Short Listed!

So delighted to receive a short listing for a middle grade fiction story in the Scribbles Creative Writing Awards. June Perkins, Chosen.

A warm congratulations to all winners, short listers, entrants and thank you to the judges for their feedback on my story.

To see the rest of the Hall of Famers and to find out more about Girl and Duck head to website.

Poetry and Puppets Enhancing the Storytelling Process

A quest for puppets to go with poetry unfolding. . .

Ripple Poetry

I am on a quest to make some puppets for an upcoming storytelling in January! I haven’t made these since my children were little, and then I don’t think I was very ambitious.

Pinterest has been wonderful for inspiration and I have now set up a special pinboard devoted to this topic.

There are so many ways to make puppets! Some are simple, a combination of socks and paper plates.

See more of this work at Ordinary Life Magic

The process for sock puppets is beautifully broken down in this image.

(Image and some great instructions are at Dragons Are Seldom)

Some are absolute works of art. See more of this work at Puppetheap

It is still based on a sock puppet design but it is taken to another level!

This one is just magical, but I can still see some sock puppet influence in it.

But my quest…

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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

(Not quite everyone could make the launch but we were thinking of them!)

It was a joyful, festive atmosphere in which we celebrated the official launch of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas at the Grandview Hotel, Cleveland.

And such a delight to hear people read their work. Contributions varied from gentle poems and stories, to hilarious stories. There really is something to suit everyone in this collection as well as a delicious and sometimes very humid taste of celebrating christmas in Australia.

John Duke’s work was particularly loved by the children gathered and would I think make a brilliant picture book in its own right. With so many infectious giggles rippling through the room it was definitely a big hit!

All the other readers did a wonderful job, many presenting fragments so that families were just itching to read the rest of the story. OCD elves, toys longing to be reunited with their children . . . you’ll just have to read more.

Maria Parenti-Baldey, the final reader, gave a dynamic and energetic performance to keep all enthralled.

A particular congratulations to people who were published for the first time and possibly doing their first ever public readings!

The children were so brilliantly behaved and engaged (well done all readers and parents and grandparents) and especially excited when Santa and Mrs Clause turned up!

Congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and producers as well as all those who helped in anyway on launch day.

Thank you to the team, especially Share your Story, Michelle Worthington, Julieann Wallace and to all the illustrators, especially Di Spediacci for the vibrant cover!

This special collection seeks to raise money for bicycles for teachers in Tanzania.

To ensure that a trainee teacher has every chance of punctuality, attendance and success, proceeds from the sale of the Share Your Story Anthology – ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’ will be put towards purchasing a bicycle for the trainee teachers to ride to the Teachers’ Training College in Tanzania.

Here are the details on how to purchase your copy!

And don’t forget to leave a review on Good Reads or Amazon.