"I don't want to have a pet dragon, but...."

So started the review by a reader of 'Princess Petunia Dragon'. 

The reviewer continues,   "... I agree that dragons are cute.  Especially, Petunia's dragon Freddy is pretty and clever. It was really fantastic and interesting.  I don't like her mother but I like Petunia because she thinks everything so simply."

Now this was written by a Japanese girl, Hanane SUZUKI, who has been learning English for only two years with her teacher, my friend Ikue.  Wow! I'm impressed not only by her written English, but also by the simple and clear way she expresses herself.  

Hanane wrote a summary as well:
"Princess Petunia wanted to have a pet dragon.  She read a weekly magazine about dragon.  One morning she tried to buy a dragon with her three pieces of silver but she knew that she needs thirty pieces of silver.  She'd never waste her moment.  She began working to earn to buy a dragon."

Thank you, Hanane, for letting me see your work, and thank you, Ikue, for sending it to me.  I hope that we can meet up one day.  In the meantime, I'm sending you a real, handwritten letter.  I hope you continue to enjoy reading books in English.  And maybe one day you'll have a clever, friendly, cute pet a little bit like Freddy!

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!  

Falling out of a tree with mirth ... and Princess Petunia

"I nearly fell out of the tree laughing"   A Princess Petunia's Dragon Moment

So wrote, and drew, an artist by the name of Jane Smith.  She was sitting in a tree in Finsbury Park. She hadn't read anything about Princess Petunia's Dragon before.  In fact, she hadn't read a whole book for five years.  So there's my claim to fame.  Encouraging Jane to read a whole book, in one go, one fell swoop ... or one missed fall.  

She goes on to say  - "in this sketch I seem to have one black eye and am huge compared to the tree."

But I think it's perfect.  Thanks a million, Jane! 

A perfectly Petunia morning

A perfect morning starts with coffee. So where do you find yours? In the Botanic Gardens?

You see, I couldn't resist picking away at a fresh red coffee seed to find the moist bean inside.  

I was in the Botanics, waiting for my walking group to come marching past. My excuse for not getting to the start was the traffic. (Oh yeah. Pull the other one! More like sitting on the balcony, enjoying the unusually cool breeze.)   But still, it gave me the chance to inspect the coffee bean and to watch the ducks enjoying their morning splash. And best of all, to indulge in some pure Petunia pleasure with dry leaves.  

Here I am, swishing my trainers through the dry leaves that this cool weather has given us.  It made me feel just like a princess stomping through the Deep Dark Woods in her Wellington Boots. That 'beginning of the Autumn Term feeling' when leaves are everywhere, begging to be kicked.  Thankfully there were no nasty surprises underneath. Just a musty smell.  

Now it's later in the day, and things have got even better!  I've had a text from a young reader. Hannah, aged 8, was given Princess Petunia's Dragon today. Or rather, she was given a copy of the book! 

Hannah -    Dear Emma. I liked Princess Petunia a lot. The part that made me laugh was when the dragons flew over the cake and it went everywhere. My favourite drawing was when she met Freddy and they were walking together.

Emma -    Thanks, Hannah, I can see you are a real 'people person'. Or should that be 'dragon person'?  

Perhaps I should have asked her - do you like kicking leaves in Wellington Boots? But there again, perhaps not. Because everyone enjoys that, don't they?

Snail leaf

What a beautiful leaf I found today on Balmoral Road.  

An insect must have burrowed into it, and disturbed its growth, so that it grew in a snail's shape. 

My photo doesn't quite do it justice, but the hues of amber and deep khaki gave me plenty of enjoyment as I messed around with watercolour pencils. 

A perfect way to unwind on a Sunday afternoon.    

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!  

 

Sittin' on the dock...with Petunia

Today I'm writing from my kitchen in England. The weather is wet and windy, though yesterday on our return we were greeted with glorious blue skies which lasted all day long. 

Here is what I was doing at the beginning of the week, when I should have been wrapping Christmas presents.  Well,  I was just sittin' on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away (what tide?)...Wastin' time

See how many places you recognize. And, if Singapore isn't familiar to you, enjoy the views:

The weather was sunny and breezy ... a little too breezy at times - Ooops!

But, like mad dogs and Englishmen we didn't give up.... Most people ignored me as I balanced Petunia in random places. Does this happen all the time, maybe?

We were tempted to have a splash...

We passed several bridges:

and stopped to cool off in a shopping centre:  

We skirted what must be Singapore's smallest park,

and finally headed off to Patterson Road

to catch the bus home.  If I don't have time to write again within the next few days, please have a Very Merry Christmas. And if you already have a copy of Petunia, please enjoy reading it.