Chinese Calendar Tales | Sarah Brennan Funny & Fabulous Blog

Rickshaw Rooster is cock-a-doodling in the Press!

January 13, 2017 at 10:59 am | Posted in Book launches, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Bookshop event, Buying my books, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese Calendar Tales, Chinese New Year, Chinese Zodiac | Leave a comment
Tags: The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster, The Year of the Rooster

Thank you Little Steps Hong Kong for featuring my latest Chinese Calendar Tale on your Chinese New Years Books for Kids list! Rickshaw Rooster is cock-a-hoop! http://www.littlestepsasia.com/hong-kong/articles/shop/chinese-new-year-books-kids

And if you want to buy your very own copy, you can come to the fabulous Book Launch at Bookazine next Saturday 21st January (remember to RSVP by writing to enquiries@bookazine.com.hk or phone 2522-1785; register on Face Book at https://www.facebook.com/events/1844568015815956/) for your very own signed copy!

Or you can purchase online too (see the Buy My Books button above)!

Join Harry Harrison and me for a Cockadoodle Book Launch on Saturday 21st January!

January 12, 2017 at 3:59 pm | Posted in Book launches, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Bookshop event, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese Calendar Tales, Chinese Zodiac | Leave a comment
Tags: Bookazine Princes Building, The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster, The Year of the Rooster

If you’re as excited as I am to get rid of that mischievous Monkey and start a brand new, fabulous Year of the Rooster, then what better way to celebrate than to come to the Hong Kong Launch of my latest book, illustrated by Harry Harrison – The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster! It’s a hilariously funny story about a noisy, cocky but very loyal Rooster who dares to take on all the foreign very-important-people at Shanghai’s Annual Race! You’re going to love it! See your official invitation below. Don’t forget to RSVP with Bookazine on enquiries@bookazine.com.hk or phone 2522-1785 or register on Face Book at https://www.facebook.com/events/1844568015815956/ as numbers are limited…

See you there with your finest feathers on!

Two fabulous days at the Discovery College Cultural Festival!

December 2, 2016 at 3:14 pm | Posted in Being an Author, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese Calendar Tales, Chinese Zodiac, Monkey story, School visits, Story Readings, Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: The Tale of a Dark Horse, The Tale of Chester Choi, The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey, The Tale of Pin Yin Panda, The Tale of Rodney Ram

A big THANK YOU to all my fabulous friends at Discovery College for inviting me for two wonderful days this week as part of their fantastic annual Cultural Festival! We had six funny and educational story readings from my Chinese Calendar Tales series, with the Grade Ones meeting Chester Choi, the Grade Twos laughing along with Pin Yin Panda, the Grade Threes having a frolic with Rodney Ram, the Grade Fours falling in love with my noble Dark Horse, and the Grade Fives and Sixes saying a fond farewell to Ming Kee Monkey in my last Ming Kee Monkey story readings for the Year of the Monkey! Huge thanks to my dear friend and talented teacher librarian host Leanne Sercombe for looking after me so well! See you all next year!

Come and see us at the Conrad Christmas Fair today!

November 29, 2016 at 7:45 am | Posted in Being an Author, Book Fairs, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese Calendar Tales, Chinese Zodiac | Leave a comment
Tags: The Tale of Rickshaw Rooster

Christmas is coming!! If you want to stock up on the Chinese Calendar Tales you can come and buy them today from 10am to 8pm at the Conrad Christmas Fair in Pacific Place! We’ve even got the new title for next Year of the Rooster! We’ll tell you what Zodiac year applies to your lucky intended recipient – making our books a perfect gift (and a fun taste of China) for all those kiddies, nieces, nephews, husbands, wives, grandpas and grandmas overseas! And I’ll be here all day to say hello and to sign your purchases for you! See you soon!

Ming Kee Monkey visits Think International School!

November 28, 2016 at 6:29 pm | Posted in Chinese Calendar Tales, Clever Competitions, Hong Kong Schools, Monkey story, workshops | Leave a comment
Tags: How to Write a Riveting Story, The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey

A big thank you to PYP Co-ordinator John Urquhart and librarian CK Tam at Think International School for hosting me today at their beautiful new Cheung Sha Wan campus, in three fun sessions! First all the Grade 4 to Grade 6 kids heard my Tale of Ming Kee Monkey – with LOTS of fabulous Q & A afterwards – then we had two workshop sessions, where everyone learned How to Write a Riveting Story! It was busy, and a lot of fun. I look forward to your entries in my next Clever Competition!

Thank you NACIS for a fabulous day!

November 9, 2016 at 12:21 pm | Posted in Chinese Calendar Tales, Shanghai schools, Story Readings, workshops | Leave a comment
Tags: NACIS Shanghai, The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey, The Tale of Pin Yin Panda

pin-yin-panda-in-the-fabulous-nacis-hall-nov-2016

introducing-the-kids-to-my-ram-bear-nacis-nov-2017

booksigning-with-a-cute-cat-nacis-nov-2016

Big thanks to librarian Julie Zhu (pictured with me above top right), Head of Primary Charlotte Moore, and all the other wonderful staff and students of Nord Anglia Chinese International School in Shanghai, for a great day yesterday! I hugely enjoyed meeting you all, and introducing you to my Chinese Calendar Tales and my Dirty Stories! We had story readings of The Tale of Pin Yin Panda and The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey, then two fabulous workshops with Grade 5 and Grade 6, discovering How to Write a Riveting Story. And then I met lots of lovely students to sign their books – with over 400 books sold!! A very warm thank you to the staff who helped to make the visit such a success. I look forward to meeting you all again next year!

Ming Kee Monkey creates mischief at WISS!

November 7, 2016 at 9:05 pm | Posted in Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, children's literacy, Chinese Calendar Tales, School visits, Shanghai schools | Leave a comment
Tags: Chinese culture, Chinese history, competitions, Halloween, The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey

Today Ming Kee Monkey and I – and all the other Chinese Calendar Tales beasties – had a fabulous day at Western International School Shanghai! We had three fun story readings, where everyone from the Grade Ones to the Grade Fives heard The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey and all the scrumptious history behind it! Here I am above with my lovely hosts, Head of Libraries Fiona Collins on the right, and Primary Librarian Isolde Rosevear on the left, who looked after me beautifully all day! I can’t wait to read all the WISS entries in my Horribly Hilarious Halloween story competition!

Thank you Wellington College International Shanghai!

November 6, 2016 at 7:54 pm | Posted in Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese Calendar Tales, Shanghai schools | Leave a comment
Tags: Wellington College International Shanghai

A big thank you to the wonderful Pippa Jacobi and her assistant Bo Bo for making me so welcome at Wellington College International on Thursday. I had a great time introducing the kids to my Chinese Calendar Tales characters (including my stuffed toys with the bears in disguise!) in 3 fabulous story readings. I hope to see you all again soon! Photos to come!

Four funny and fabulous sessions at BISS Puxi!

November 1, 2016 at 8:12 pm | Posted in Books about Chinese Zodiac, Chinese Calendar Tales, Shanghai schools, Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Tags: BISS Puxi, The Tale of a Dark Horse, The Tale of Chester Choi, The Tale of Pin Yin Panda

Warm thanks to my friend Liz Wood at BISS Puxi who hosted me today in four fun Chinese Calendar Tales sessions with the Grade Ones, Grade Twos, Grade Fours and Grade Fives! The Grade Ones met my hungry Chinese dragon in The Tale of Chester Choi; the Grade Twos learned all about the Legend of Lord Buddha’s Race and why pandas aren’t in the Chinese Zodiac when I read them The Tale of Pin Yin Panda; and the Grade Fours and Fives took an exciting trip along the Silk Road with The Tale of A Dark Horse! We all had a lot of fun, and learned some fantastic Chinese history and folklore along the way! See you all again soon!

A Fabulous Day at SUIS Hongqiao!

October 31, 2016 at 6:00 pm | Posted in Children's Chinese Zodiac Books, Chinese Calendar Tales, Monkey story, Shanghai schools, workshops, Writing competitions for kids | 2 Comments
Tags: Chinese history, Halloween, SUIS Hongqiao

My Shanghai schools tour kicked off to a wonderful start today at Shanghai United International School in Hongqiao with the fabulous Grade 4 students! After a fun story reading, where I introduced the kids to The Tale of Ming Kee Monkey and the fascinating 7th century Chinese history behind it (not to mention The Legend of the Monkey King written 9 centuries later!), we had two writing workshops about story planning, full of handy hints about How to Write a Riveting Story! I was very happy to hear that loads of SUIS kids intend to enter my Horribly Hilarious Halloween Story Competition – I can hardly wait to read their stories! Huge thanks to the lovely Shelly Nasseri, Head of English, for being such a warm and welcoming host.