Building up to Children’s Book Week

August is always a frantic time for anyone involved in the world of children’s books – school visit requests build up towards book week, there are literary festivals, book launches, bookshop signings and National Bookshop Day to name a few. Very exciting for us all and very busy.

Last Monday, with a group of lovely friends and fellow creators, we visited Buxton Primary School for their annual Yea Marc Literary Festival where we shared our words (in pictures for Marjory Gardner and Mark Wilson) with students from Jamieson, Merrijig, Strathbogie and of course Buxton.

Saturday was National Bookshop Day and I had the pleasure of visiting Fairfield Bookshop and then Collins Booksellers/ABC Shop in Croydon where Harry helped me sign copies of both Bob the Railway Dog and Little Dog and the Christmas Wish. One special surprise was meeting a lovely lady who sent me a photo of Queenie (ages ago) which features her mum as a baby. (Incredibly special for me.)

Monday I whizzed in and out of Kalinda Primary School to read Queenie to a group of 120 very well-mannered 6 and 7 year olds. They are doing a unit on treating animals with respect and caring for them, so Queenie One Elephant’s Story was the chosen text.

I plan to hide away for the rest of the week and brace for the coming few.