More fab photos from Desmond Dog’s Woofy Launch Party on Saturday!
February 12, 2018 at 12:56 pm | Posted in Being an Author, Book launches, Bookazine Princes Building, Bookshop event, Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Books about Chinese Zodiac, Chinese New Year, Harry Harrison, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Year of the Dog
Many thanks to Bookazine Events Organizer Manon for these lovely photos!
Here’s Harry Harrison and me before the launch!
Here’s our fun book reading with some avid fans!
My gorgeous daughters Bea (left) and Annabel (right) have been holding up the pictures for the last 14 years now! Thanks Bea and Annabel!!
A busy book-signing!
Harry and the Quiz, me and Harry – and the man himself with his fabulous book covers!
My wacky daughter Annabel continuing her annual ritual of a finger-signing by Harry and me!
A touching gift from an old(ish) fan!
February 11, 2018 at 5:56 pm | Posted in Book launches, Canadian International School Hong Kong, Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Books about Chinese Zodiac, Books about pandas, Books2Eat contest, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Pin Yin Panda
I was so very touched yesterday when the Fox family attended my launch yesterday, and Jess, who is now a very glam teenager (pictured above right some 6 years ago and below left) presented me with the lovely thank you note on the left! Jess and her sisters Liliana and Emerson had made a Pin Yin Panda cake from The Tale of Pin Yin Panda for the Books2Eat contest at Canadian International School way back in 2012, and their mum sent me their cute photo. All three (plus mum) were out in force to support the launch yesterday – the sisters are here below! We all teared up when Jess gave me her gorgeous note! Thanks Jess! Fans like you make my life very happy!
A Wonderful Woofy Book Launch in Hong Kong!
February 11, 2018 at 5:31 pm | Posted in Book launches, Bookazine Princes Building, Chinese New Year | Leave a commentTags: Bookazine Princes Building, Ganymede P/L, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
On Saturday afternoon Harry Harrison and I launched our latest Chinese Calendar Tale, The Tale of Desmond Dog, at Bookazine in Princes Building – our 14th annual book launch together since 2004! Huge thanks to the brave parents and kids who came along notwithstanding the primary school closures on Thursday due to the flu epidemic! And thanks also to Mr KK Mok, our excellent printer from Zhongtian Colour Printing (HK) P/L, who kindly sent me this great photo.
After I gave a fun story reading, Harry entertained us all with his usual quiz for one and all from 3 years old and up. Then as the crowd enjoyed snacks and delicious drinks generously supplied by Heidi Walsh at Ganymede Ltd, Harry and I signed books purchased by our lovely fans! Many thanks to Bookazine for hosting another fun event for us! Many more photos to come!
My interview with Noreen Mir, RTHK3!
February 9, 2018 at 8:02 pm | Posted in Book launches, Bookazine Princes Building, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese New Year, Radio interviews | Leave a commentTags: 1 2 3 Show, Chinese history, Chinese New Year, Ching Shih, Hong Kong, RTHK3, The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
This afternoon I had a wonderful chat with Noreen Mir at RTHK Radio 3 on the 1 2 3 Show all about my new book The Tale of Desmond Dog, the amazing history of Hong Kong and notorious pirate queen Ching Shih behind it, and, of course, the official launch of Harry Harrison’s and my book at Bookazine, 3rd floor, Princes Building, tomorrow at 2pm! You can listen to it here !
And don’t forget to come along! There’ll be a fabulous story reading, a fun quiz with some great prizes, laissee with yummy coins, bookmarks, snacks and drinks for everyone! Be there, or the Red Flags will come and get you – aha me hearties!!!
Woof! Just 5 days to go till Desmond Dog’s Launch in Hong Kong!
February 6, 2018 at 9:39 am | Posted in Book launches, Bookazine Princes Building | Leave a commentTags: The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, remember to let Bookazine know you’ll be there! Harry, Desmond Dog and I can’t wait to see you!
Come to the Hong Kong launch of Desmond Dog!
January 29, 2018 at 7:40 pm | Posted in Book launches, Bookazine Princes Building, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Bookshop event, Story Readings | Leave a commentTags: Bookazine Princes Building, Chinese Calendar Tales, Chinese history for kids, Ching Shih, Stories about Chinese Zodiac characters, The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
If you’re in Hong Kong on Saturday 10th February, then come and join Harry Harrison and me at the Hong Kong launch of our latest Chinese Calendar Tale, The Tale of Desmond Dog! It’s a true Hong Kong story, set in the fishing village of what we now call Aberdeen, with a noble dog, a wicked pirate queen and lots of pirates and treasure! It’s for kids from 4 to 12 years old – and for anyone who loves dogs, Hong Kong, and Chinese history!!! I look forward to seeing you all there! And remember to RSVP to Bookazine at the number/email address on the invitation above!
Desmond Dog’s Beijing launch at the Bookworm Cafe was fabulous fun!
January 28, 2018 at 8:16 pm | Posted in Beijing, Book launches, Bookshop event, Bookworm Cafe Beijing | Leave a commentTags: Bookworm Cafe, Chinese Calendar Tales, Chinese culture, Chinese history, Chinese Zodiac, The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
Desmond Dog and I had fabulous fun this afternoon at Beijing’s famous Bookworm Cafe! A lovely bunch of kids, mums and dads came to hear The Tale of Desmond Dog and all the scrumptious Chinese history behind the story! Then we had a fun quiz with questions for everyone from 2 years old to some really ancient ages :), with toy dog prizes, and finally a book signing! It was wonderful to meet such an enthusiastic crowd who love their Chinese history just as much as I do! Huge thanks to Peter Goff, and his lovely assistants Zoe and Nancy, for hosting me today – I look forward to working with the Bookworm Cafe again when I return to Beijing in March for the Literary Festival!
And thank you Zoe for these fabulous photos of the story reading…
and the book-signing…
and last but not least, some new friends!
Peter Goff, owner of the Bookworm Cafe! I wonder if you can guess which animal family in the Chinese Zodiac Peter belongs to, and which one I belong to?
Sima and Nicky Tebbutt and their lovely parents Tatjana and Dan from Ukraine and
Australia (together with “their” animals of the Chinese Zodiac)…
The marvellous creators of the Heckerty series (about that crazy green witch Zanzibar and her adventures), Allan Davidson and Jan Ziff! Here, my dragon Billy Boy is trying to eat Zanzibar, but gives up in the end and lets Zanzibar fly him away! I think they’re going to be firm friends too!
Hey Beijing kids! What are you doing this Sunday?
January 25, 2018 at 8:42 pm | Posted in Book launches, Bookworm Cafe Beijing, Buying my books, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books | Leave a commentTags: Beijing bookshops, Bookworm Cafe, Ching Shih, Hong Kong, The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
The Year of the Dog is around the corner, and I’ll be at the famous Bookworm Cafe at Building 4, Nan Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District at 1.30pm on THIS SUNDAY for the Beijing launch of my latest Chinese Calendar Tale, The Tale of Desmond Dog! It’s all about a noble dog, wicked pirates, and a little fishing village called Hong Kong! Come along to hear me read my story! Here’s your official invitation! I can’t wait to see you there!
WOOF! Introducing The Tale of Desmond Dog!
January 14, 2018 at 4:58 pm | Posted in Book launches, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Buying my books, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese New Year, Online Sales | Leave a commentTags: Chinese Zodiac, Great children's books about Chinese culture, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Desmond Dog, The Year of the Dog
Helloooo everybody and a very Happy New Year to you all! I hope that you had a wonderful festive season full of good fun with your families, and, of course, that you read a whole lot of fabulous books!
Speaking of which…here is the newest member of The Chinese Calendar Tales family, out just in time for the Year of the Dog! It’s full of fun verse, a terrifically exciting plot and Harry Harrison’s wonderful illustrations, as wacky and witty as ever!
It’s 1810, and infamous pirate queen Ching Shih and her Red Flags are terrorizing the South China Sea. Enter Desmond Dog, hero of the fishing village of Hong Kong! He’s noble, honest and kind, and loves to help others. But he’s also strong, daring and brave, with an excellent nose… in fact, he has the makings of an excellent pirate! Will Desmond be lured into a life of crime? And what will become of Ching Shih and her crew? Find out in this exciting tale of trickery, temptation…and treasure!
Don’t forget to buy your copy in your local bookshop OR you can order it online here right away!
And if you’d like to come along to the funny and fabulous Hong Kong launch of The Tale of Desmond Dog, make a note in your diary for Saturday 10th February at 2pm at Bookazine in Princes Building, Central. I’ll be posting your official invitation on this blog soon!
A Fabulous International Holiday Writing Challenge: The Wonderful Whale Haiku Competition!
June 19, 2017 at 1:09 pm | Posted in Book launches, Buying my books, Clever Competitions, Storm Whale | Leave a commentTags: Allen & Unwin, Books about whales, Clever Competitions, Haikus for kids, Jane Tanner, Storm Whale, Wonderful Whale Poem Competition
Don’t you just love whales? These beautiful giants of the deep are so intelligent and wise, and they’ve lived at peace in their watery world for many thousands of years, in a way that we silly human beings simply cannot seem to manage up here on the earth! And many of you will know that my new book with Australian publishers Allen & Unwin, called Storm Whale, illustrated by the award-winning Australian artist Jane Tanner, has just been launched in Melbourne! So to celebrate these beautiful animals – and Jane’s and my beautiful new book – I thought it was high time that we celebrated these wonderful animals in a Wonderful Whale Haiku Competition!
The competition is open to any kid of Primary School age, anywhere in the world.
You’ve got lots of time for this one: the deadline is Saturday 30th September 2017, so you can have a lovely time over your upcoming holidays thinking about whales and writing your poem!
Go to my Clever Competitions page above for all the rules and requirements!
And if you love the illustration above, and want to purchase your own copy of our new book, just click on the link here: http://www.chinesecalendartales.com!
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