TALES ON MOON LANE BOOKSHOP EVENT

Tales on Moon Lane bookshop display

Bit nervous this morning as no Alex to charm and delight the kids with his wonderful drawings, stylish threads and lovely self…

However, my daughter baked some utterly delicious cookies instead:
"Mum", she said, "Trust me. The best talks have a treat at the end!"
"But we've got Activity Sheets…" I muttered.
"You can't eat those…" she said
She was right, of course.

LONDON CALLS PEARL & OYSTER COOKIES©

The kids were fantastic and ranged from babes in arms up to 12 year olds: the bookshop was packed. They knew their stuff, too…

We even learnt a fact about Nelson's column: did you know that it's the length of his ship?

Some inspired drawings of bus passengers included:

1. A giraffe so tall his head poked out of a hole in the roof, who sported an umbrella similar to Granny Rose's

2. A carrot, dog & cat

3. Someone's dad

4. A bus driver with both hands on the wheel (excellent health & safety)

5. A rabbit that struck more than a passing resemblance to an alien

6. A tiny weeny magic door…

7. Some brilliant self-portraits

London Calls magic bus! Engine! Police!

Thrilled with the super-size illustrations from The London Print Studio - just a bit stressful sticking them onto foam board and then cutting round them...Large stickers = bubbles and scary creases if you're not careful (which of course I was…)

BIG blow-up foam board-mounted London Calls stickers!

THANK YOU inimitable Tales on Moon Lane!

xx

P.S.

The London Print Studio was a revelation! Alex has just been in a group illustrators exhibition there with some other hugely talented illustrators including Okido's beautiful Rachel "Messy" Ortas, award-winning Frann Preston-Gannon and the fabulous Maggie Li.

ECO KIDS MADAGASCAR ISSUE 5 HAS LANDED!

Look what dropped through the letterbox and onto the doormat yesterday…

Learn about Lunar moths, finger-pickin' Aye-Ayes, teeny-weeny chameleons and haunted islands in the Mega-Madagascan Issue of ECO KIDS PLANET now available from newsagents including WHSmith nationwide!

 


This is a really great way to get young kids engaged with their planet by learning about the most amazing and extraordinary animals you didn't even know existed…8 pages of fun activities, too!

Lest We Forget (of what we are capable).

Yesterday, I read both a simple and very beautiful poem by Michael Rosen about the Holocaust, and a powerful, compelling article by Hugo Rifkind. 

I posted the article on Facebook where it has received no response apart from one friend. 

I find it quite strange that there has been so little on my home page about Holocaust Memorial Day, apart from the several Guardian articles. Perhaps we're a bit too used to it, perhaps FB is a place that people prefer to share proud/happy photographs.  But there was such a huge outpouring in response to the Charlie Hebdo killings that I find it almost alarming that people aren't marking this day in some way, even with a small comment or thought.

So if you've come across this, you can read the poem here: What is Racism?

And the article here: Holocaust Memorial Day 2015

The most notable point Rifkind makes is that this is specifically part of European culture; and he makes it immediate, tangible, asking us to imagine being there - what would we have done? Would we have done anything differently? This is a responsibility and a memory that is part of us all and absolutely we must not forget it. 

Lest We Forget (of what we are capable).

NEW OKIDO: "ALL ABOUT ME!"

Okido issue 33 is hot off the press & should be winging its way to subscribers and stockists as I type…

It's all about "ME" - that's "YOU, ME & EVERYONE!"

(& it's another cracker)

ECO KIDS PLANET MAGAZINE REEF ISSUE NOW OUT!

There are a whole new wave of independent magazines for kids out there! 

If you haven't yet discovered #ecokidsplanet - for kids who love amazing animals and nature and hey, this whole, fantastic planet we live on - take a look at the latest issue. 

It's all about the Great Barrier Reef...

Eco Kids planet

Magpie That blog...

What a gorgeous picturebook blog - discovered beautiful spreads from London Calls! in there…

Click on Magpie That to explore the blog...

CHANDELIER

Another stunning song.

Another stunning video.

Dance dance dance...