Cover illustration ©Jon Mitchell
February 22nd is publication day for my two latest Floris picture books! One is a board book version of Skye the Puffling (smaller and simpler than the original) and the other is a brand new story about two adventurous little squirrels.
The wee puffin board book is designed for little hands and is sturdy enough to withstand a bit of chewing! My new squirrel book is aimed at older readers (aged 4-6) and follows the adventures of a brother and sister, Rowan and Hazel, who are off to explore the forest for the very first time. Their mother tells them not to wander too far, but there are so many exciting things to discover that her words of warning are soon forgotten.
To be fair, Rowan tries to hold his sister back, but Hazel is fearless and ready for adventure. Most of all, she is hungry, and she nibbles pinecones and toadstools and blackberries all along the way. This proves very useful when they get lost and need to look for clues as they try to find their way home.
There’s a very scary moment when a fox tries to catch Hazel, but Rowan comes to the rescue by grabbing the fox’s tail. They both run off and escape up a tree, but soon it gets dark and more scary creatures appear in the shadows.
When they finally make their way back to their crooked old tree, Mum is very glad to see them! They tell her all about their hair-raising adventures and promise to be more careful from now on.
I’m looking forward to sharing my new book in Scottish primary schools as we celebrate World Book Day 2018. I’ve also got an official launch of Rowan the Red Squirrel at Waterstones bookshop (Byres Road, Glasgow) on Saturday, 3 March at 2pm.
If you’re in the neighbourhood that afternoon, do come along! The staff there are lovely, and they have delicious cakes in the cafe, too! A great place to spend your £1 World Book Day token. See you there!
