It’s time for a writing competition about TIGERS!

February 2, 2022 at 6:40 pm | Posted in Clever Competitions | Leave a comment
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From The Tale of Temujin, written by me and illustrated by Harry Harrison

It’s a brand new Year of the Tiger, and what better way to celebrate than a story writing competition for primary school aged kids around the world! So if you’re (a) a kid, (b) primary school-aged, (c) living somewhere on Planet Earth and (d) someone who loves writing stories, this competition is the one for you!

This time, your story must include:

  • a ferocious tiger
  • a Chinese princess
  • a wise silkworm
  • an inquisitive hawfinch (and if you don’t know what that is, you’ll have to look it up!)
  • a magical pepper grinder
  • a terrible famine
  • the colour aureolin (and if you don’t know what that is, you’ll have to look it up as well!)

Now if the first four characters sound a lot like the characters in The Tale of Temujin, you’d be right! But your story must be completely different to my story, thank you very much!!

You can start right now, and the deadline is Sunday 23rd April. So that gives you a whole ten weeks to get your stories in! Go to my Clever Competitions page right away to find out all the details!

R-O-A-R-R-R! Temujin the Tiger is back!

February 1, 2022 at 5:47 pm | Posted in Chinese New Year, The Year of the Tiger | Leave a comment
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Kung Hei Fat Choy!!

It’s the Year of the Tiger, and my favourite big cat Temujin is marauding again! Just like his namesake, (that boy Temujin who fought his way to becoming Genghis Khan), he’s munching his way through Mongolia right now, before turning towards China, with its magnificent masterpiece the Grand Imperial Palace (or the G.I.P for short!). But wait – who is that grumpy looking Royal Princess in the picture? And will she become just another toothsome morsel…or has Temujin finally met his match? You’ll have to read the story to find out!

A photo from a fabulous fan!

July 6, 2021 at 9:36 pm | Posted in Fabulous fans!, Favourite kids' books | Leave a comment
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Don’t you just love this photo? Here’s Glynnis, who has just this week received The Tale of Oswald Ox and The Tale of Rodney Ram in the post! Her mum, who very kindly sent me this photo, tells me that Glynnis has read the books already, and now she (her mum) is reading them to her again at bed time! Now that’s what I call a fabulous fan! Thank you so much to Glynnis’s mum for letting me post this photo on my blog!

Well done Reva!

June 29, 2021 at 8:56 pm | Posted in Discovery College, Writing competitions for kids | Leave a comment
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Riva with Ms Leanne Sercombe

Isn’t this a wonderful photo of Reva Kamath from Discovery College, Hong Kong, who at just 8 years old came Second Place in the Year 4 to 6 category of my Oxcellent Ox Tale Competition? Reva chose The Tale of Run Run Rat as her prize, and here she is being presented with it by PYP Teacher Librarian Mrs Leanne Sercombe. The story she chose is all about the success that comes to those try their hardest; a very appropriate choice for this talented young writer! Well done Reva! I can’t wait to read more of your work!

Maggie and Methuselah, Oswald Ox and Pin Yin Panda visit Stamford American School HK!

March 22, 2021 at 9:13 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools | Leave a comment
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Wow that was fun! On Thursday and Friday I spent seven fabulous internet sessions with my great friends at Stamford American School Hong Kong with the kids from Grade 1 right up to Grade 5! We celebrated the Year of the Ox with story readings of The Tale of Oswald Ox and the Legend of Lord Buddha’s Race with The Tale of Pin Yin Panda. We had two great sessions with the Grade 3s (who are creating their very own picture books) learning How to Create a Picture Book from Brilliant Idea to Final Product. And we had two fantastic sessions introducing all the students to the fascinating Hong Kong history and even more fascinating TRUE Hong Kong mystery featured in my new chapter book for pre-teens, The Marvellous Adventures of Maggie and Methuselah! The kids all went crazy for the World War II history in the story, and especially those real Hong Kong WWII tunnels which lie to this day in and under the hillsides of Hong Kong! Some of them even decided that they were going to solve the mystery! Watch out Hong Kong!!

Huge thanks to Lisa Olinski for inviting me, Lisa Choy for her fabulous technical supervision, and the other lovely teachers who hosted me for the sessions. It was such a treat to work with you all, and I hope you enjoyed our time together as much as I did!

Squawk! Just 16 days left in my Oxcellent Ox Tale writing competition!

March 12, 2021 at 11:20 pm | Posted in Clever Competitions | Leave a comment
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From The Tale of Oswald Ox, illustrated by Harry Harrison

The rooster from my The Tale of Oswald Ox is raising a loud alarm! You’ve got just 16 days left to get in your entry in my Oxcellent Ox Tale writing competition for primary school aged kids! So if you haven’t started writing your story, you’d better get started this weekend! You can find all the details about the competition here!

Pin Yin Panda visits Kellett School for Book Day!

February 4, 2021 at 8:34 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools | Leave a comment
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A very cute little Pin Yin Panda!

What a perfect Panda! Here is a photo of one of my lovely fans dressed up as Pin Yin Panda for Book Day at Kellett School in Hong Kong today! Isn’t she cute? Thanks so much mum Melanie for sending! And a big hello to all my fans at Kellett School – I hope you had a wonderful day!

As the Rat prepares to leave town, the Ox gets ready to move in!

January 24, 2021 at 9:34 pm | Posted in Chinese New Year | Leave a comment
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Illustrations by Harry Harrison from The Tale of Run Run Rat and The Tale of Oswald Ox

At last it’s 2021, and as the Year of the Rat draws to a close in 19 days’ time, a new Zodiac beastie is coming to town! Yes, it’s Oswald Ox, carrying hundreds of great ideas for the New Year on his back! As well, of course, as his very best friend Eleanor the Cattle Egret, who loves to keep her big buddy free of annoying flies and mosquitoes, whilst at the same time keeping herself fit and healthy by eating them for dinner! Just drag the arrows above to watch what happens when Run Run Rat follows Ping Pong Pig out of the picture, and Oswald Ox moves in!

From The Tale of Oswald Ox, illustrated by Harry Harrison

Now we all know that oxen are wise and patient animals, quietly watching as the other animals on the farm scurry hither and thither, and so often overlooked. That is, until something goes wrong – and then the good old ox moves in to solve the problem. Let’s just say that in 2021, we’ll be in better hands than last year!

And if you haven’t read The Tale of Oswald Ox, and don’t know yet how he solved a great mystery on a little Chinese farm, you can get your very own copy here!

Thank you Class 3R for your fabulous book reports!

November 11, 2020 at 11:23 pm | Posted in Glenealy School, Hong Kong Schools | Leave a comment
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I was so happy to receive 13 wonderful book reports about my book The Tale of Run Run Rat, and equally great pictures from Class 3R at Glenealy ESF School following my Zoom visit there recently! Here are just a few pictures, from Ludovic, Chloe, Samaira, Dylan, Freda, Henie, Burhan and Adhiraaj. Aren’t they fantastic?? Thank you so much, Class 3R, for making my day!

Run Run Rat zooms into Glenealy School in Hong Kong!

November 3, 2020 at 8:51 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools | Leave a comment
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Last Wednesday I had a fantastic time visiting all the kids of Glenealy ESF School in Hong Kong by Zoom! We had two fabulous sessions, from P1 to P6, where I shared my very first story in the Chinese Calendar Tales series, The Tale of Run Run Rat, in a fun story reading, complete with those extremely naughty Chinese crickets Yin and Yang!

And right in the middle of my session with P1 to P3 the village bells here in my village in France rang out the 7am carillon, and I was able to open the shutters so the kids could hear it! It was a truly magical moment! A big thank you to the lovely Gisele Stones, primary librarian, for inviting me!

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