[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-towers-tales-grumpycorn-launch-at-lismore-castle":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"My new picture book, \u003Cb>\u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.co.uk/grumpycorn/\">GRUMPYCORN\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/b>, has been well and truly LAUNCHED in the most amazing place imaginable, a storybook castle in Ireland, at the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.towersandtales.ie/\">Towers & Tales Lismore Story Festival\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/702098_original-8316b4c227.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Hat created by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/eddiesmithl/\">Eddie Smith\u003C/a>, dress by \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/estherblessed/\">Esther Blessed\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lismore_Castle\">Lismore Castle\u003C/a> really is like being in a fairytale, no unicorn could resist it, not even the grumpiest unicorn. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/703294_original-6d5e6ceab7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd we made books! In the story, Unicorn is trying to write 'the most fabulous story in the world', but he can't figure out where to start. The children and families who came along to the launch were much less inhibited and we came up with some great cover ideas, inspired by Grumpycorn.  \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/704475_original-fc14008023.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd I had some of my all-time favourite illustrators around me! Here's the amazing \u003Ca href=\"https://davidrobertsillustration.com/\">David Roberts\u003C/a> (whose books include \u003Ci>Suffragettes, Dirty Bertie, Ada Twist Scientist\u003C/i>) at the writing desk in his room. (To be honest, we'd need to stay another week to get much writing done; we were too busy exploring.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/702375_original-469a331fc1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\nAnother lovely unicorn book: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/704742_original-948eefabc0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's my co-author on \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.co.uk/the-legend-of-kevin/\">The Legend of Kevin\u003C/a>\u003C/i> and other books, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philip-reeve.com/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a>, about to get an earful. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/702474_original-1faf866564.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI think this was my favourite Unicorn book; it looks deceptively cute on the cover, but then...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/704938_original-23c53b4d00.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAlso the inner text is rather spectacular, more books should be like this. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/705271_original-7cfb289cd1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere are Ali and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.robbiddulph.com/\">Rob Biddulph\u003C/a> (author of \u003Ci>Blown Away, Odd Dog Out, Happy Hatchday\u003C/i>) admiring their room.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/702738_original-6f83c31519.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThese linked-up books were created by twins (or maybe they're friends and the books are just twins). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/705481_original-c600364415.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/705709_original-7646365481.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.byjarvis.com/\">Jarvis\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>Tropical Terry, Alan's Big Scary Teeth\u003C/i>) surveying the marvelous morning room. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/708326_original-4073729e3d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThat little worm-unicorn in the middle is so excellent.\\r\n \\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/705875_original-6ff16d16a7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSince the\u003Ci> GRUMPYCORN\u003C/i> book cover is so blingy, I got some shoes to match. And they made me feel like I had big hooves, I was not exactly a graceful unicorn in them... but they were very sparkly. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/706250_original-94158c0acc.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a picture I drew on the flipchart before my \u003Ci>GRUMPYCORN\u003C/i> event at the festival. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/704117_original-3ca31b7dc2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nSome stage action in the castle's \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Pugin\">Pugin\u003C/a> Hall on \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/BxF0ZJjHVie/\">@towersandtales\u003C/a> Instagram: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/709150_original-d6f264d844.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nFestival coordinator Eimear Cheasty surprised us all after my event with two boxes of these gorgeous cupcakes to share with everyone, sent by my Scholastic publicist Louisa Danquah. Thanks, Louisa! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/703734_original-7929a54580.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBut we didn't spend the whole few days in the castle; Philip Reeve and I went on Friday with Waterford County librarian Loretta Kinsella to gorgeous new Carrickphierish Library to do a bunch of community outreach events. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/707355_original-4b82faa822.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd the events were brilliant - the festival had packed in about 350 children per event, and I got them all drawing and creating unicorn stories with me. (I also did a Reeve & McIntyre \u003Ci>Legend of Kevin\u003C/i> event with Philip, and he did a \u003Ci>Railhead \u003C/i>event.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/706668_original-b92c9ac48c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThey were not stingy with the cakes! Here we are in the library kitchen with \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/elainajryan\">Elaina Ryan\u003C/a> from Children's Book Ireland, and photographer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.billburlington.com/\">Bill Burlington\u003C/a> (or William), who hosts the Saturday part of the festival in his family's castle. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/706850_original-6e63a7a865.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/WaterfordLibs\">Waterford Libraries\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/jennieloughran/\">Jennie Loughran\u003C/a>, Loretta, Niamh, and all the Waterford librarians who hosted us!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/707097_original-635b4d57db.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd to Loretta, Sarah and Mary for taking us out for lunch afterward; it's great to have good \u003Ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craic\">craic\u003C/a> with librarians. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/708057_original-9e0b8aa5ff.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nA few more peeks at authors at the festival; here's a photo at tea time tweeted by County Cork Librarian \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ikki_keane\">Ikki Keane\u003C/a>, of Ireland's first Children's Laureate na nÓg \u003Ca href=\"http://www.siobhanparkinson.com/\">Siobhán Parkinson\u003C/a>, Ikki, writer-illustrator \u003Ca href=\"https://www.marymurphy.ie/home/\">Mary Murphy\u003C/a> and David Roberts. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/707747_original-304cc580b0.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd \u003Ca href=\"http://niamhsharkey.com/\">Niamh Sharkey\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>Irish Legends for the Very Young, The Ravenous Beast\u003C/i>) with her daughter. Niamh was one of my very early influences with her book \u003Ci>The Gigantic Turnip\u003C/i>, and she's another one of Ireland's terrific Laureates. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/708567_original-d7da55a0da.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI was also blown away by the creativity of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.mariondeuchars.com/\">Marion Deuchars\u003C/a> (\u003Ci>Bob the Artist, Let's Make Some Great Art\u003C/i>), and it was lovely to meet her and spend time with her. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/708701_original-4c2c572615.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nThis is definitely my year of mythical horse-based characters! Here are a couple photos \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/sineadohiggins/status/1124786984352980997\">tweeted by Waterford librarian Sinead O'Higgins\u003C/a> from our \u003Ci>Legend of Kevin\u003C/i> event. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/709481_original-b05ec17239.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/709665_original-9f282c03f1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm going to try to do a second blog post with more photos - there were so many other exciting things happening at the festival! This has been a busy month, and I still have blog posts to write about Geneva and Abu Dhabi, but I'm off to Belfast in the morning to do events for Book Trust Northern Ireland, so the blog posts will have to wait. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/703003_original-afa86a3d57.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nHuge thanks to Towers & Tales hosts William and \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/laura_burlington/\">Laura Burlington\u003C/a>, Eimear, Elaina, Niamh, Loretta, Denis Nevin the butler, Tom and Austin the drivers, Tina in the kitchen (who makes the best granola), and so many more staff and volunteers who made everything happen! Very often at a festival, I'll only get time to run around and say hello to people, very briefly, and it's hard because they're often colleagues I hugely admire and would LOVE to talk with in more depth. So it was wonderful to get this chance at Towers & Tales, and in such a magical setting! (Here we are one evening: me, jewellery artist \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/lemarq/\">Claire Le Marquand\u003C/a>, Laura, and then out front with Philip and William.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/706414_original-cee157f9a1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nI'm having massive withdrawal pangs already, it's very hard to say goodbye to Lismore! (You can browse a gallery of photos on the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.lismorecastle.com/photo-gallery\">castle's website\u003C/a>.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/703872_original-581753bba9.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd, of course, thanks to Easons booksellers (\u003Ca href=\"https://www.easons.com/Search?q=grumpycorn\">they sell \u003Ci>Grumpycorn\u003C/i> here\u003C/a>), and my whole Scholastic team, including designer Strawberrie Donnelly, editor \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PauliinaPopcorn\">Pauliina Malinen\u003C/a>, publisher \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/Cathmoret\">Catherine Bell\u003C/a>, publicists Louisa Danquah and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/BChaplinDewey\">Bethan Dewey\u003C/a>,  and my agent \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/JodieHodges31\">Jodie Hodges\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\nIf you want to find more \u003Ci>GRUMPYCORN\u003C/i>-themed activities, I've put lots of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/grumpycorn/\">free activities on my website\u003C/a>, including a colouring sheet and guides for drawing Unicorn, Mermaid, Narwhal and Jellyfish. Families, teachers, librarians, everyone, feel free to print them out and use them! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/grumpycorn/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/708889_original-d664558a02.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\u003C/a>","2019-05-05T20:40:00.000Z","towers-tales-grumpycorn-launch-at-lismore-castle",[],"towers & tales: grumpycorn launch at lismore castle!",1776628730160]