Have patience, my friends!
May 7, 2023 at 3:03 pm | Posted in Clever Competitions | Leave a commentTags: The Tale of a Rogue Rabbit Writing Competition, The Year of the Rabbit, Writing Competitions for Kids

It’s been a week since the deadline of Tale of a Rogue Rabbit story competition and I know, I know, you’re impatient to see the results! I’m having such fun reading your entries, and the results are cooking!! I promise it won’t be long now! Hang in there!!
Just 5 days to go!
April 26, 2023 at 4:27 pm | Posted in Writing competitions for kids | Leave a commentTags: The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of a Rogue Rabbit Writing Competition, The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit, Writing Challenges for Kids

Hop to it my friends! Just 5 days to go to get your entry into my Tale of a Rogue Rabbit writing competition! You can find all the information you need here!
I’m so excited to read your story!
Just 2 weeks left to submit your Tale of a Rogue Rabbit!
April 15, 2023 at 4:53 pm | Posted in Clever Competitions, Writing competitions for kids | 1 CommentTags: Ira Nair, The Tale of a Rogue Rabbit Writing Competition, The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit, The Year of the Rabbit, Writing Competitions for Kids

If you haven’t yet submitted your entry for my Tale of a Rogue Rabbit Writing Competition you’d better get hopping! You can find out all the information you need here. I can’t wait to read your entry!
And in the meantime, one of our fabulous entrants is so impatient to find out the winners that she wrote a special poem about it! I thought it was so clever, I had to let you all see it! Thank you Ira Nair for this poem, which made me laugh out loud!
Tick tock
Waiting and waiting.
I look out the window,
I peer through the door.
I stare at my phone,
My patience is no more.
I play with my sister,
I play with my friends.
I play with my family,
Until the deadline ends.
Waiting and waiting.
My stomach excited,
My heart beating fast.
My head going wild,
For the results- at last.
My eyes getting tired,
My mind feeling bored.
I’m getting impatient,
I can’t wait no more.
Waiting and waiting.
While I might be tired,
While this isn’t fun.
While my patience is low,
I shall wait till the deadline is done.
Patience is crucial,
I shall have to wait.
Patience is crucial,
Even when some are late.
Waiting and waiting.
I check my emails once,
And check them once more.
Looking out the window,
Peering out the door.
No need to be impatient,
Keep steady- just wait.
Watch the clock tick,
Until the ending date.
Waiting and waiting.
By Ira Nair
Four fabulous old friends in Hong Kong
February 25, 2023 at 11:40 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools | Leave a commentTags: Glenealy School, How to Create Bookworms in the Digital Age, How to Publish a Picture Book, Stamford American School Hong Kong, The Kellett School Kowloon Bay, The Kellett School Pok Fu Lam, The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit
Tuesday 7th February: Glenealy School, Mid-Levels
My tour of Hong Kong schools kicked off with a morning at my old friend Glenealy School, with two fun sessions with Years 1 to 3, then Years 4 to 6, reading The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit and explaining all the scrumptious Chinese history behind the story, of Qin Shi Huangdi, the raiding Xiong Nu tribes to the north and why the Great Wall of China was built! My huge thanks to librarian Gisele Stones for inviting me, and for the fabulous pictures below!
Wednesday 8th February: Kellett School, Pok Fu Lam Campus
The next day, I visited Kellett School’s Pok Fu Lam Campus, where the Receptions to Year 2s heard my Tale of Rhonda Rabbit, the Year 3s to Year 6s learned How to Publish a Picture Book from Brilliant Idea to Final Product, and I spent a fantastic hour with a lovely group of Kellett parents discussing How to Create Bookworms in the Digital Age. We had fabulous Q&A throughout all three sessions. Prep librarian Emily Wong was a superb host – thank you for your warm welcome Emily!
Thursday 9th February: Kellett School, Kowloon Bay Campus
The next day, I repeated the same fun program at Kellett School’s Kowloon Bay Campus. We had fabulous Q&A throughout, and I can confidently say that I have never fielded so many questions about ISBNs in my How to Publish a Picture Book session before! What an outstanding lot of enquiring young minds! Thank you so much Teacher Librarian Jamie-Lee Wedderburn for being such a wonderful host!
Friday 10th February: Stamford American School Hong Kong
The week ended with a lovely afternoon with my old friends at Stamford American School Hong Kong in Ho Man Tin, with an all-ages-welcome story telling session of The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit, and a great session on How to Publish a Picture Book with a lot of students AND their parents! That was great fun, and we had a very interesting Q&A afterwards! Director of Marketing and Admissions Lisa Olinski was a fantastic host – thank you as ever, Lisa, for your warm and enthusiastic welcome.
At last, a report on my Hong Kong/Taiwan Schools tour!
February 25, 2023 at 10:59 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools, Taiwan Schools | Leave a commentTags: Hong Kong/Taiwan Schools Tour 2023

I’m back home in France after two fantastic weeks in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and after battling off the inevitable post-tour cold virus, I’m very excited to report on my trip!
But first, a eulogy for my old home Hong Kong! It was so wonderful to see it again, after 2 and half years absence, not to mention the inability to travel due to that old enemy of ours, Covid 19! Hong Kong was my home for 22 years, and the place where my two girls grew up, and I’ve missed it dearly. It was such fun to be back in the bustle of the Island and the New Territories, and while it was clear that many expats have left in recent years, the spirit of Hong Kong, with its energy, inventiveness and drive, still lives on. So here I blow it a kiss, send it a hug, and promise that I’ll be back again soon! Read the following posts to find out what I did over the last fortnight and see some fun photos!
Alas! I’ve finished my school visits in Taiwan!
February 16, 2023 at 9:48 am | Posted in Taiwan Schools | Leave a commentTags: Morrison Academy Taiwan, National Palace Museum, Taiwan, The Chinese Calendar Tales
I’ve had another WONDERFUL WEEK this week, visiting Taiwan for my very first time! I’ve criss-crossed the country, visiting all 3 campuses of the outstanding Morrison Academy, over 3 busy days. And today, I have the very special opportunity to visit the National Palace Museum here in Taipei – a wish that’s been sitting on my Bucket List for YEARS! I cannot wait to see some of the imperial treasures of China, from the ancient dynasties which feature in my Chinese Calendar Tales! I’ll make sure to post some pictures soon!
And as soon as I get back home to France, I’ll be posting a full report, with photos, of my fabulous two weeks back here in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Watch this space!
Oh what a week that was! And a fun event up ahead!!
February 12, 2023 at 7:31 pm | Posted in Events, Hong Kong events | Leave a commentTags: Bookazine Princes Building, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit

Well, I’m officially EXHAUSTED but so HAPPY! I’ve had the most wonderful week visiting schools in Hong Kong, and am absolutely overwhelmed with the warm welcome back, and the amazing book orders! In fact, there were so many book orders to pack that I haven’t had a moment to post about my visits…and now I’m in Taiwan to visit three more schools!
I’ll be posting as soon as possible with some great photos of each visit. But in the meantime, here’s a fun event you can come along to, just before I fly back to France! I’ll be reading from The Tale of Rhonda Rabbit, then my friend Suzanne Younan, who writes the fabulous Green Dragon series, will be launching her latest book, and then we’ll BOTH be teaching you how to make some pop-up animal puppets … which can be rabbits or dragons or monkeys or a bit of them all! How very confusing!
And Harry Harrison will be there too to say hello! He might even have a fabulous colouring-in sheet for you to take home!
I look forward to seeing you there!
Hellooooo Hong Kong!!
February 6, 2023 at 10:18 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentI’m back – sadly just for a week to visit 4 fabulous schools before heading off to Taiwan for a week, but don’t worry, I’ll be back again :)! It’s SO wonderful to be here again – Hong Kong was my home for 22 years, and was where my daughters spent their entire childhood! Walking the old familiar streets and passing so many familiar places is so bittersweet. I LOVE HONG KONG!!
Tomorrow I start my school visits. I can’t wait! See you all soon!
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