Please, teacher

The sun was beating down as I approached Sg Apong Primary School with my kind guide and driver, Mas. Everything in the school seemed well ordered and quiet. The library I was ushered into was well ordered and quiet. I took my props out of my huge bag and organised them in a well ordered and quiet manner. I looked at the books on the shelves. They were in Malay and Chinese. There were a few in English.

It's a Chinese language school, Mas explained. 

Hey ho, I'll act up. I'll use lots of mime, I'll ask the teachers to help me, I thought.

The children soon filed in, and they waved and said Hello. Sixty eight kids in all, sitting in neat rows, looking at me expectantly.The head teacher came in and introduced me. 
I started on my Powerpoint. And all seemed to be going well, as I explained where I got my  ideas from. Can you see what's in this picture? I asked, as a photo of an orang-utan holding a stick like a pencil appeared on the screen.

It's orang-utan said one.
Yes, and what's it going to do?
There was no reply.
Will it write a story?
Still no reply.
Don't they understand? I thought.
But no, they just weren't used to being asked.

I read from my book and they enjoyed being entertained. 
I wore my dragon ears and they laughed. 
I let them smell the real gobstoppers I had brought along.
When there was lots of text on the Powerpoint, they read it out loud. Wow - they were doing my job for me!

Soon a few of them were bored. They were talking. A teacher poked one of them gently.  But I didn't mind the little buzz of conversations. I suspected they were hungry. And I had a couple of very bright kids in the front row (put there deliberately) who were drinking in my words. 

Then I started drawing. I got the idea from Candy Gourlay and had practised for weeks and weeks, perfecting a simple picture that the kids could follow. I had simplified Charlotte Micklewright's illustration of Freddy and thought through simple stages the children could copy. Charlotte's drawings are adorable, so it was a happy experience.

While I was drawing there was silence. Complete and utter silence. Not a single titter. 
You could have heard a mosquito biting my ankle, it was so quiet. And when I finished they gave me a round of applause. Gosh! I have never had a round of applause like that, at least not within living memory. It made me so happy I repeated the exercise at the end, letting them call out 'ear' or 'nose' or 'tooth' as took their fancy. This time they were willing to participate. Very willing.

Then the second surprise of the day. The teacher presented me and Mas with presents. Mine was a large drinks container - Tupperware - and was decorated with a handmade paper rose. Wow, thanks you, I said. Shall I fill it with gobstoppers? 
No, water! they replied.
Doh! Silly me.

We handed out stickers and the kids rushed off to lunch. I had enjoyed myself and I had learned a fantastic lesson. 
These kids love watching. And reading out loud. It was to stand me in good stead for the rest of the book festival. 

(This young lady even copied my hasty dragon picture...later during the library sessions.)

On the way back to the car, we passed a class of older students reciting some Chinese text. I can't remember reciting things at school at that age. Maybe at seven years old, going through our times tables. Or repeating the odd word in French when we were older. But it was strangely comforting to hear them speaking 'as one'.

Princess Petunia's first presentation

Princess Petunia may be used to speaking in front of very important people. After all, she lives in a Castle with a King and a Queen. But I'm not used to it.So my first talk to elementary school children this week made me just a little nervous.  But I need not have been because the staff at the ISS International School of Singapore were so so welcoming. And my distributor from Closetful of Books, Denise Tan, had thoughtfully prepared a huge banner designed like a scroll, announcing Petunia's arrival.

Thanks to librarian Graham Grant who organised the school's Book Week, I was given a 'solo' slot and two joint sessions with David Seow as well, along with other SCBWI authors. 

To kick off, I need to thank Sue Grant and Marilu Burden for preparing the students. They delved into my website and Facebook page and ensured that everyone knew almost as much about me and Charlotte my illustrator as I do myself!  And there were pictures of us for students and parents to see as they walked to the library to browse, and buy the books. Here I am with Sue and Graham outside the library. 

To prepare myself, I went to the school a day early with picture book author, Sarah Mounsey, and we tried not to distract David as he talked about his books to Grades 2 & 3. Then, on the day, I had two workshop slots with David before 'going solo'. We gave Grades 2 and 3 the low-down on how we get our ideas, setting them on a task to think up their own stories, based on a very funny made-up word.  I don't often think where I get my inspiration from - all I know is that I'm constantly bombarded with thoughts that one day may give birth to a story. And I could see that some of the students had exactly the same mindset. Making David the target of their story was one plot I particularly enjoyed! 

Of course, speaking alongside David can be a little tricky, especially when he gets carried away.  But I managed to stop him drawing a moustache on Sarah's picture:

...and later on, on my brand new scroll-banner too.  Hmmmm, watch out, David! 

Our two joint sessions over, David and I belted over the road for a quick lunch, and new batteries for his camera, arriving back just as the students of Grade 4 were filing into the Hall. (Hic!)

The students lapped up everything I said. No one made a peep when I was reading the first few pages of the book. And everyone had loads of answers to all my questions, even giving me plot ideas for the next book about Freddy and Petunia! And I especially enjoyed showing them cover and page proofs from the printers to demystify the whole process of creating a book.    

And there was more to come ...

Th students leapt up to have their books and bookmarks signed, then I chatted to staff and parents in the library. There's a super relaxed, inclusive feel to the school which must benefit the students enormously.  Sue showed me round the playgrounds, including the big old banyan tree with its hundreds of roots, which is just off-limits because of the creepy crawlies who live there. Although I already knew the school had to move, and tunnels for the new MRT train line are being built beneath its current site, I couldn't help feeling sad. These old buildings, formally British barracks, seem ideal for a school.  But I'm sure that the new school in Depot Road will be equally welcoming.  And no doubt easier all round. 

Finally, I couldn't resist making a new building for ISS myself. Petunia is seen here below on Closetful of Books' table alongside Sarah Mounsey's Purple Pawprint series and David's Sam Sebbie and Di-Di-Di, Blue Kangaroo and Emma's Elephant. 

(Please don't try this 'book house' in a library or book shop - unless you've already bought all the books!) And thank you, everyone, for making Princess Petunia's first Presentation a really royal occasion!  

Of marmalade, hats, tiaras and gobstoppers...

There was once a bear called Paddington, and there was once a young reader called Emma. And the two were inseparable.  

And now, in MPH Books, in Raffles City, Singapore, I'm thrilled to find my own book cosying up to this inimitable bear from darkest Peru.   

The bear called Paddington always wore a hat that hid a marmalade sandwich, just in case of emergencies.  It took no time to fall in love with the characters in these stories.  And it made me start eating marmalade - that scrumptiously bitter-sweet jam without which toast is really not worth eating! 

Thankfully, Petunia in my book does not hide anything under her tiara, or it might spoil it! Freddy, on the other hand, does keep a gobstopper sweet in his ear. But for dragons it's very important - it keeps their scales shiny and their eyes bright. You can see them clearly in Charlotte Micklewright's drawings.      

I'm now the proud owner of a beautiful Princess Petunia dress, tiara and a set of ears for Freddy. I'll be using these for school visits and readings.  Or for anyone who just fancies getting all dressed up. 
  
Here's my young friend, Kitty, wearing the costume for Princess Petunia. Great modelling skills, Kitty.  And thanks for the wonderful tailoring, Kinnetia!