Schools Round Up - part 1

For many weeks - in fact months - I have been hoarding some wonderful creations, sent or given to me by children. Mostly these are the result of school visits, something I've done a huge amount of this last year or so. But the first thing I want to share come from a school in Scotland, as a result of children watching the Authors Live event, which was almost exactly a year ago. Kellands school, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, watched the broadcast and the children all then created their own illustrated books, which they printed and sold copies of to raise money for the school library.

What a fantastic way to reinforce the symbolic value of books to children. I visit many primary schools that no longer have any sort of library at all (a national disgrace!!!), so this really pleased me. And I emphasised the word illustrated, as my talk was indeed "Author AND Illustrator Live" and as much about image as it was word and I truly believe that they are of equal importance.

I love the abandonment with which children create their stories. Just the titles are brilliant: "Beware of the Evil Robot". There's no messing about is there? I wish I still had that childlike directness! Thankyou so much to all the children who made these books! Oh, and you can still watch the film if you click on the link on the panel to the right...

WATCH OUT for more schools round up posts in the next few days...

More Naxos CDs...

A second series of Naxos Children's Classical Cds are now available, with informative booklets riddled with illustrations from my very own paintbrush. There are now eight in the series... and the new titles are: My first Lullaby Album, My First Tchaikovsky Album, My First Ballet Album and My First Violin Album. They are all available at a budget price and feature top quality musical performances from the enormous award-winning Naxos catalogue. The tracks have been carefully selected for children and are a great way to start enjoying classical music - especially if you can't get to my live concerts with orchestras. Naxos and I are currently working together to create digital apps of all the tracks with many new pictures that will move as the music plays on your iphone. I'll keep you posted on how this develops - my first foray into the digisphere!

POP UP Friends: Spring has sprung

The Pop Up Festival organisation, who do such admirable work arranging festivals and events for children, have set up a brand new scheme called Pop Up Friends. By joining, you will be contributing to the Pop Up's far reaching programme which brings stories and books alive for over 5000 children a year.

As an incentive, four artists are creating images, loosely linked to the four seasons. Subscribers will have the opportunity to get their lucky paws on these prints by signing up.




I'm honoured to have created the first of these prints: Mad Hares, for Spring. Here you can see the process... and the final piece. I chose to create a lino cut as this is something I've recently revived and have fallen back in love with. I have a lot to learn... but it will be an exciting adventure and I'm proud that the first fruits of my labour will support such a great cause.

For more information, visit:

http://pop-up.org.uk/

Walled Garden Festival

On Sunday May 20th I'll be taking part in the first ever Walled Garden Children's Book Festival at Luton Hoo, near St Albans. I'm thrilled to be asked, not least as I've never seen the Capability Brown gardens (which once rivalled Kew Gardens). What a lovely setting for a book festival! I hope it takes off and becomes a regular feature... Please come along and support it if you can!

Amongst others appearing, are Jonathan Stroud and Cressida Cowell, and events start at 10 am and go right through to 5pm in the afternoon. I'm on pretty early: 10.20. Not sure what I'll be doing just yet. I'll have to try to think of something suitably special for the occasion!

For more information on the day, visit the WALLED GARDEN WEBSITE

http://www.lhwg.org.uk/ChildrensFestival.html