read all about... things and stuff
November '11
Ha! Simon spent an enjoyable 9th and 12th entertaining and being entertained by children at the Burns Monument Centre, Kilmarnock, and the Foxbat Library, Paisley. By which he means the Foxbar Library but he is quite taken with the idea of a foxbat...
June '11
Hmmm! Simon has acquired something that professes to be a Cheese Sardine Set (see below). He says he has no idea (a) why he acquired it (except perhaps that it only cost 99p), (b) why such a thing ever came into existence in the first place, or indeed (c), how it might be put to use- especially if one does not eat sardines. Ever. In the universe. Though one does like cheese. A lot.
Inside, cellophane intact! (Note tasteful olive arrangement.)
In other news he will appearing at the Edinburgh International Festival this year (August): two events and a chairing to boot.
Inside, cellophane intact! (Note tasteful olive arrangement.)
In other news he will appearing at the Edinburgh International Festival this year (August): two events and a chairing to boot.
March '11
Hot diggity! Nosy Crow has struck again. It seems Simon is to continue to be published by this still new and wonderfully dynamic set of creative literature types - they are to contract a further two picture books - a mini sort of mini-series no less!
February '11
Un -eheu! Simon has just found out that he has, however, won the 2011 Coventry Inspiration Book Award in the 4-7 'What's The Story' category for The Love Bugs. Simon is very pleased and delighted indeed.
Eheu! Simon did not win at this years Royal Mail Children's Book awards -
but he says being a runner up alongside the lovely (gliorious?) Debi Gliori is a
pretty fine way to not win...
To see a video of Simon, Debi Gliori and Julia Donaldson reading from their
short listed books, click here
but he says being a runner up alongside the lovely (gliorious?) Debi Gliori is a
pretty fine way to not win...
To see a video of Simon, Debi Gliori and Julia Donaldson reading from their
short listed books, click here
Jiminy! Kate Wilson of Nosy Crow sent Simon a pair of felt antlers she found in Frankfurt. This is a Good Thing and any mystery invoked will become unmysterious in about eleven months. Thumbs up to the useful partitioning of time and whoever invented it.
Watch out after the end of October (and Simon's mildly desultory Halloween home picture), for his glimmeringly lovely, leafy autumn homepage (with real leaves!).
Simon's daftly romantic picture book The Love Bugs (or 'Luuurrrve Bugs' as he sometimes calls it) has been short listed for the Coventry Inspiration Awards. It seems to have one of the scariest and most eccentric approaches to voting and short listing ever - which makes him feel kind of cool that 'the Bugs' (as he doesn't usually call it ever whatsoever) has found its way onto the list - naturally he expects to be voted off in the first round! Simon says 'Thank you, Coventry! (And environs.)'
September
Hoopla! Simon did a Scottish Book Trust event in Dunfermline for the Fife Children's Book Festival (alongside the wonderful and co-short listee Debi Gliori) and met my first ever lemur - a one year old, very gentlemanly black and white lemur called Chess. He pretty much charmed all our socks off. Debi and ISimonwere also able to mutually enthuse over Australian author/illustrator Bob Graham who is, indeed, tip top.
Once again, and after an indecently long no-news hiatus, things are afoot! Simon has just been short listed for this year's Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book Awards for Love From Louisa. He is really rather pleased about this.
June
Eureka! It seems that Little Lost Cowboy which went out of print in Britain at the beginning of this year may be going to have a new life in the US - fingers crossed.
(Yes, if you've been wondering, April and May were mildly dull and a bit un-newsworthy, but the people at Wigtown Spring Weekend at the beginning of May were lovely, and Simon may even be allowed to go back!) And furthermore, he is already looking forward to doing a couple of sessions at the Works Festival in North Lanarkshire in early October.
(Yes, if you've been wondering, April and May were mildly dull and a bit un-newsworthy, but the people at Wigtown Spring Weekend at the beginning of May were lovely, and Simon may even be allowed to go back!) And furthermore, he is already looking forward to doing a couple of sessions at the Works Festival in North Lanarkshire in early October.
March
Hurray! Mr Mac's Bad Rabbits comes out on the fourth of March. (Otherwise known as World Book Day.) Illustrated by Judith Drews in a joyous sort of Scandinavia meets the fifties style, it is a very silly story about very bad rabbits. Despite initial fears that it might cause concerned parents to stampede in all directions, the word piddle was kept in the story.
...
They
were messy and unhelpful, foul-tempered coots who never took baths and
smelled like old boots...
Published by Boxer Books - Pb £6.99 isbn 978-1906250485
Also in March Simon has so far been out and about visiting schools in Brechin, Freuchie, Hamilton and Aberdeen, still has and Grantown on Spey and Craigmillar to visit.
February
Huzzah! In February The Love Bugs was published in time for St Valentine's Day. It is a story of amour and mistaken identity in the insect world, illustrated by Russell Ayto in aptly spiky style with lots of clever and funny detail. And it isn't only suitable for youngsters - grown up folks might find it handy to carry a copy at all times in case they meet other folks who make them feel all bashful and fuzzy inside.
' ..."Oh, joy!"
he cried when he saw the note, and he sat down on a buttercup to read
it...'
Published by HarperCollins Children's books - Pb £5.99 isbn 978-0007307609