16 Feb Hodge and Gruff go to Parkfield!
I recently spent a marvellous day ‘Hodging’ and ‘Gruffing’ at Parkfield School in Taunton. Firstly, a most enormous thank you to all the staff and children who made the day so enjoyable.
It’s always so fantastic taking the books out to the children and very rewarding seeing how they respond. After I read the books, the children took part in some activities and produced some lovely work. The two Reception classes made some lovely ‘Hodge’s Hedge House’ pictures; the Year 1 classes made some fantastic, sparkling Gruff bookmarks and the Year 2s had a great time using their imagination to write postcards from Fairy Tale Land! One of my favourites started: “Dear Mum, I’ve just woken up. I’ve been asleep for a hundred years….”
Here are some photos from the event. If you’re wondering why on earth I’m holding up a pair of brightly-coloured tights and clutching a bag of marshmallows, well you’ll just have to read the book! But I promise you I did have a very good reason.
Having recently finished editing the next Gruff Guide (‘Gruff’s Guide to Secret Sea’), I’m already plotting all the fun activities for schools I could do with that book. I think it’s definitely one of the most enjoyable aspects of being an author. That, and eating the marshmallows afterwards…
