Accidents, acetate and an amazing book

Go to any author or illustrator event, and a question that nearly always gets asked is “Where do you get your ideas from?“. It’s like the holy grail, especially for young children who may be aspiring book creators themselves – they are understandably keen for advice on where to locate that imagined treasure store of [...]

How happy is your Christmas tree?

Do you put up a Christmas tree each year? Real or synthetic? For weeks or just a few days? Have you ever thought about the journey your tree (whatever sort) has made to be in your home? If you’re looking for a Christmas tale with more substance than just sparkly stars and gaudy baubles, The [...]

Chaos, sex, death and a wonderful, wonderful children’s book

A beautifully written book rich with themes encompassing teenage identity, sexuality, gender, possible mental health issues, ageing, intergenerational friendship and death Fruitloops & Dipsticks by Swedish writer Ulf Stark packs a punch. It’s a breathtaking read full of humour, warmth, generosity and complexity that left me in tears, determined to spread the word about it, [...]

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