Category: Picture Books

Book launches are always fun. Right?

There is a lot to organise. Bookstore, date, event, finding a time people can come.

Then there are activities. What will you do? What will be fun and entertaining? Do you need food?

Then the hardest part … will people come? How many people?

I’ve done launch events where only a couple people came and even done some signings where no one comes. The things we need to think about it!

Then how early is too early for a launch? How to Wait for Christmas had a release date of end of September. But perfect launch time? November just before Christmas?

And then my other new release is Izzy and Bart: The Case of the Unidentified Creature. My first graphic novel I have written. This book got stuck in China after printing and was delayed by 6 (yes six) weeks! Typhoon season slowed down transport! Preparing has no shortage of adventure.

Well to celebrate these two new releases I have set up a launch in both Brisbane and in Sydney. If you are local to either please come and meet me and say hi!

31st October: Better Read Than Dead

Both myself and the illustrators will be there! Should be fun!

Brisbane: Quick Brown Fox Bookshop 8th November 2.30pm

I love mixing maths into stories and have done this now with two picture books. I am super excited about Connected.

The illustrator and myself were interviewed here.

R.A.S: I’d love it if both kids and adults looking at the book could see the world a bit differently. Each person is important and can be a node connecting others to each other. Have you ever introduced someone to another person? You made a new connection.

I think it is cool that the concept can be explained using maths, and this is just like a computer network. But with people it is a huge reminder we are not alone. There are connections between people everywhere. And who you meet might lead to meeting someone else – and maybe even someone who will become a new best friend.

What do you feel are the benefits of ‘connecting’ literature and maths?

R.A.S: Stories with maths? I mean, why not? I think there has long been a consideration that English and Maths are two separate and never ‘connected’ areas of learning. But we often need numbers in literacy, and we also need words to explain some maths. They are already integrated. Why not integrate maths into bigger concepts? For me, it comes naturally because I just love how maths (and science as well) describes the world.