This week is parent involvement week at my daughters daycare. I thought I would take the opportunity to test one of my manuscripts out on a class full of children (25 4-5 yr olds). This was a little daunting as the book doesn’t have illustrations yet and at that age, as we know kids are very visual. I was so amazed by the children’s response to my story, Our Trip into Town, and they quickly demanded another one (very flattering). It is a class with a lot of boys, so I thought a nice scary story with a shark would be a good follow on, and they sat riveted as I told the story of Alfie the very cheeky fish. Then they demanded more 🙂 so I pulled out Dancing in the Kitchen, a story about growing up, which they also really enjoyed. They still demanded more! but alas I’d only taken the three stories with me. It was so nice to see their reaction and afterwards, they were all so keen to tell me which was their favourite and what they liked best. I’m so glad I plucked up the courage to go, and can’t wait to read these stories to a wider audience!

Never a truer word!

Honesty is My Policy: Publishing is Not “Neat”.

Children’s Book Week Giveaways: May 13 to 19.

“It’s so evocative … for me that story brought back images from my childhood and is wonderful, so wonderful”Linda Motram, ABC Radio

A short excerpt:

First we saw a man looking neat in his suit,

except he had chewing gum stuck to his boot.

Next was a lady looking ever so smart,

but I’m sure in her hair she had a piece of jam tart.