[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-scottish-friendly-childrens-book-tour-2016":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"All this week I've been on an illustration book tour of the Scottish Highlands! At first I thought I was going to have to do it solo, but I asked \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/betbott\">Beth Bottery\u003C/a> at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/\">Scottish Book Trust\u003C/a> if I could bring Stuart along and she said yes. Then all my knitted book characters decided they wanted to come along, too. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/suitcase_zpsr7uws5ro-3ea09721a8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis is the first time I've ever gone on an extended tour with Stuart! And he wasn't just tagging along, he was WORKING. In fact, I thought I'd let him do the blogging. \u003Cfont size=\"3\">\u003Cb>So... OVER TO STUART:\u003C/b>\u003C/font> \\r\n\\r\nHi, everyone! My first job was help Doug the Pug sharpen up his drawing skills in anticipation of all the pictures he was going to be making during the course of the week. He drew some pictures on the train. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Scotbktrusttour_pug_draw_zpsjq3vknb9-ca43e77966.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's one he did of me! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Scotbktrusttour_stutrain_zpsvnh25xzi-adb5efd09a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for LOTS more under the cut!-->\\r\nAnd here's one he did of the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. You can't get more Scottish than that. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/96409_original-dfcf3364d6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOur first port of call was GLASGOW, to see Sarah's auntie. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/pug_glasgow_zpsi15fznu2-a4d3238afd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOn Sunday, Beth Bottery and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/TomJeffo\">Thomas Jefferson\u003C/a> from Scottish Book Trust came to pick us up and drove us all the way to Thurso, right in the north of Scotland. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/96725_original-1e39426c05.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere they are in the wilds of the Highlands.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Scotbktrusttour_tom_beth_zpsmuem78yw-64aa0508c3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are a couple of snapshots of Thurso in late evening. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/97185_original-53e1a650ae.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"thurso flowers\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/96863_original-8a56eeb5c6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>MONDAY, 9 May\u003C/b>: \\r\n\\r\nMy first stage appearance was at \u003Cb>Mount Pleasant Primary School\u003C/b> in Thurso (coordinated by Suzanne Urquhart) and \u003Cb>Pennyland Primary\u003C/b> came along, too. Here I am with Sarah in my new role as PROFESSOR SNOWSTORM!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/97578_original-cce94beff5.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm supposed to know a lot about the different types of snow in Sarah and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/philipreeve1\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a>'s book \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.co.uk/pugs-of-the-frozen-north/\">Pugs of the Frozen North\u003C/a>\u003C/i>. Being on stage was exciting but also a bit nerve-racking. Luckily I didn't mess up too many of my lines.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/97492_original-35547e0201.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are some books the children made in advance, which are pretty impressive. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/98596_original-fba3428cc3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/98378_original-24d8f938b7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nFor the afternoon, \u003Cb>Miller Academy Primary School \u003C/b>(and Pat Ramsay) hosted us, along with visiting school \u003Cb>Melvich Primary\u003C/b>. At each visit we created a board game, featuring a race to the North Pole from the school. We wanted to give them ideas on creating a story, how (like a board game) it needs a beginning, an end, and perils in the middle. This group game up with some really unusual perils, culminating in the greatest peril: Donald Trump. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/97806_original-51c6428354.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Trump game\">\\r\n\\r\nWe also met Reading Champion Alex Patience, who works with the kids on this reading scheme. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/98258_original-4130143c81.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Alex Patience Reading Champion\">\\r\n\\r\nOn a beautiful evening - tropical for Thurso! - Sarah made a new friend named Kali. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/98978_original-7021a90087.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"evening pug sighting\">\\r\n\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>TUESDAY, 10 MAY\u003C/b>: \\r\n\\r\nWe visited \u003Cb>Castletown Primary School\u003C/b>, just outside Thurso, with the visit coordinated by Rhona Moodie. Having a day's practice, I was beginning to get into my character a bit more. Things didn't seem to be quite so scary, particularly when the class was a bit smaller. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/99221_original-291ed3accf.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"castletown\">\\r\n\\r\nTom took us to a roadside cafe for lunch, just outside Wick, The Rumblin' Tum. It felt like something you might find in the Australian outback.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/99611_original-021607b77a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSarah took this photo of Tom and me and mystery guest in the background.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/99545_original-d3491d4119.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nIn the afternoon, we were at  \u003Cb>Noss Primary School\u003C/b> (which was only a few weeks old!), with \u003Cb>Watten Primary\u003C/b> visiting. Headmaster Ally Budge had really researched Sarah and Beth told us he'd filled out the application form for the visit in Russian! (Sarah and I both speak some Russian.) This was our largest event yet, with more than 200 children. The school gave Sarah a very thoughtful Russian-themed gift, \u003Ci>Baggage\u003C/i> by Marshak & Lebedev. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/99871_original-e0de1a5bec.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"noss budge\">\\r\n\\r\nWe drove on to Tain and stayed in the Royal Hotel, which was very grand. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/100711_original-44996f93d9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"hotel tain\">\\r\n\\r\nTain was lovely, with some very striking buildings. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/100537_original-62260057dd.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"roofline tain\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had dinner at the restaurant at Tain railway station. Sarah shot this video because she thought Beth had a wonderful Hull accent. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"3403\"/>\\r\n\\r\nDuring the week the four of us did some drawing challenges. Here's our \u003Cb>#ShapeChallenge\u003C/b> drawings. (Can you guess who drew which one?) Sarah sets daily Shape Challenges on Twitter which you can discover at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/StudioTeaBreak\">@StudioTeaBreak\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/100990_original-63b58322e1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"tain shape challenge\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/100145_original-aae5f318c1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"tain railway bridge\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>WEDNESDAY, 11 May\u003C/b>: \\r\n\\r\nIn the morning we visited \u003Cb>Knockbreck Primary School\u003C/b> in Tain (coordinated by Mhairi Miller), with \u003Cb>Dornoch Academy\u003C/b> visiting. Sarah drew this picture of her and Doug the Pug but she forgot to take any more photos. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/101903_original-91d97f959c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Knockbreck poster\">\\r\n\\r\nAfter lunch, we headed to \u003Cb>Strathpeffer Primary School\u003C/b> (hosted by Carolyn Ritchie and Mr Spence), with visiting school \u003Cb>Mulbuie St Clements\u003C/b>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/101854_original-918a607606.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Strathpeffer\">\\r\n\\r\nThe afternoon was so sunny that we sat out on the lawn of our hotel and did a \u003Cb>Comic Jam \u003C/b>together. Here are \u003Ca href=\"http://www.booktrust.org.uk/programmes/primary/the-write-book/sarah-mcintyre-video/\">some teaching videos if you want to learn how to do a Comic Jam in your school\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/101379_original-cd9d63582b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Tom Beth Comic Jam\">\\r\n\\r\nBeth shot this video of the Comic Jam at different stages. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"3404\"/>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/101198_original-c624ea4ba3.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Comic Jam\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>THURSDAY, 12 May\u003C/b>: \\r\n\\r\nOur first stop was \u003Cb>Teanassie Primary School\u003C/b> (with Sharon Gallacher), with visiting school \u003Cb>Beauly Primary\u003C/b>, which was our most intimate event with just over 30 children. When we drove in, we saw the chickens and three pigs the school raise. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/102243_original-a079bc0531.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"teanassie\">\\r\n\\r\nEveryone on our tour loved knitted Doug the Pug, designed by Lauren O'Farrell (aka \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/deadlyknitshade\">Deadly Knitshade\u003C/a>). Here's the link if anyone wants to \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.co.uk/pugs-of-the-frozen-north/\">download the free pattern\u003C/a> from Sarah's website. And here are some of the pugs the children drew at Teanassie:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/102530_original-26949506a2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"teanassie pugs\">\\r\n\\r\nIn the afternoon we arrived in Inverness to visit \u003Cb>Drakies Primary School\u003C/b> (coordinated by Rebecca Fleming), with visiting school \u003Cb>Bun-sgoil Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis\u003C/b>. Drakies were very excited about the visit and prepared some posters to advertise Sarah's event to the other children. Sarah was so pleased! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/102771_original-730f064cc9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies poster\">\\r\n\\r\nDrakies even tweeted to Sarah before the event (\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DrakiesPS\">@DrakiesPS\u003C/a>). She loves it when teachers and pupils prepare things before the visit and this group made lots of great stuff. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/103115_original-05f350e71d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies group\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/103275_original-7e7e40f214.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies posters\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/103529_original-4387d5f4d1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies book\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/103884_original-64e1880034.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies_boys\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/104166_original-68b195b90b.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies sea monkey group\">\\r\n\\r\nEven after the visit, this mum sent us a picture which made us all go 'Awww'. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/104328_original-bf1b8529d1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"drakies nighttime tweet\">\\r\n\\r\nOn Sarah's drawing challenge @StudioTeaBreak, Thursday is \u003Cb>#PortraitChallenge\u003C/b> day. Here's a family portrait of pop stars if they were animals. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/104845_original-bdbe5bacab.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"inverness resto drawing\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/104497_original-6f2c194f8a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"inverness pop portrait\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>FRIDAY, 13 MAY\u003C/b>\\r\n\\r\nMy costume for the week included wearing this pair of yellow trousers. Don't park on my double yellow lines! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/105374_original-42b551130f.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Stu troosers\">\\r\n\\r\nFor our final day, we began at \u003Cb>Crown Primary School\u003C/b> in Inverness, organised by James Cook.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/105169_original-123396c045.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"Crown Primary\">\\r\n\\r\nThe school had a \u003Ca href=\"https://crownprimaryblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/a-treat-for-p4-7/\">blog up by the same evening\u003C/a>! We got some very encouraging feedback from the teachers, including one who said in twelve years of teaching, it was the best event she had seen and gave the teachers lots of ideas of things to do with the kids later. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://crownprimaryblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/a-treat-for-p4-7/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/105698_original-8406f0e845.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"crown primary blog\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAnd finally, \u003Cb>Hilton Primary School \u003C/b>(with Amy Fraser) and visiting school \u003Cb>Cradlehall Primary\u003C/b>. We received a warm welcome from the dinner ladies! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/106534_original-00c186665a.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"dinner ladies\">\\r\n\\r\nThe dinner ladies even baked us banana flapjack! This was our biggest event. It will be funny telling my colleagues back at work what I've been doing all week. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/106247_original-ce6887f801.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"flapjack\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are cards Sarah drew for Tom and Beth, thanking them for all their hard work. Thank you very much, guys!! And to all the schools who hosted us, Scottish Book Trust, and our sponsors \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/scotfriendly\">Scottish Friendly\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/106112_original-8e95864eb0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"tom cards\">\\r\n\\r\nThis was a never-to-be-forgotten week! It gave me a whole new perspective of Sarah's work. I hope all the children we met go away and do a lot more drawing, writing and reading. I might try to do some more drawing, too!  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/105896_original-ba1e32fdaf.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"flop\">","2016-05-13T20:10:00.000Z","scottish-friendly-childrens-book-tour-2016",[],"scottish friendly children's book tour 2016",1776628728378]