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Wed
14 ^th

Isobel Lundie: How To Draw Edmund The Elephant Who Forgot

We recently shared a review of ‘Edmund The Elephant Who Forgot‘ and it was very popular indeed!

Ivy and I were extremely fortunate to get the opportunity to do a Q&A with author Kate Dalgleish (which you can read here) and the wonderful Isobel Lundie has created us our very own step-by-step guide to drawing lovely Edmund.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your kids and your colouring pencils and dive in!

Download the step-by-step guide now

We would love to see your creations. Make sure you post them on instagram and tag us @ivylibrary . We’ll share the best ones in our stories!

Sat
10 ^th

Interview: Hannah Carmona,
Author of ‘Anita and the Dragons’

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Hello Hannah! Thank you so much for chatting to me about your new book ‘Anita and the Dragons’. Could you give us a quick overview of what the book is about?

Hi Shelley and Ivy, wonderful to chat with you! Anita and the Dragons is about a young girl named Anita who lives in the Dominican Republic. She watches the planes come and go from her island, which she refers to as dragons. One day the time comes for her to face the dragons and leave the island she loves. It’s a story of bravery and finding the power within.

What inspired you to write this story?

It was inspired by my mom’s immigration story from the Dominican Republic to America when she was a child. I admire her courage to make that transition so young. She’s always led by example in showing us how to face our fears and take big steps in life.

Wed
10 ^th

Meet the Publisher:
Lantana Publishing

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

In part 2 of our ‘Meet the Publisher’ series, diverse and inclusive ‘Lantana Publishing’ tells us how they got started, what they aim to achieve and which books you need to watch out for in 2021.

“Lantana Publishing was founded in 2014 by Alice Curry when she realised her mixed-race nephew would not be able to see himself in books. ‘Where are all the books about children of colour?’ she asked as she scanned bookshop and library shelves. From this question sprung the mission at the heart of Lantana: books should reflect the lives of all children, not just a few. Because ALL children deserve to see themselves in the books they read.

We are very proud to be an award-winning independent children’s publisher and social enterprise publishing inclusive books celebrating every kind of child and family.Today, Lantana is an all-female team committed to opening up a space for new and exciting voices from around the world and bringing their words to life with beautiful artwork from brilliant illustrators.

Sat
06 ^th

Interview: Rebecca Colby,
Author of ‘Beatrix and her Bunnies’

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Hello Rebecca! Thank you so much for chatting to me about your new book ‘Beatrix and her Bunnies’.

Hello Ivy and Shelley! Thank you both for inviting me.

Could you give us a quick overview of what the book is about?

Beatrix Potter loved the countryside, but grew up in a big, lonely house in London which she filled with animal friends. This narrative non-fiction biography follows her relationship with two of her pet rabbits, Benjamin and Peter, and how they provided inspiration for her artwork and for her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. It also follows her development as a writer and artist, as well as her pioneering role as a conservationist.

Sun
14 ^th

A (COVID) Day in the Life of
Children’s Author Judy Carey Nevin

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a children’s author? Judy Carey Nevin, author of ‘All Kinds of Kindness‘ and ‘All Kids are Good Kids‘ talks us through what a typical day looks like for her (in the middle of a pandemic!).

“I wish I could say I have a regimented part of my day set aside for writing, that I write 20 minutes a day no matter what, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

My days start and end with our daughter. She wakes up around the same time I do—sometimes earlier, to my husband’s chagrin. He’s an early bird and enjoys his time alone. I enjoy staying in bed to eavesdrop on them chattering away while they have their breakfast.

Once we’re all up and dressed and the grown-ups have had our tea (strong black tea with sugar, please), we go our separate ways, so to speak: me to my computer in our sitting room, our daughter to school, and my husband to his basement office. I sometimes work a full day out of the house. Then I’m a harried mess, always running late, looking for my keys, my glasses, my phone—you name it, I have misplaced it. And I always seem to be almost out of gas on those mornings as well.

Sat
06 ^th

Spotlight On:
Independent Bookshop, Chicken & Frog

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

In this new series we will be shining a light on some of the fantastic independent bookshops from around the UK. Here, Natasha tells us all about her bookstore – Chicken and Frog in Brentwood, Essex.

“A little bit of background about the people behind Chicken and Frog. Natasha and Jim met at Epping Forest College in 1989, when the world was cool and double denim was still okay. They fell in love, got married, had kids and went about life as a primary school teacher and a tech nerd. But, in the back of their minds, the whisper to open a bookshop kept on tickling their ears…

Fri
30 ^th

Interview: Lucy Rowland & Paula Bowles, Wanda’s Words Got Stuck

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Hello Lucy and Paula! Thank you so much for chatting to me about your new book ‘Wanda’s Words Got Stuck’.

Could you give us a quick overview of what the book is about?

Lucy Rowland: Wanda the Witch is so shy she can’t talk and no matter how hard she tries, the words just won’t come out. But when another nervous little witch called Flo joins her class, Wanda realises that perhaps talking isn’t the only way to make friends. Then disaster strikes at the school magic contest…will Wanda have the courage to shout out the magic words and save Flo from the fire-breathing dragon?

Fri
02 ^nd

Q & A: Elizabeth Dale,
Author of ‘Billy and the Balloons’

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Hi Elizabeth! Can you tell us about yourself in 25 words or less?

I adore writing for children – the best job in the world! I’ve had 84 books accepted/published and my three daughters are chlldren’s authors too.

Your latest book, Billy and The Balloons, is hitting the shelves. Can you tell us how it came to be?

I wanted to write a picture book that would reassure children about something that might bother them, and I think being little is one of those things! So I hoped to create a book that was fun to read about it being good to be small, and as Christmas is such a magical time, I thought it would be great to set it then, as there would be scope for wonderful pictures, too. However Patrick Corrigan’s quite beautiful illustrations have far exceeded what I had imagined . I also have to thank the animals that tried to help Billy who somehow wrote themselves into the story!

Fri
07 ^th

Happy 10th Birthday Albie!

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Can you believe that the very first Albie book was published 10 years ago? In that time, the much-loved character has starred in 10 different stories and has been a very busy little boy. He’s been to Alien School, ridden a polar bear, caught a dragon, found egyptian treasure and even swum with pirates!

His latest adventure – How to Drive a Roman Chariot – sees him whisked back in time to ancient Rome where he finds himself at the helm of a runaway chariot. Can he get the situation under control before it’s too late?

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