity.“

The result is two books The Daily Zoo and The Daily Zoo: Year 2. There’s a third on its way, My Daily Zoo, which opens with a story by a Wilbury Primary School teacher Des Hegarty.

Des was so inspired by Chris’ story he decided to share it with his Year Two class. The father-of-one encouraged his pupils to draw an animal a day of their own, and create a gallery of their efforts.

“I really wanted to involve the children in what he’s done,“ explains the 37-year-old. “I wrote a story with my wife Kerry, all in Dr Suess-type rhyme and performed it in assembly to relate him to the children.“

This first draft of The Amazing Mr A was emailed over the Atlantic for Chris’ perusal.

He liked it. It had him smiling from ear to ear. It would work perfectly as the introduction to My Daily Zoo.

“I could’ve got it so wrong,“ says Des, “I didn’t want to trivialise it, I was worried he would see it as off-hand.”

Chris says: “I could tell from the first email that creative juices and a strong sense of humour ran thick in Des’ blood.

“It was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped it would be. It told the story simply yet beautifully and with humour and fun as well.“

With a thumbs up from Chris’ publisher, Des’ story is being used as the foreword for the new book, joining the ranks of Lost, Cloverfield and Star Trek producer/director JJ Abrams, who wrote the foreword for the original The Daily Zoo.

“My wife and I are amazed he’s asked us to contribute,“ says Des. “Let’s face it we’re hardly Hollywood! We’re barely Enfield Cineworld at best, and that’s only if we get a babysitter...“

Chris adds: “I really believe that creativity is “contagious“ in the sense that one person’s creative output can often inspire others and it goes on and on. Creativity certainly was oozing out of Des before he picked up The Daily Zoo, but it has been fun to see how he has added his own creativity and imagination to create something new.“

My Daily Zoo is out on May 15. Chris’ website www.chrisayersdesign.com

On YouTube: A school assembly provided the first outing for Des’ Gus Gus You Are A Superstar – a story about a gorilla who wanted to be a West End star. A film of the story, starring Des, has been created to help raise awareness for Children with Leukaemia.

View it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePrPdDYaOQw