This author is also participating in our Primary to Secondary School transition project.  See more videos and project materials from this author here…

Author and storyteller

I was born and grew up in Blackpool, Lancashire. At university, I studied Drama and English, going on to run drama workshops for children.

I live in Brixton in South East London, one of the cross-roads of our world where many cultures and peoples meet and an ideal place from which to travel into the world of story.

I have published books for children from zero to young teens.

Children’s Novel
Dragon Racer - Catnip Publishing 2008
What is happening in ‘the dragon caves’ under Brixton, Brighton and Blackpool? And what does it have to do with Joanna Grace Morris, or JoJo for short, and why does she need an egg turner? Dragons can be chatty and fast, sleek and tolerant, nasty and bad losers. Is a Silver Back better than a Crimson Flame or a Jewel?

Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain
Shota and the Star Quilt - Winner of the PAPA gold medal USA
Masha and the Firebird - Winner of the English 4-11 Awards 1999
Chanda and the Mirror of Moonlight - Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway medal
Leah’s Christmas Story is published by Lion Books.

I tell stories in schools, libraries and many of our museums, including the Victoria and Albert, the British Museum, the Foundling Museum and I am one of the team of storytellers for the Horniman Museum.

I also work with Sure Start and Children’s Discovery Centre, Tooting, bringing books, stories and songs to preschool children and their carers.

Workshops

I am both an author and a storyteller working in the oral tradition and I like to reflect both these aspects in a school visit. I prefer to work with one class at a time, but understand in a double or multiple form entry school this is not always possible.

After a brief introduction about myself I show the children my books, and then I put them away and tell one of the stories. After the telling we then re open the book and look at the pictures and I can talk briefly about how I came to write the story, its publication, drafting work etc. I set up a writing task and a craft activity related to the story. Then there is a question and answer time. Depending on the time available and size of the group the children may start the writing task or the craft activity. I like to leave a range of activities for follow up.

The following is a rough guide to the types of activities available.

Dragon Racer
A Creativeworkshop based on my book Dragon Racer (8-13years) called The day I met a dragon

Suitable for Reception-Year 6

Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain
Country: China
Craft: Paper cutting
Writing: Creating my own dragon

Suitable for Year 1-Year 6

Masha and the Firebird
Country: Russia
Craft: Designing an egg (or for the brave) a papier-mâché egg
Writing: Creating my own egg

The following workshops are more suitable for Years 5 and 6Shota and the Star Quilt
Country: USA /Lakota
Craft: Paper Collage star quilt
Writing: Fallen from a Star

Chanda and the Mirror of Moonlight
Country: India
Craft: Making a picture frame
Writing: The Magic Mirror

Reception and nursery children

I am  very happy to work with your early years foundation classes  using either my book Five Little Ducks went out one day - where we all discover just where those little ducks went on their day out (a new version has now been reissued with a CD story and songs) - or an interactive traditional tale full of actions and rhymes.