Taking bookings NOW for 2024
Short 30 to 40 min Zoom visits for schools.
What is an author illustrator? My studio. Why frogs are AMAZING and a reading from my Bug Belly books. New for 2023 &'24 Frog Life Cycle with downloadable fact sheets and activities. Please email hot.frog@me.com to discuss what is possible and the event can then be tailored to your needs and circumstances.
Summer Reading Challenge 2024
September 2024 I was invited to hand out the awards at this year's SRC event at Dodworth Library, my local library, and one of the loveliest little libraries in Barnsley. It was so well attended with lots of noisy, enthusiastic readers. Well done to all.
Z Arts Manchester
Saturday 15th June was the Festival of Libraries FUN DAY at Z Arts in Manchester. My first time visiting this hive of creativity. The place was buzzing with crafts and readings and events in every nook and on every floor.
I read from Bug Belly and had my illustrations projected onto the biggest screen ever. Then onto the floor and hands on drawing Sneaky Snake and learning about textures and rubbings.
I was very pleased to meet fellow author Joan Haig who was down from Edinburgh to read from her book The Tiger Skin Rug.
World Book Day 2024
On WBD, March 7th, I was invited to the wonderful St Marie's Catholic Primary School in Fulwood, Sheffield. Close enough to visit in person - Hurray! We had a great time checking out rainbow coloured frogs, patterned frogs, see-thru frogs and even ... INVISIBLE FROGS!!
Then we met the smallest and the most enormous LARGEST frogs in the world. Afterwards we split to a classroom and talked about frogspawn with real live tadpoles in a tank. The morning ended by us drawing some baddies, Sneaky Snake to be precise. Oh and of course, a Bug Belly story reading. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope the children did too.
Barnsley Book Festival
February 2024 and Barnsley held its first ever Book Festival. I was proud to participate with a Bug Belly story and craft session. We took over Roundhouse Library in New lodge and attendees enjoyed a story read with giant artwork spreads. Then together we learnt how to draw baddies. The specific eyebrow and mouth movements that can give so many different expressions. And finishing with using rubbings for snake scales texture and colouring a hanging spiral Sneaky Snake mobile.
Preston Schools Zoom visit
In January 2024, I was proud to be invited to talk to a group of KS1 classes in and around Preston. My Lancashire Brilliant Book Award led to this interest in Bug Belly. We had a great time looking at frogs in every colour of the rainbow. Some see-through frogs and even some INVISIBLE frogs! And then after we'd seen the largest and smallest frogs in the world, there were some great questions at the end.
Visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
October 2023, had a great day as part of National Literacy Trust's GREAT GREEN READ. I was invited to Potteric Carr Wildlife Reserve in Doncaster, to meet three different classes. They listened to me reading from Bug Belly and then tried out some Sneaky Snake drawings and crafts.
Summer Reading Challenge
September 2023, at my local library in Dodworth, South Yorkshire, I presented these fantastic Summer Reading Challenge readers with their awards. Some had read over 100 books this summer for the challenge! Amazing and WELL DONE!!!
 |
| Summer Reading Challenge readers in Dodworth Library |
STORY TIME at Worsborough LibrarySeptember 2023, I read from Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble and showed some giant artwork spreads. A huge thank you to everyone who came and especially to Katie for helping me show the illustrations. Afterwards we coloured in some Bug Belly puzzle sheets. And thanks to everyone who bought the books.
FEED BUG BELLY at Hoyland
February half term 2023 I took the Bug Belly road show to my 'local' library in Hoyland, South Yorkshire. This wonderful library had a make-over last year and boasts a gigantic 3D ELMER the elephant amongst other children's books goodies. We had a great afternoon reading and looking at giant Bug Belly artwork. Then we coloured in some bugs and the children enthusiastically helped to feed Bug Belly. And he was VERY grateful. Thanks to all who came and all who bought the books.
FEED BUG BELLY at Lindley
30th August 2022, we had a live Bug Belly event in the wonderful Children's Bookshop in Lindley, West Yorkshire. Around 12 kids with grown ups crammed in to listen to readings from Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble. Then we made some delicious looking colourful bugs, and we finished with a 'FEED BUG BELLY game. I can proudly say that the big green frog was very happy with the results.
I'd love to come and run a Bug Belly session at your local bookshop, please get in touch.
FEED BUG BELLY at Barnsley Library
On 27th July I was joined by around 20 little tadpoles to enjoy book reading, artwork sharing, bug colouring and cutting out. All ending in a wonderful finale game of FEEDING BUG BELLY!
Thanks to Lucy at the library for some of these photographs.Here's how it went, I had a really great team of bug colourers and Bug Belly feeders. Thanks to all who showed up.
SAVE THE FROGS WORLD SUMMITI was honoured to make a brief appearance on this year's Save the Frogs World Summit speaker list. Broadcast live to 38 countries! I presented a short section from the first Bug Belly and then showed, and spoke about, some froggy resources that I have created. A bit of a novelty and a break from the serious frog conservation agenda. But hopefully Bug Belly is playing a small part in raising awareness of nature conservation in general and a love for frogs in particular.
2 Zoom visits to Worsborough Common Primary 27.1.22
had another double class Zoom visit today to Classes 6 and 5. We chatted about frogs and then checked out the frog's life cycle and saw how only 2% ever make it to become a little froglet. Thank you @WCPSc2026
↑ And look at these fantastic drawings of Bug Belly. ↑
I can see that you really listened and understood when I was drawing.
Visits to Fossdene Primary in Grennwich 25.1.22
These double class visits seem to be popular. Helps to split the class and concentrate on those AMAZING FROGS. Thank you for a great afternoon @FossdeneSchool
Zoom visits to Hoyland Common Primary
had a great double Zoom visit to Class 1 and Class 2. This is actually my old school so it was even more special for me. We looked at some AMAZING frogs, in every colour of the rainbow. Then see-through frogs and even INVISIBLE frogs! The craft and activity sheets had been downloaded and within hours I received back some wonderfully coloured in frogs. Brilliant, thank you @HoylandCommonPS
Zoom visit to Hackwood Academy
For a late World Book Day I Zoomed into one of my Book Pen Pal schools. Hackwood Primary Academy in Derbyshire. I had a great time telling Owl Class about Bug Belly Babysitting Trouble and we looked at frogs from all over the world, including the biggest, and smallest.
And look what I’ve just received in the post! A fantastic pack of letters, questions, book recommendations and especially some brilliant drawings. Well done Owl Class you rock at drawing, I’m so pleased. Thank you.
If any other schools, yrs 1 to 3, would like my froggy Zoom show to beam into their classroom please get in touch.
Lots of resources and free downloads available too.
Contact me if you'd like to arrange a Zoom visit, or very soon, a real face-to-face visit.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Over the last 12 months I've been working with three schools in the UK as their their Book Pen Pal. We exchange letters, packs of artwork and story recommendations of books that we've all enjoyed.
It's a brilliant scheme and I've really enjoyed being a part of it.
Here is just a selection of the fantastic artwork and stories I've received so far.
Hurworth Primary School, Darlington
Hackwood Primary Academy, Derby
St Oswald's CE Primary Academy, Bradford
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
June - September 2020
We're very pleased and proud that BUG BELLY BABYSITTING TROUBLE has been chosen as one of the #sillysquad of books for 2020's Summer Reading Challenge.
So there will most certainly be exhibitions, readings and craft events to coincide with this honour.
Latest details so far.
Just before school closures I did manage to visit one local school. I had a wonderful afternoon at Gawber Primary in Barnsley with the Super Stars in year 2.
First of all we learned some amazing facts about frogs. I read from the book and then we drew tadpoles together from stencils. We then cut them out and then added them to a GIANT Bug Belly school pond frieze.
Check out the post on Gawber School's Twitter feed.
April 3rd 2020
Live book launch online & direct from my studio
Watch the full 40 min video below. But please give it a few seconds before I appear - I was setting up the 3 cameras, one for each of the social media platforms.
