A Piggy Reminder!!
January 19, 2019 at 9:50 am | Posted in Book launches, Bookazine Exchange Square | Leave a commentTags: Books about Chinese Zodiac, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Year of the Pig
Ping Pong Pig is singing very enthusiastically at the top of her lungs today to remind you to register for her funny and fabulous Launch Party! It’s next Saturday at 2pm at Bookazine Exchange Square, Shop 305-07 One Exchange Square Central! You can just turn up…but it would really help planning if you would register first! Here’s the link! Just put Ping Pong Pig Launch in the subject box and say how many people are coming!
Here’s a reminder of all the fun we’re going to have!
A fabulous Thursday at ICHK in Hong Lok Yuen!
January 18, 2019 at 3:26 pm | Posted in Chinese New Year, Hong Kong Schools, ICHK HLY, Story Readings | Leave a commentTags: Admiral Zheng He, Beijing, Forbidden City, Hongwu Emperor, Stories about Chinese Zodiac characters, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, Yongle Emperor, Zheng He, Zhu Di
Yesterday I introduced Ping Pong Pig to the gorgeous kids of International College Hong Kong in Hong Lok Yuen! They learned all about the founding of the Ming Dynasty by the extraordinary Hongwu Emperor; his wily fourth son, Zhu Di, who became the third Ming emperor when he stole the throne from his nephew; and the remarkable achievements of his reign including the building of the Forbidden City in Beijing and the treasure ships of Admiral Zheng He, whose seven voyages over the Indian ocean included three to Africa! Here I am above with six keen Grade 6 students, including library leaders, and below with lovely teacher librarian Charlie Beard who hosted me for the day, as well as all my zodiac toys! Thank you ICHK for making me feel so welcome again!
Ping Pong Pig visits the brand new Malvern College Hong Kong!
January 18, 2019 at 10:31 am | Posted in Chinese New Year, Hong Kong Schools, Malvern College Hong Kong, Story Readings | Leave a commentTags: The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Chester Choi, The Tale of Pin Yin Panda, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Year of the Pig
On Tuesday this week, I was honoured to be the very first author to visit Hong Kong’s brand new Malvern College HK, set by the Science Park just by Tolo Harbour and Tai Po! It’s a beautiful school, with lots of space and light, which opened in September last year, and it already has hundreds of very keen students! The Prep 1s met my lonely dragon in The Tale of Chester Choi; the Prep 2s met cheeky Pin Yin Panda and all the animals of the Chinese Zodiac in The Tale of Ping Pong Panda, and the Prep 3s to 6s all met my latest addition to the Chinese Calendar Tales, my plump and pretty Ping Pong Pig! It was a fabulous day! Thanks so much to my wonderful hosts Ryan Dempsey, head of Library, and deputy librarian Karen Potts, pictured in the library above!
Ping Pong’s First Day at School in Hong Kong!
January 17, 2019 at 6:20 pm | Posted in Chinese New Year, Hong Kong Schools, Kingston International School Hong Kong, Story Readings | Leave a commentTags: The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Year of the Pig
On Monday this week, Ping Pong danced in to visit all my old friends (and young!) at Kingston International School in Kowloon Tong! There were story readings for everyone, from Grade 2 to Grade 5, and lots of fun for everybody! Thank you Jade Engelbrecht for being such a fabulous host!
Ping Pong Pig gets an early start to her Year!
January 17, 2019 at 6:07 pm | Posted in Book launches, Chinese New Year, Hong Kong events | Leave a commentTags: Bookazine Exchange Square, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Year of the Pig
Ping Pong Pig got an early start to her upcoming year this week! She’s visited three wonderful Hong Kong schools with me and all her fellow Chinese Calendar Tales beasties – and we all had SUCH fun! Keep visiting this page for all the photos and news – and don’t forget to register your name for Ping Pong’s funny and fabulous Book Launch at Bookazine Exchange Square on Saturday 26 January at 2pm by clicking on the link here!
Say hello to our beautiful new Boxed Set!
January 10, 2019 at 6:17 pm | Posted in Bookazine Exchange Square, Boxed Set, Buying my books, Hong Kong events, Literary Festivals, Online Sales, School visits | Leave a commentTags: Book launch, Bookazine Exchange Square, Boxed Set, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Year of the Pig
Well, after 13 years of publishing, we have finally finished the Chinese Calendar Tales! And we’re celebrating with this beautiful Boxed Set!
And what a fabulous 13 years it has been, ever since the publication of The Tale of Chester Choi way back in 2007! Little did Harry Harrison or I know then that this tale of a hungry, lonely dragon living by the South China Sea would be the first in a big series devoted to all the animals of the Chinese Zodiac!
Nor that the Tales would take me around the world visiting schools and literary festivals from Hong Kong to Edinburgh, Sydney to Shanghai, London to Singapore, Byron Bay to Beijing, Cambridge in England to Hobart in Tasmania and more!
Nor that I would meet such amazing fellow authors at Literary Festivals around the world such as Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler’s List and dozens of award-winning Australian novels; Tony Ross, Korky Paul and Francesca Simon, English authors of The Little Princess, Winnie the Witch and Horrid Henry series respectively; Witi Ihimaera, New Zealand author of the legendary Whale Rider; a host of famous Australian children’s authors and illustrators including Jane Tanner, Suzanne Gervay, Morris Gleitzman, Graeme Base, Leigh Hobbs, Tristan Bancks and Glenda Millard. And many other international authors, too many to list here!
Nor that I would meet Lord Christopher Patten in his office at the House of Lords and a day later, meet the Edinburgh Zoo pandas in their new home in Scotland! Nor that I would meet classrooms by Skype in Los Angeles and Western Australia; nor that I would meet young writers in countries as far away as India, South Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom in my writing competitions!
It’s been a fantastic ride – albeit a roller coaster sometimes – and it’s hard to believe that the series has now come to an end.
And the great news is that now all my followers and fans can purchase a beautiful Boxed Set of all the Chinese Calendar Tales at a very attractive price! Click the link here to find out more!
And remember to come along to the launch of our final Tale, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig as well as our beautiful boxed set at 2pm on 26th January at Bookazine Exchange Square! You can register for this free event at this link!
Happy 2019! And a special date for your diary!
January 5, 2019 at 10:39 am | Posted in Book launches, Bookazine Exchange Square, Buying my books, Chinese New Year, Hong Kong events | 2 CommentsTags: Bookazine Exchange Square, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Books about the Year of the Pig, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, Year of the Pig
A very Happy New Year to all my lovely followers! I hope that Father Christmas brought everybody all they wished for, and that you look forward to your best year yet!
Speaking of which…here is the BEST POSSIBLE way to celebrate Chinese New Year, which is just around the corner, and of course the new Year of the Pig! Our annual launch party will be the BIGGEST and BEST ever, because this year, we’re launching our very last Chinese Calendar Tale in the Chinese Calendar Tales series, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig!
You’re going to love our feisty little Pig! She’s kind, she’s pretty, she loves to dance and sing…and she’s also VERY tasty! Everybody loves her, but the problem is, the mighty Yongle Emperor loves PORK even better! Come and listen to me read her funny, exciting story, set in Ming Dynasty China in the brand new Forbidden City, and then watch Harry Harrison draw his amazing pictures! And of course, you can buy your very own copy and have me and Harry sign it!
And this time, it’s a costume party! So if you come dressed up in a costume for your year of the Chinese Zodiac, you’re in the running for a fabulous new Boxed Set of Chinese Calendar Tales as first prize, worth HK$1199! Wow!
NB Please note that this year’s launch is at Bookazine Exchange Square NOT Bookazine Princes Building, as we’re expecting a big crowd!
All the details are on the invitation above, and don’t forget to RSVP on this link or by calling 2542 1133!
And if you want to purchase your very own copy of my new book to read Ping Pong’s story before her big day, just click here right away!
A fun day at the Il Mercato Christmas Fair in Pok Fu Lam!
December 3, 2018 at 4:04 pm | Posted in Books about Chinese Zodiac, Buying my books, Christmas Fairs | Leave a commentTags: Il Mercato Christmas Fair, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig
On Saturday my lovely office manager Shilpa and I had a fun day out with our table of Chinese Calendar Tales at the Il Mercato Christmas Fair in Sandy Bay, Pok Fu Lam! The market was magnificent! And at our table, we met lots of lovely fans from Kennedy School and Peak School and their mums and dads! Below you can see some of them: the two on the left are at West Island School now, but still remembered my books from their primary school days – it was great to say hello! And the young man on the right was riveted reading my new book for next year, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig!
The Results are out in my Perfect Pet Poem Competition!
November 18, 2018 at 4:36 pm | Posted in children's literacy, Clever Competitions, poetry, Poetry competitions for children | Leave a commentTags: Perfect Pet Poem Competition, Sarah Brennan's Clever Competitions, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Desmond Dog
Desmond Dog rescues a cat in The Tale of Desmond Dog! Illustration by Harry Harrison
Thank you all so much for your wonderful entries into my latest Clever Competition! And what a lovely time I’ve had reading about your Perfect Pets! There were 48 fabulous entries this time, from 15 different schools in 7 cities on 4 different continents! There were entries from Melbourne in Australia; from Shanghai and Zhuhai in mainland China; from Hong Kong; from Chicago and San Diego in the United States of America, and, for the first time, from Colombo in Sri Lanka! There were real pets, like cats, hamsters, pigs and a red panda! There were fantastical pets, like dragons, seahorns and snickerdoodles! Most were cute and cuddly, some were downright scary! But most of all, there were DOGS – to which, as a dog lover myself, I can only say of course!
Special congratulations to Hannah Thompson, of Grade 3, Methodist Ladies College, Melbourne, Australia, who won the Grade 1 to 3 Category in the competition, and Madeline Painter of Grade 6, South Middle School, Illinois, Chicago, USA, who won the Grade 4 to 6 Category. They each win a signed copy of one of my books sent to their school for presenation in assembly. Well done girls!
Go to my Clever Competitions Page right away to read all the fantastic place-winning entries!
Which little pig is coming to market?
November 14, 2018 at 4:27 pm | Posted in Bookazine Festival Walk, Bookazine Princes Building, Buying my books, Christmas Fairs | Leave a commentTags: Bookazine Princes Building, Conrad Christmas Fair, Harry Harrison, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Year of the Pig
There’s a tasty little pig coming to a market near you any day now! Yes, it’s Ping Pong Pig, in her very own special story for next Chinese New Year, about her amazing adventures in the Forbidden City in Beijing! You can see her, with the cunning Minister of Most Important Things, in the picture above – the Tale has been illustrated by the wonderful Harry Harrison yet again and you’re going to just love the whole book! The Tale of Ping Pong Pig will be available online soon here, as well as in Bookazine shops in Hong Kong and at the Conrad Christmas Fair by next week! So make sure you add that tasty little porker to your Christmas list!
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