The Fairytale Mum

🌻🪻NATURE HUNT🪻🌻 An agent recommended this book to me as a possible comp title for a story I've been working on. I'm interested in books that blend fiction with non-fiction and The Wild Outside by and (published by ) does this marvelously.

Tulip loves exploring outside in the wild. The story follows her journey and along the way cleverly inserts facts about the plants she discovers on the way. The level of detail in the book is evenly matched between the text and illustrations - both of which beautifully show the incredible care and research that has gone into making the book. The story will delight young and old nature lovers - some of my favourite plant names being Cloudberries and Hairy Bittercress - they sound too magical to genuinely exist.

Tulip's nature trail ends in her favourite spot, amongst family, giving the book a wholesome feeling. The backmatter offers ways to enjoy the wild outside - a lovely touch to keep the story going once the cover is closed.

What's your favourite plant name?

If you've worked in schools for a period of time, you'll probably be familiar with the phrase, 'Stories from other cultures.' Personally, I think the term is very outdated. Historically, these stories have been written about a specific culture... And sometimes, the cultural focus got in the way of an action-packed, engaging adventure.

Thankfully, the YOMI series is different! It is full of action. It is full of fantasy. Secrets, curses, abandoned towns - there are so many hooks to engage all young readers. And I love that the cast of African characters gives more children a chance to see their heritage reflected too.

YOMI AND THE CURSE OF THE GROOTSLANG by and (published by ) is the third book in the series. Each story is based on African mythology, then wrapped up in a fast paced adventure. It's a perfect 'reading for pleasure' book for children in school years 2, 3 and 4 and will appeal to both girls and boys. In fact, my oldest who stepped into his year 5 classroom this morning, would enjoy this, having spent the last days of summer reading as many Beast Quest books he could get his hands on... Yomi is like a modern day Beast Quest.

He would also like to get his hands on the YOMI book biscuit too! Who doesn't love a book biscuit?! But that is definitely mine. I mean, I could donate it to the staffroom biscuit jar... But will I...?

(Crunch.😋)

Thank-you to Jasmin at for sending out our Yomi gift pack. The children at my school are delighted to have won a copy.

GRIEF💧 Every morning, I go to work and my phone remains hidden for a few hours. Anything that happens beyond the school gate I am wonderfully oblivious to. Usually, when I go to look at my phone there are one or two messages. You know the type - mostly from parents' WhatsApp groups - has anyone seen my child's unnamed jumper? Should they be dressed in some sort of costume today? My child says there's no homework - are they lying?

But today, there were considerably more messages. Sad news. Tragic really.

So today I am sharing my sympathies with anyone grieving right now, and a wonderful book for little ones who might be struggling to understand their own feelings of grief.

Rabbityness by captures the emotions of loss perfectly. She describes grief as a big, black hole and I think that's a superb metaphor for young children to understand. Using rabbits provides a little bit of emotional distance for the reader, but even so, rabbits disappearance feels like a sudden, tragic loss. Cleverly, ends the story with feelings of hope and an appreciation of the wonderful gifts that Rabbit left us with. Isn't that the most beautiful message?

My sympathies are with anyone who has a heavy heart today.

Which books would you recommend for children experiencing grief and loss?

🐸 FROGS! 🐸 If you look closely, you might start to find layers of frogspawn blanketing ponds. Spring is coming!

For I am sharing One Little Tadpole by Molly Littleboy and ( ) alongside Lots of Frogs by Howard Calvert and ( ).

[AD/PR] One Little Tadpole is a marvellous book to explore. Every page has multiple flaps for children to find and lift, revealing facts, gorgeous illustrations and activities. There are instructions on how to pond dip as well as whistle using a blade of grass - this book is more than frogs. It celebrates all wildlife that lives in and around ponds. If you're unsure how to tell the difference between a frog and toad, this book has the answer: toads crawl, frogs hop!

Lots of Frogs is a pacey counting story, perfect for reading aloud in the EYFS. When Tom takes his box of frogs into school for show and tell, they escape the box and leap all over the classroom. Young children will enjoy their funny antics whilst reinforcing their counting skills as Tom collects them all up again.

Credit for the frog craft goes to . Sian has full details of how to make this frog with a flicking tongue on her page, so do go and look if you're curious. Scroll to see the equipment you will need. It really is a lovely activity to accompany either frog book or followup an afternoon of pond dipping.

Thank-you to for gifting us our copy of One Little Tadpole and to for allowing us to share her frog craft.

Are you a frog fan too?

HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY! We arrived at our various schools this morning, dressed as Leonora Bolt Secret Inventor, Oscar (from Oscar's Lion (the book is amazing - see my previous post) a white chicken (from a story about a white chicken that we couldn't work out the title for, but it is NOT Chicken Licken) and a unicorn (of course!) from The Yawnicorn.

My school had a wonderful buzz about it today. One child mistook me as Mario (from Super Mario fame) another thought I was a minion! Clearly, there is still work to be done.😂

I've not posted recently as I've felt quite overwhelmed. My head right now feels a little like my 9 year old's bedroom - a concoction of clutter and various boxes in a vain attempt to organise it. As much as I have loved WBD this year, it is nice to have swiped some of the week's requirements off my list ...

And I'm one step ahead for next year. Anyone know of any books about Mario or the minions?😄

Which characters did you dress up as today?

It's hard not to share all of this beautiful book with you. It caught my eye in and was one of those that I couldn't resist.

I have three children - all wonderful, all very different. One, I was reminded of when I read this story.

I think we live amongst a society where it is easy to put pressure upon children to meet milestones as soon as possible. As a parent, it's easy to be sucked into making comparisons... And our children do it too. Children in schools quickly observe who is the best at reading, who is the best at writing, who is the best at maths. We assess those skills and hone in on them. Naturally, children sometimes follow suit. The result can be crushing for children who are either labeled by their peers or label themselves as 'not good at X.' Sometimes, children need a little more time and sometimes we need to open our eyes to the other skills and traits that the 'not good yet' children usually excel at.

'Snail' by Minu Kim, translated by ( ) is written for the heroes who might not be the quickest in the world. It follows the story of a little boy who wants to ride his bike with his brother and his brother's friends... But he's too slow to keep up. Forced to ride by himself, he finds a snail who leads him to look at the world and his situation from a new perspective. Perhaps going at his own pace isn't so bad after all...

I have so much love for this picture book. The sketchy artwork with blobs of colour combined with sparse text creates an impact. 'Snail' is Minu Kim's first picture book, but I really hope we see more.

Enjoy your weekend... Whether you're living it in the fast lane, slow lane, or somewhere in-between.

I've just returned home to my actual family after a wonderful weekend away with my writing family. Both families make me smile, sometimes cry and they definitely have a wild streak!

[AD/PR:] In 'There's a Gorilla at the Door' by and ( ) Daphne has to adjust to living with a new stepfather and stepbrother. They decide to throw a party and invite all the family - however wild they might be. Children will love turning each page to reveal another wild family member. From Grandpa Bruce (a bat) to a rather hairy Aunt Gertrude, Daphne's relatives and their strange behaviours take some getting used to. The metaphor is a fun and engaging way for children in any family setup to appreciate the funny quirks that most families have (mine certainly does!) and the love that connects everyone regardless.

Thank-you to for kindly sending us this book to review.

And thank-you to my writing family for putting up with me this weekend... And my actual family for putting up with me for life!😜😂🥰

I admit... I was initially drawn to this book because it had my son's name on the cover and I'm so glad I was. We have enjoyed the story as our bedtime read over the last couple of weeks. Oscar has begged me to read, 'Just one more,' [chapter] most nights.

'Oscar's Lion' by and ( ) is the heartwarming story of a boy who wakes up one morning to see a lion sitting at the end of his empty parents' bed. Has the lion eaten his parents? Oscar presumes so. Fortunately, the lion informs Oscar that hunger won't strike again for another couple of days at least... And off they go on a weekend of adventures.

The story in the background is that Oscar is dealing with the loss of his beloved Granny and this book weaves the emotions alongside compelling action sequences beautifully. Set amongst several London landmarks, it would be a great book for children in KS2 who may be studying WWII.

We enjoyed the wonder created by the lion's transformations, the humour in the dialogue's bluntness and the historical references. This was a book we were sad to have finished and will certainly read it again. I am so glad the title made me buy it!

Which books have you bought based on titles alone?

When you have a neurotypical child, you feel reasonably assured that class participation and decent study habits will result in good grades. These kids have close friends. They get invited to participate in social things like dances and weekend gatherings. They make the teams, auditions, organizations and clubs.

But when you have a child with certain differences, this is often not the case. Learning may take longer, both academically and socially. Despite their tremendous efforts, results are often a fraction of their peers and social acceptance is fleeting, setting them up for painful comparisons and bitter frustration. Instead of a fun and fulfilling experience, school can become a breeding ground for depression and anxiety, and assignments a battle ground at home. It is exhausting for parent and child alike.

This is the week of SPED (Special Education), Autism, Dyslexia, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) awareness.

For all the children who struggle every day to succeed in a world that does not recognize their gifts and talents, and for those who are walking beside them, please let this be a gentle reminder to be kind and accepting of ALL people.

Recognize that the "playing field" is not always a level surface.

Children who learn differently are not weird. They are merely gifted in ways that our society does not value enough. Yet they want what everyone else wants: To be accepted!!

If you choose, please copy and paste this in honor of all children who are deemed "different". Our world would be far less beautiful without them.

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍

🗣️ WORLD READ ALOUD DAY 🗣️Of course, any book can be read aloud, but these two books absolutely MUST be read aloud!

Perfect for parents who are happy to act foolish (just a little bit) and children who like to giggle (who doesn't?) 'The Book With No Pictures' by ( ) and 'I Say OH You Say No' by John Kane ( ) are hilarious. Both have wide appeal - my 9 year old enjoys them as much as my 6 year old and 3 year old. Scroll across to read a few sample pages and you'll get the gist of how they operate. We will definitely be reading these two tonight after school.

Which book would you read aloud first?

🥲 GRIEF AND HOPE 🥲 My favourite type of picture book is a picture book with different layers of meaning. One that speaks to a very young child on one level and a more sophisticated reader on another. 'The Fire Fox' is a stunning example by and Stef Murphy ( .)

Inspired by the Saami myth of the fire fox, whose fur scatters sparks into the sky to become the Northern Lights, the story is about grief followed by hope. When Freya sadly loses her dad, the old log cabin in the snow feels cold and empty. But as Freya steps out into the wilderness, she meets a white fox who opens her eyes to the magic that surrounds us and a realisation that although her dad has gone, he will never be forgotten.

I absolutely love how subtle this book is with the messaging. It's beautifully written and illustrated using a palette that feels warm and toasty by the time we reach the final spread. The Fire Fox is a warming winter read with depth and emotion.

Which picture book would you snuggle by the fire with?

The 's 2024 is here! Will you be taking part this weekend? The RSPB has some fab resources to help inspire and educate little ones on their website. How many different types of British bird can you name?

Process Art Birds - Book Inspired Craft. (Kindly reposted from .)

We had indulged in some colourful play last weekend and painted sheets using a piece of cardboard. And currently loving the book “The Big Book of Birds” by .

As Mini A has recently developed a keen interest in art and craft activities, we used the process art sheets to create these colourful birds. This was a wholesome activity where he was completely involved - painting, cutting (of course I finished them) and gluing the pieces. Once the birds were completed, we talked about the various body parts of the birds, where do they live, what they eat, relating them all to the book!

About the book-

This book is love at first sight! It’s so beautifully illustrated that every picture grabs your attention. The information in this book is very extensive yet crisp & bite sized making it highly engaging for young children and adults equally.

It covers topics like various species of birds, eggs, feathers & wings, food, migration and a lot more. It’s a great addition to our mini library and we love it!


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Humour is a great hook for children who are trying chapter books or independent reading for the first time. It can also be a useful tool for those children sometimes labelled 'reluctant readers.'

Last week shared 8 brilliant books to make you laugh out loud. So, here are 8 brilliant books to make you laugh out loud (the chapter book edition)... (Ok... There may be a couple of graphic novels thrown in too - but they do include chapters!)

1. STINK. WORST. FAIRY. EVER. by ( )

2. MICHAEL THE AMAZING MIND READING SAUSAGE DOG by and ( )

3. REX DINOSAUR IN DISGUISE by ( )

4. WIGHLESBOTTOM PRIMARY, THE DPIRTS DAY CHICKEN by and ( )

5. LENNY LEMMON AND THE INVINCIBLE RAT by and ( )

6. AGENT MOOSE, FOR YOUR SPIES ONLY by and ( )

7. GRIMWOOD by ( )

8. BATPIG, TOO PIG TO FAIL by ( )

What was the last book to make you laugh out loud?

Do you have a child who prefers non-fiction to fiction? My eldest son found his way into reading independently through non-fiction. Nature was his doorway. If you have a child who adores cats - or perhaps you're the cat lover - I have the perfect non-fiction book for you.

AD/PR: A History of the World According to Cats by .hamilton and illustrated by .kao.illustration ( ) is a fascinating and entertaining read. The book is structured in chronological order, which is helpful in aiding understanding of how all the different time periods fit together. Naturally, the stories from history are told from a cat's perspective, which adds a purr-fect dose of humour throughout. Humour is also delivered through the vivid illustrations as the cat narrator examines our attitudes towards cats over time. I didn't know that Henry III was terrified of cats and would pass out whenever he saw one and 'cat ladies' in the 1600s were often thought to be witches. Thankfully that belief didn't stick around.

If you love cats - or are intrigued by history - A History of the World According to Cats would be a brilliant read to dip in and out of. It's cleverly written and designed. Thank-you to .hamilton for sending us a copy to review.

If you'd like to meet Kimberlie, she will be at near London Bridge on Saturday 24th February at 10am. The event, Hodge the Cat Presents 'Stories of Cats' is ticketed and Tickets are available for £22.50 each.

Our stacking cats in the photos are our own and are by . I love them for their versatility - they are often used for games, roleplay and of course, for stacking. There's almost no doubt that if we had a cat in the house, they would be constantly knocked over!🐾🐈‍⬛😹

What trait do you love most about cats?

Will you be joining in with the 's ? You just need to spend one hour observing the birds that land between 26th and 28th January. Last year, across the UK we recorded 9.1 million birds, with House Sparrows being the most common. Sadly, since the survey began in 1979, even the counts of house sparrows have decreased by 57%.

has themed this week's around our feathered friends. I'm sharing:

🪶 Penguin Huddle by and Sarah Warburton ( )

🪶 The Girl with a Parrot on her Head by ( )

🪶 One Lone Swallow by Corinne Fenton and Owen Swan ( )

🪶 Caged, a wordless picture book by Duncan Annand ( )

🪶 Evil Emperor Penguin, a graphic novel by ( )

🪶 Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell and ( )

🪶 Call the Puffins, a chapter book by Cath Howe and ( )

🪶 Dance Like a Flamingo by and ( )

Which would you read first?

Are you more reflective at this time of year? I've been mulling over my writing progress in 2023 and mapping out my goals and aspirations for 2024. 2024!!!

I still aspire to be agented, so some of my goals relate to submissions. Others to creating new work, and I am looking forward to creating a new chapter book series with an autistic protagonist.

Before the year is over, I'm sharing one old and one new story about maps.

In Martha Maps It Out by (published by ) Martha zooms in on her world from outer space. Each page turn reveals a closer layer and better understanding of Martha's world, until she ends up thinking big thoughts in her little bedroom. It's a clever approach to showing small children how we fit into the universe.

Busy Busy World by is one of my favourite books from my childhood. I've always been drawn to books with a map and this one is no exception.The book has 33 short stories from around the world. There may be a few stereotypes - the book was first published in 1966 - but the nostalgia I have flicking back through the pages makes me feel good.

What goals are you mapping out for 2024?

All they really want and need is connection, right?

I'm drafting a new story at the moment with a takeaway message grounded in consumerism. Our wants, needs and expectations over what we're entitled to versus what we class as life's little luxuries - these concepts get more jumbled than an old box of tree lights at this time of year.

So, it seems relevant to share It's a No-Money Day by , published by . This book cleverly tells two different stories - the child's understanding and the mother's reality. It's significant that the mother is a working mother - Milner has depicted this through the illustrations, yet, like many families, she still needs to visit a food bank. It's a book that speaks openly about living in poverty.

However, it's also a book that reminds us of childhood and the fun that can be derived from simple everyday, inexpensive experiences. Like the child in the story, my children all love playing snakes with our dressing gown cords, my eldest in particular has always had a thing for chasing birds, trying tirelessly to catch just one, and how often have you wrapped a gift for a young recipient to be more enamored with the box?!

I think, hands on hearts, we'd all agree: even as grown-ups it would be lovely to receive that extra special thing on our wishlists, but we would sacrifice it in a second to experience connection with each other. And children, however much they beg and tell us otherwise, really just want to be heard and feel loved.

Go mad if you can afford to, but don't beat yourself up if you can't. As writers, we plan stories to consider our characters wants and needs. Maybe Christmas is the time to consider our families' individual wants versus needs too?

How DOES Santa go down the chimney? I wonder how often I asked or wondered that as a child. It's a legitimate question, asked by many, who are trying their hardest to figure it all out. (Do we ever?🤷🏽‍♀️)

This book captures the festive curiosity of children. Written in first person, the voice is easily relatable. has used a series of questions and possible answers to probe and stretch children's imaginations - just a little - 'Can Santa see in the dark? Does he wear night vision goggles?' The amusing text is enhanced by 's illustrations. Both connect through deadpan humour - I chuckle each time I imagine what the reindeer might be saying in response to Santa's antics.

The story leaves the reader with a sense of warmth, wonder and excitement. It would make a fantastic addition to a book advent or bedtime read in the countdown to Christmas day.

Thank-you so much to who gifted my school this copy in a recent giveaway. You have helped our children to feel festive.

Thank-you to the lovely people at for adding my story to their picture book longlist. Even if my story gets no further, I shall be so happy about today's little win.

All writing lives spin on emotional yo-yos. They say to SHOUT out the highs because for each one, there have inevitably been multiple lows. Social media has a tendency to focus on the successes - the book deals, cover reveals, new agent signings. It's rarer to see little squares shouting about the non-wins and near-misses. Perhaps that's why bookish people are so amazingly supportive of each other? We all understand the graft, the hope and the disappointments that occur throughout all writers' journeys. It's empathy.

So, in the interest of balance, I'll share with you one of my recent lows:

I didn't get the arts council funding I applied for earlier this year. (And if I'm honest, I really, really thought I might.)

But do you know what... It's ok. The lows won't stop me from writing, hoping and waking up in the middle of the night with the solution to a plot hole or a brand new story idea. (I have lots of those!)

Congratulations to everyone who made the longlist today. And a huge applause to those who entered but didn't. As children's writers we feel all the feelings - from fuzzy ones to buzzy ones - and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Are you the noisiest house in your street? I'm pretty confident that we are. Try as we might, 'peace' doesn't often pop up in our vocabularies. So, I was drawn to Kitsy Bitsy's Noisy Neighbours by and (published by .)

Set in a high rise apartment block, the story follows a chain reaction of events that are triggered by H***y Tonk's singing and Hunky Dory's skipping on the top floor. The story features all manner of mishaps that are brought to life by 's lively illustrations until they reach Kitsy Bitsy on the ground floor. Kitsy Bitsy leads young readers to appreciate the importance of being considerate towards others - and what happens when they're not!

Sadly, this copy has to be returned to the library now. But I can't help but wonder if I've read it enough to allow the message to seep into my family's mindsets. I'd just like to say sorry in advance to my neighbours.🤞🗯️😬

🎤 TOMORROW 🎤 Dropping soon! Episode 13 of KidLit LIVE with guest Tracy Bullock. 🤩

Well, this is going to be fun. I am thankful to for wanting to chat to me. We first met last year at the festival and she is one of the most supportive writer friends I know. If you've tuned into her chats on with legends including and you'll know how wonderful a host she is. I just hope I can live up to the standard of natter!

Here's a REPOST with the lowdown:

Going LIVE at 8pm on Tuesday 29th August 2023. Watch LIVE on my YouTube channel. Link is in my bio.

Tracy is an autistic writer, teacher and wannabe astronaut / ballerina from Hertfordshire.

Her stories have won SCBWI’s Slush Pile Challenge, shortlisted in Writing Magazine’s Chapter Book Prize and longlisted in WriteMentor’s Picture Book Awards.

In 2020, she launched The Writing Den, creative writing workshops for children. Later followed The Reading Den, classes for parents, babies and toddlers to encourage a love of stories, shared reading and books. Last year, she co-organised Herts Book Festival.

More shouty-mum than super-mum, she occasionally snavels ideas from her 3 young children to turn into books. She frequently pays them in hugs of the biggest, squeeziest kind and is hoping to write a dedication to them soon.

KidLit LIVE's aim is to promote authors and illustrators at all stages of their career as there are many talented creatives out there that are yet to find agent representation or a publishing deal, but have wonderful and empowering stories to share.

Thank you for joining me on this venture.


Reposted from