Fun sessions at Sau Ming Primary School in Hong Kong!
December 17, 2021 at 4:00 pm | Posted in Zoom visits | Leave a commentTags: Sau Ming Primary School, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Chester Choi, The Tale of Run Run Rat, The Tale of Temujin, Wiseman Education
Many thanks to Clement Chung and Richard Chan (above) at Wiseman Education for inviting me to present 6 sessions to the gifted kids of Classes 2E, 3E and 4D at Sau Ming Primary School in Hong Kong! Class 2E listened to The Tale of Chester Choi, about a hungry and lonely Chinese Dragon; Class 3E heard about a superfast and clever rat in The Tale of Run Run Rat, and Class 4D enjoyed The Tale of Temujin about a tiger who was just like Genghis Khan! Then they answered some tricky puzzles about rhyming words, some cunning questions to test how much they remembered the story, and then we did some predicting about what happened next! We all had a lot of fun! I hope to see you all again soon!
Well done Reva!
June 29, 2021 at 8:56 pm | Posted in Discovery College, Writing competitions for kids | Leave a commentTags: Books about Chinese history for kids, Books about Chinese Zodiac, The Tale of Run Run Rat, Writing competitions for primary school kids
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!
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 commentTags: Books about China for kids, Books about Chinese Zodiac, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Oswald Ox, The Tale of Ping Pong Pig, The Tale of Run Run Rat
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!
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!
Run Run Rat zooms into Glenealy School in Hong Kong!
November 3, 2020 at 8:51 pm | Posted in Hong Kong Schools | Leave a commentTags: Books about China for kids, Books about Chinese Zodiac, Glenealy School, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Run Run Rat
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!
Watch our fab session at the HK Young Readers Festival today!
June 10, 2020 at 2:48 pm | Posted in Bookazine Princes Building, Chinese Calendar Tales, Events, Harry Harrison, Hong Kong events, Hong Kong Young Readers Festival 2020, Shatin Junior School, Video, Virtual visits, Zoom visits | Leave a commentTags: Harry Harrison, Hong Kong International Literary Festival, Hong Kong Young Readers Festival 2020, The Tale of Chester Choi, The Tale of Run Run Rat
If you just missed Harry Harrison and my fabulous video and Q and A session with the kids of Shatin Junior School Grade 3 today, you can listen here! It was so much fun! You can find out all about why and how we created the Chinese Calendar Tales, from first idea to final Boxed Set! You can even watch Harry as he draws from preliminary sketch to final painting! Thanks to Catherine Platt, director of the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, for this fantastic event! And to lovely moderator Julia Kuehn; James Ryan, cub reporter, for his fabulous questions on our video; Annabel Cohen (my daughter!) for the fantastic filming and editing; Bookazine for their brilliant offer of 15% off all the Chinese Calendar Tales this June; Hugh Beames and Karen Middleton of Shatin Junior School; and Joseph, our tech advisor and supporter!!
Hello to the Sisterhood of Readers at Salwan Public School, Delhi!
June 9, 2020 at 3:58 pm | Posted in benefits of reading books, children's literacy, girls' education, Indian schools, Salwan Public School, Delhi, Sisterhood of Readers, workshops, Zoom visits | Leave a commentTags: Girls' literacy, Hong Kong International School, Salwan Public School, Delhi, Sisterhood of Readers, The Tale of Run Run Rat, The Tale of Sybil Snake, The Tale of Temujin
Thank you to principal Rasshmi Malik of Salwan Public School, Delhi, for inviting me to visit her wonderful school this morning, in association with the Sisterhood of Readers, the brainchild of Ahaana Subberwal of Hong Kong International School here in Hong Kong! After telling the students all about how I became an author and the vital importance of reading lots and lots of books to a happy, healthy and wealthy life, I read my story The Tale of Run Run Rat. And then we had a terrific Q and A session, with some really interesting questions from the kids! I look forward to many future visits to this inspiring school!
Below see Ahaana Subberwal and some members of the Sisterhood of Readers with my book The Tale of Sybil Snake – a tale of female empowerment if ever there was one!
And here are some of the younger members, with The Tale of Temujin!
I’m judging the Rascally Rat Tale Competition now – and having such fun!
May 1, 2020 at 5:13 pm | Posted in Challenges and activities, Clever Competitions | Leave a commentTags: Stories about Chinese history for kids, Stories about rats, The Rascally Rat Tale Competition, The Tale of Run Run Rat
Phew! The judging of the Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020 is done and dusted, and now I’m judging my Rascally Rat Tale Competition!! And I’m having so much fun! Thanks to the fabulous writers from Hong Kong, Melbourne, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney for sending in such terrific stories – and for their patience! The results will be out soon!
The Results are out in The Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020!
April 28, 2020 at 2:56 pm | Posted in Asia Society Hong Kong, Challenges and activities, Hong Kong events, illustrators, The Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020 | Leave a commentTags: Asia Society Hong Kong, Harry Harrison, The Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020, The Tale of Run Run Rat, The Year of the Rat
Hooray! The results are out in The Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020!
And we’ve had so much fun judging the entries! A grand total of 55 primary school aged kids registered, and we were excited to see so many entries flooding in before the deadline date! The standard was really high too! It’s great to know that so much talent is alive and well today among our amazing young students! Hearty congratulations to all of you who completed this exciting challenge!
Extra congratulations to the Super-Challenge entrants who completed all the challenges, and to the clever kids who took our hint (you must complete at least ONE Special Challenge) and completed more of them to lift their scores!
And huge thanks to Harry Harrison for the use of all his fabulous illustrations from The Chinese Calendar Tales as well as his contribution of our fabulous Mystery Prize for the Super Challenge!
PRIZE WINNERS:
GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST ENTRY:
A Boxed Set of the Chinese Calendar Tales (RRP HK$1199) PLUS Free Family Membership of Asia Society Hong Kong for a year (Value HK$2500)
Grades 1 to 3 Category
Equal first: Clement Leung and Yvonne Yang
Grades 4 to 6 Category
Dhairya Mitesh
PRIZE FOR COMPLETING CHALLENGE:
Congratulations to everyone who completed this Challenge! We think you are brilliant! You will ALL receive FREE STUDENT MEMBERSHIP of Asia Society Hong Kong for a year (Value HK$300). Asia Society HK will be in contact with you shortly.
PRIZE FOR BEST SING! VIDEO:
The best 10 SING! Entries will be invited to perform LIVE at a special event at Asia Society Hong Kong later this year!
Winners: Only 7 entrants were brave enough to undertake this category, so in order of merit, all of them are listed below!
Clement Leung, Dhairya Mitesh, Yvonne Yang, Sofia Graham, Gabrielle Hon, Noelle Lui, and Natalie Hon.
PRIZE DRAW FOR ALL COMPLETED ENTRIES:
The first 10 names drawn from all completed entries will each receive a FREE copy of The Tale of Run Run Rat by Sarah Brennan and Harry Harrison (RRP HK$99), PLUS a free copy of Once in a Life – Encounters with Nara by Asia Society HK Center (RRP HK$280) PLUS free family entry to an Asia Society event to be advised.
Winners: Noelle Lui, Advait Deshmakh, Charis Chan, Mavis Leung, Megumi Yano, Natalie Hon, Kavi Deshmakh, Alina Hsu, Hana Yano, Maisy Leung.
MYSTERY PRIZE FOR BEST SUPER-CHALLENGE ENTRY:
The BEST entry showing completion of ALL 20 CHALLENGES will receive THE ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE GREAT YEAR OF THE RAT CHALLENGE 2020 above, signed by the artist Harry Harrison and inscribed with the entrant’s name (RRP HK$5000)!
Winner: Sofia Graham
Congratulations once again for taking part in this fabulous Challenge! You can find photos of some of the best entries received in each category here as well as some of the fantastic SING! Videos on our Facebook page.
Hang in there, all you fabulous competition entrants!
April 27, 2020 at 5:09 pm | Posted in Challenges and activities, Clever Competitions, Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020 | Leave a commentTags: A Rascally Rat Tale Competition, Books about the Chinese Zodiac, Sarah Brennan's Clever Competitions, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020, The Tale of Run Run Rat
Run Run Rat from The Tale of Run Run Rat, illustration by Harry Harrison
Hang in there my friends! We are SO nearly there with the results for two great competitions:
The Great Year of the Rat Challenge 2020 and my A Rascally Rat Tale Competition!
I promise the results will be published here on my blog REALLY SOON!
Story Reading with Asia Society Hong Kong – The Tale of Run Run Rat!
April 20, 2020 at 3:30 pm | Posted in Asia Society Hong Kong, Video, Year of the Rat | Leave a commentTags: Asia Society Hong Kong, The Chinese Calendar Tales, The Tale of Run Run Rat, Video story reading
Hooray! You can listen to me reading The Tale of Run Run Rat in this very special story reading for Asia Society Hong Kong here!
Enjoy!
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