ACHUKAblog
My First Snow Children is a lively abridgment of the traditional classic The Story of the Snow Children. Presented for the first time as a beautiful board book for very young children, it includes all of Sybille von Olfer’s original art-nouveau illustrations, sympathetically adapted to fit the new format.
Vivian French is the winner of the 2018 Outstanding Achievement Award from Scottish Book Trust. Find out more about Vivian’s work, her school visits and her efforts to support emerging illustrators in this video! [unfortunately not embeddable, so do click the link]
The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.
The Branford Boase Award recognises a debut children’s author and their editor and was set up in memory of the outstanding children’s writer Henrietta Branford and the gifted editor, Wendy Boase, Editorial Director of Walker Books. They both died of cancer in 1999.
The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition aims to find and encourage writers of the future, something Henrietta Branford was always keen to do.
The 2018 competition is open now and anyone under the age of 19 can enter. Entrants are invited to complete this story begun by last year’s winner, author of Beetle Boy, M. G. Leonard:
‘The map had led us to an old wall covered with ivy. I reached through the leaves till I was touching the bricks and felt my way sideways. The wall continued three paces then changed from the rough touch of fired sand to the smooth damp texture of rotting wood. We pulled the evergreen curtain aside. Beneath it was a hidden door. I grabbed the heavy iron ring handle that was riveted to the ancient wood and twisted it with both hands, hoping the door would open.’
The story should be no longer than 1000 words, must follow on from the starter paragraph, and have a title. All entrants must live in the UK and be under 19 years of age. Entries will be judged by Prue Goodwin, consultant and lecturer in children’s literature. She says: ‘We are looking for stories that keep the reader wanting to know what is going to happen from beginning to end, are imaginative and unpredictable, and are written with a genuine reader in mind’.
Six winners will be invited to attend the Branford Boase Award celebration party in London in July. There they will meet M. G. Leonard and the authors shortlisted for the 2018 award as well as editors, publishers, agents, and other professionals in this field. They will receive a copy of each of the books shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and be able to have their books signed.
The closing date for the competition is Saturday 21 April 2018.
Full details are available on the website:
http://www.branfordboaseaward.org.uk/HBWC/HBWC_current/henriettabranfo1.html
If you peep into the night sky and see the Moon and twinkling stars, you’re peeping right out into space! Lift the flaps and peep through the holes in the pages to discover the planets in our solar system, see astronauts on the International Space Station and find out what else is in space in this board book from Usborne.
The board book edition of the bestselling rhyming story, jam-packed with the silliest of animals, with sales soaring over 140,000 copies, will have the youngest of readers in fits of laughter.
This fabulously quirky group of characters is introduced to younger readers in these toddler friendly board books from the internationally bestselling, award-winning author/illustrator, Oliver Jeffers, creator of How to Catch a Star and Lost and Found.
When Paddington Bear goes to the beach, nothing goes quite according to plan …especially when, one by one, he is joined by ten hungry seagulls. With a focus on pre-school counting.
Meet the clever Border collie puppy, the sleepy grey seal and the hairy Highland cow in Scotland’s countryside. This bright board book is packed with lively images and simple, clear words.
From the creator of the iconic picture books The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Forgetful Cat, comes a brand new story about joy, parties…and crocodiles!
Board book version of this now classic illustrated book in which different coloured crayons write letters to Duncan, the boy who uses them.