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one by wonderful american librarian on Librarians Quest blog
read it here.

aw, such nice comments make me smile in my tummy and go whoop whoop in my brain, i do believe that this has made my year so far!

also, i meant to mention this nice review from Read it daddy blog back in october 2012, but must have got waylaid with domesticity and tantrums and being a grown up or something.
better late than never….read it here.
just a little heartfelt thank you for all the people who like and review my stuff- it really does mean a lot to me just to know that i am not loopy (or maybe that i am loopy, but that is actually ok and appreciated!)

how very nice!

Leigh Hodgkinson’s Goldilocks and Just the One Bear (Nosy Crow, £10.99) is a satirical re-writing of a favourite story. This time it is the bear who invades the home: a posh apartment owned by Goldilocks, now a fashionable wife and mum. Leigh Hodgkinson’s bright and stylish illustrations go happily over the top.

“happily over the top,” is that a good thing.. gulpo

if you don’ believe me (shame on you!) have a looky here

thanks to the lovely sniffing pug for including my “goldilocks and just the one bear” in your sooperdooper list of fab childrens books of 2012.

this news has made me oh so pleased that i might just reward myself with a biscuit (not a doggy one mind).

see the whole list here.

i am pleased to say i own about 90% of them (and the rest are on my christmas list!)

thank you callum, you made my day when i recieved your lovely letter yesterday.
it made me grin, especially your brilliant picture of a sort of bear/troll with pointy teeth.
in answer to your questions…
i wrote the book as the idea pinged into my head and i couldn’t sleep untill i had written it.
i was interested in the idea of goldilocks and the little bear meeting each other again when they were all groan up.
and it took me a day or two to actually write, about 3 months to illustrate, and from the initial idea to the book being published was a ridiculously whopping 3ish years!
i am so glad you liked my book callum

right you lot- when you have finished scoffing your breakfast why not have a look here on the fab “Two Writing Teachers” blog. 
i was lucky enough to be asked a few rather interesting questions about all things “Goldilocks and just the one bear”. This Nosy Crow book is now out in the USA and published by candlewick over there. (in the US the book is called “Goldilocks and the one bear” by the way).
i was so thrilled to get a few rather nice comments at the end of the interview. makes me feel pleased that i am not a crazy doolally person and sometimes i get it right!

if you would like to make a collage goldilocks or bear for yourself (like the children in the blog post below did) then you can!
it is as easy as pie… (or porridge)

 here is what you do…..

–           Print out a goldilocks, or a bear (or both if you are greedy like me)

–           Get a blank piece of paper or card and make either an interesting scribbly furry bear texture, or a nice pattered skirt collage for goldilocks.
–           Get somebody to help you cut out the grey area of your goldilocks/bear.

–           Then stick your special textures and patterns that you have made behind your goldilocks/bear.

–           Use cut up bits of material/paper to add nice details to your picture (bear scarf/ goldilocks body)

–           use pencils/crayons/pens to colour in and finish off

–           make a nice bear snout and stick on some googly eyes for your bear


–           draw or collage big golden hair and stick on googly eyes if you like for your goldilocks


and da-daH! there you have it!

last week i travelled up to frodsham near liverpool for their first ever literary festival “WeaverWords” where i did a “Goldilocks and just the one bear” event.
it was very noisy and fun.
i read some stories, did some very bad upside down drawing and talked about how i make pictures.
i was amazed at the really beautiful collages that the children made…

 I have never seen a bunch of such glamorous goldilockses (or is the collective noun for that “goldili”?). i loved their beautiful skirts and was quite jealous that i don’t own any skirts so lovely. I think perhaps we have some inventive fashion designers of the future in our midst!

And what a gaggle of handsome bears. Any doctor Who would be proud to sport a scarf like that i am sure!

what a very wonderful group of children in Frodsham… and parents!
Thanks to all who came and made it so fun.

goldilocks and just the one bear get a little mention in the telegraphs children’s books for the summer
which is meltingly lovely.
thanks nosy crow for bringing it to my blurry sleep deprived attention!
so glad that this book is being well received… i think i shall have a little ice lolly to celebrate.

Hoorah la la- things are looking up UP UP
“Goldilocks and just the one Bear” has made it into the Independents top 50 best summer reads.
Lovely jubbly.
have a look here

read here on library mice

i  never really realised that my colour palette was retro… but i guess it is. i do like a bit of green orange and pink it is so true.

thanks libraby mice squeak squeak!

what a lovely parcel i did get in the post.
i opened up the little box and look what i found inside… why only a lovely little bear.
so it seems i have adopted a real live actual proper bear.
i am so excited!
i got some bear postcards and bear info and everything also.
but who was it from, surely there was a mistake? i didn’t order a bear did i?
it was only from my fab publisher nosy crow to say congratulations on the publication of my new book
“goldilocks and just the one bear”.

aw………. you guys are great!
x
ps the little bear is called Parker

hey hey…. these are some lovely big fatty A2 prints of my new picture book “Goldilocks and just the one bear” that i have done for nosy crow to be displayed in a foyer somewhere in birmingham. i love big prints.. and these scrub up quite good i reckon.

ps sorry the photo is a little blurry- i took the photo last night and the camera was a bit pooped.

yee-ha – so what a lovely thing to arrive in the post this morning! 
…my advance copies for my first (of many i hope) books with the superduper Nosy crows.

also squeezed into the envelope were a couple of the greek edition. and may i say what a splendid job they did on the hand lettering.

 Thank you Ikaros books!

I dedicated this book to my brand new shiny nephew elliot. he is a real beauty,
I do hope he likes this little bear booky surprise!

just as an after note- this was a tricky book for me as i had a big trauma half way through it. my stupid rubbish hard drive malfunctioned with ALL my artwork on (oh, and a year of my little girls baby photos…don’t ask, that is a whole different kettle of fish).

 so i had to start all over again. this was really really hard, but worth it as i am really pleased with this book. actually, i am doubly as proud of myself as i have worked twice as hard. so my plea to you all out there is BACK UP YOUR WORK/PHOTOS/ANYTHING PRECIOUS- as sometimes clever technology is utterly stupid and unreasonable.

 anyway- the book is out in march…. i really hope you will like it too

ps, thank you nice big green sofa so looking so nice in the backgrounds of the photos.