A Wonderfully Whimsical School Visit!

Posted by Sarah Hill

I was very fortunate to be invited to King’s College Primary School recently for a Whimsy Wood author visit. This hugely historic independent school was founded in 1441 by King Henry VI and is beautifully nestled amongst Cambridge University’s stunning buildings.

Artistic interpretation of King’s College Primary School

I thoroughly enjoyed delivering a Whimsy Wood assembly, running woodland-related craft workshops and reading my 7th Whimsy Wood children’s book, ‘Posie Pixie And The Pancakes’, to all their pre-prep children.

Sarah taking some questions following her Whimsy Wood assembly.
Sarah reading her 7th Whimsy Wood book, ‘Posie Pixie And The Pancakes’ to the pre-prep children.

The children were a joy to work with and the staff were so warm and welcoming. It really was a wonderfully whimsical school visit! Thank you so much King’s College Primary School!

What a wonderfully whimsical author visit!

Mom’s Choice Awards For My Whimsy Wood Children’s Books!

Posted by Sarah Hill

I’m absolutely thrilled to tell you that, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Chocolate Caterpillar’ and ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’, books 8, 9 and 10 respectively in my ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s series, have been awarded the Mom’s Choice Awards Honouring Excellence seal! If you click on this link you’ll find book 8 in the MCA online store:- http://store.momschoiceawards.com/index.php?entry_id=6132

Books 8, 9 and 10 in The Whimsy Wood Series! 😃📚💖

In case you’re unaware of the Mom’s Choice Awards, their Awards Honoring Excellence seal is widely recognized as the symbol representing the best in family-friendly media, products and services. Around the world, parents, educators, retailers and the media trust the Mom’s Choice Awards for their product reviews and evaluations. It’s a huge honour that ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Chocolate Caterpillar’ and ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’ have been recognised in this way and are now part of the MCA family!

The Mom’s Choice Awards Honorary Excellence Seal given to ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Chocolate Caterpillar’ and ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’!

‘Fearne Fairy’, ‘Posie Pixie’ and the rest of the woodland folk will be having their very own party in ‘Whimsy Wood’ to celebrate! There’ll be plenty of acorn cups of hot, sweet snowberry juice for everyone for toasting. Posie’s going to make her yummy pixie ‘hokey pokey’ and ‘Mrs Scarlet the squirrel’ will be bringing along some of her infamous crackle crunch cakes! Here at the Whimsy Wood HQ, we didn’t want to miss out on all the celebrating, so we’ll be raising a glass or 2 of the fizzy stuff later!

On that note, I’d better get on and be creative elsewhere before the fizzy stuff appears! I’ll bid you farewell and wish you a wonderfully whimsical weekend!

Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.


Twelfth Night In Whimsy Wood

Posted by Sarah Hill

All manner of exciting things have been happening in Whimsy Wood over the past week or so. There was the grand clear-up in Whimsy Wood, following the rather extravagant New Year’s Eve party thrown by Bromley Badger! As you will probably know, Bromley is Whimsy Wood’s party-animal! Whenever he appears in Whimsy Wood, he’s usually going to or coming home from a party of some sort and he’s normally got a party balloon tied about himself and a party hat askew on his head!

Then Twelfth Night arrived, perhaps too quickly for some unprepared woodland folk and it was quite a dash and scrabble to ensure everyone had taken their Christmas decorations down and tidied things away in Whimsy Wood, before January the 6th was over! In fact, Fearne Fairy’s Great Aunt Flora and Posie Pixie’s Nanny Pip came and lent a hand or two, as there were so many decorations to put away!

Fearne Fairy gets some help from Great Aunt Flora in taking the Christmas decorations down!

 

Mrs Spottisdowne the sparrow had got completely carried away this Christmas and had sewn garland upon garland of holly and ivy sprigs. These had been strung up amongst the oak and ash trees in Whimsy Wood and Fearne Fairy had applied a special wintry spell, which ensured they glistened and glimmered as though they were permanently touched by frost. The effect was stunning. Nevertheless, it took a fair amount of time taking them down again!

The frosty, enchanted Whimsy Wood with all the festive decorations taken down…❄️

 

Needless to say that the woodland folk are worn out now by their New Year and Twelfth Night shenanigans! So much so that most of them have decided to choose ‘going to bed early’ as their New Year’s resolutions! Finlay Fairy is already tucked up cosy and warm in his bed tonight, having had an acorn cup of steaming hot snowberry juice and read a fairy story before going to sleep!

On that note, I shall bid you farewell and wish you a wonderfully whimsical Wednesday!

Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.

3 Whimsy Wood Author Visits For World Book Day 2019!

Posted by Sarah Hill

I’m absolutely thrilled to confirm that I have indeed been invited to visit 3 primary schools with my Whimsy Wood books during World Book Week 2019!

The first of these full-day author visits is to Westlands Community Primary School in Essex on Friday March the 1st. Second up is Drove Primary School in Swindon on Monday March the 4th and last but not least is my Whimsy Wood visit to Cherhill Primary School in Wiltshire on Wednesday March the 6th.

During these exciting school visits, as part of World Book Week, I will be running creative writing and woodland craft workshops, leading assemblies, taking Q&A sessions, signing copies of my Whimsy Wood children’s books and reading book 7, ‘Posie Pixie And The Pancakes’.

Fabulous Front Cover Of 'Posie Pixie And The Pancakes'.

Front Cover Of ‘Posie Pixie And The Pancakes’.rld

 

I can’t wait to meet and work with all the children and staff at these primary schools when I visit them in March! There’s plenty of planning and preparation to be done for these visits before then, which will definitely keep me out of mischief!

Wishing you all a wonderfully whimsical weekend!

Sarah Hill,

Children’s author and creator of the Whimsy Wood series. 😃📚✨

 

 

Hip Hip Hooray! It’s National Poetry Day!

Posted by Sarah Hill

Incase you didn’t know, today is National Poetry Day here in the U.K.! To celebrate this delightful day, I thought I’d share with you a poem that I’d come across recently. This poem featured in the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) magazine and is written by Jane Yolen:-

THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR
Getcha red hot metaphors here,
Your poetry stretches line by line.
Yes, you can handle the similes
I think you’ll find they’re rather fine.

Alliteration always sells,
Even in recessions,
But slant rhymes are another kettle
Of fish, of flesh, of fissions.

I’ve got some second-hand paragraphs,
Some small, used punctuations
Suitable for a senior prom
And for most graduations.

And psst, if you will come back here,
You’ll find that you’re in luck.
I’ve got some first class sentences
That just fell off the truck!

I also have a poem of my own that I’d like to share with you on this lyrical day. This poem features in my third ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s book, titled ‘Posie Pixie And The Torn Tunic’. This particular whimsical story is written for the marvellous month of October and is about Posie Pixie’s love of blackberries!

POSIE’S BLACKBERRY POEM
Blackberries, blackberries on my mind,
I could eat you all the time.
In a pie with vanilla ice-cream,
Or hot with custard. Oh what a dream!
I could warm and squash you into jam,
Then spread you on everything, even ham!
Blackberries, blackberries, I love you,
All bumpy and shiny and purpley-blue.

Front Cover Of ‘Posie Pixie And The Torn Tunic’, Book 3 In The Whimsy Wood Series 😃📚✨

 

For an extract from this third Whimsy Wood book, or for more information about the Whimsy Wood children’s series, then please visit the ‘Book’ section on this website. ‘Posie Pixie And The Torn Tunic’ is available from all good online and high street book retailers. Thank you.

With Autumnal whimsical wishes,

Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of the Whimsy Wood series.

After An Inspiring Author Visit Packed To The Rafters With Whimsical Fun?

Posted by Sarah Hill

You are? Oh goody! Then you’ve come to the right place because Whimsy Wood’s award-winning children’s author, Sarah Hill, is just the pocket-sized person for your school, library or nursery visit!

Sarah visiting Townsend Barn Nursery, Poulshot, Wiltshire. 😃📚✨

 

Sarah is regularly invited to visit primary schools, nurseries and libraries across the UK. She is very flexible and will work out a plan for her visit to that particular establishment, depending on what has been asked of her.

Sarah Meets Wyberton Primary’s ‘School Council’ After Her Assembly To Their School. 😃📚✨

 

Sarah will happily lead an assembly, run woodland-related literacy activities with each of the KS1 classes and creative writing workshops with the KS2 pupils. If you would just like her to read the latest ‘Whimsy Wood’ book to your nursery children or KS1 children, then again she is happy to do that.

Reading ‘Posie Pixie And The Fireworks Party’ to the children at the Las Vegas Valley Book Festival! 😃📚✨

 

Alternatively, you may prefer to arrange a Skype call with Sarah, as various schools overseas have done in the past.

‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s author Sarah Hill skyping with schools overseas 😃📚✨

Please feel free to contact Sarah by email on whimsy.pixie76@gmail.com or via the contact page on Whimsy Wood’s very own website www.whimsywood.co.uk You’ll also find some wonderful testimonials regarding Sarah’s author visits on Whimsy Wood’s website. For example, here is Staniland Academy’s English Co-ordinator, Mrs Brown’s thoughts:- “The staff and children alike, were inspired by the fantastic workshops that they took part in. The children enjoyed talking to and meeting a ‘real-life’ author and quickly warmed to Sarah’s enthusiastic and friendly personality. The Whimsy Wood stories were brought to life in a fun and imaginative way and we are already looking forward to planning another visit.”

Well, that’s all from me for now, so I shall bid you farewell and wish you a wonderfully whimsical weekend!

Sarah 😃📚✨

Remembering Peter Firmin – A Creative Genius And Inspiration

Posted by Sarah Hill

A few weeks ago, my mum kindly pulled out an article in The Times newspaper and popped it in the post to me, knowing that I would love to read it. Now, I confess, that with the end of my three children’s summer term rapidly approaching when this article arrived in the post, I plonked it on the side in our kitchen along with all the other ‘must do’ things. Yesterday I finally managed to grab five minutes peace to myself and read this article about the truly wonderful and inspiring Peter Firmin.

The amazing Peter Firmin with his creations, The Clangers, their Soup Dragon & Professor Yaffle 😃📚✨

 

It was just a month ago that this wonderful man and creative genius very sadly passed away. He was an incredible artist, puppet maker and animator, probably best known for his involvement with ‘Bagpuss’, ‘The Clangers’, ‘Ivor the Engine’, ‘Basil Brush’ (my favourite!) and ‘Noggin the Nog’.

‘Noggin the Nog’, a children’s much-loved classic 😃📚✨

 

All these fantastic programmes I watched and loved as a child. I had no idea then that these puppets were originally made from discarded rubbish such as yoghurt pots, pipe cleaners and pegs! The quirky pink skin of the Clangers at the time was actually knitted by Peter Firmin’s wife Joan!

Peter Firmin, the Soup Dragon and Mother Clanger in her knitted pinkness! 😃📚✨

 

The enchanting programmes themselves were made in a disused cowshed in Peter Firmin’s backyard under Smallfilms production company, which was formed by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. Oliver Postgate was the phenomenal ‘writing part’ of this hugely successful duo and their production company was active from 1958 to the late 1980s.

Peter Firmin’s daughter Emily and the one and only Bagpuss! 😃📚✨

 

I can only hope and dream that my own creation, the Whimsy Wood Family, will be half as successful as Peter Firmin’s wonderfully whimsical world…. Rest in peace sir. I have a long way to go and a lot to learn. Thank you very much for the hugely inspiring legacy of animation and creativity that you leave behind. 🙏📚✨

😍🦊 Basil Brush! 🦊😍

The Big Butterfly Count And A Wonderful Whimsy Wood Review!

Posted by Sarah Hill

Today marks the start of The Big Butterfly Count here in the U.K.! It runs until August the 12th and was originally launched back in 2010. This project aims to help assess the health of our environment and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies! For more information and to get involved then please check out www.bigbutterflycount.org

Get involved with this year’s Big Butterfly Count! 😃🦋

Keeping with a butterfly theme, I was very fortunate to receive a wonderful review for ‘Fearne Fairy And The Chocolate Caterpillar’, my 9th exciting instalment from the enchanting ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s series! Here’s a snippet of what Abbie at ‘Bloomin’ Brilliant Books’ thought:-

“….I loved the way this book is written. Hill’s use of alliteration gives the story a rhythm and makes it immediately engaging to the reader. The use of this technique within the character’s names makes them easy for children to remember. Brilliantly written for young readers, I can imagine that any child would be easily captivated by the story.

Books 8, 9 and 10 in The Whimsy Wood Series! 😃📚💖

Fearne Fairy and the Chocolate Caterpillar

It also has a conversational tone in places making it an ideal book to read aloud to your child. The use of phrases such as ‘splish, splash, splosh’ encourage young, new readers to get involved in the story and I can imagine children saying these phrases loudly. ‘Fearne Fairy And The Chocolate Caterpillar’ is the perfect length to keep young minds focused. …..”

As you can imagine I was absolutely delighted to receive such a fantastic review! Thank you very much Abbie at ‘Bloomin Brilliant Books’! On that cheery note I shall bid you farewell and wish you a wonderfully whimsical weekend!

Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of the Whimsy Wood children’s books. @WhimsyWood

A Wonderfully Whimsical World Book Week! 😃📚✨

Posted by Sarah Hill

Last week was World Book Week and with it came the 21st World Book Day on Thursday March the 1st 2018, along with freezing cold temperatures and heavy snow fall across the U.K.!

Hip hip hooray! It’s World Book Day! 😃📚✨

 

My adorable Whimsy Wood Family characters and I were fortunate to be invited to severally primary schools across England, to lead their assemblies, run woodland-related literacy activities for their KS1 children, give creative writing workshops to their KS2 children and read one of the Whimsy Wood stories to their pupils.

Sarah leading the assembly at Rowde Primary Academy

 

Children getting inspired by the Whimsy Wood creative writing workshops! 😃📚✨

 

Luckily, our author visits were completed by Thursday afternoon, before the snow drifts arrived in the south west of England where I live. The site of those beautiful snowflakes falling, creating a magical white wonderland was a joy to behold!

Sarah about to set off on another school visit during World Book Week 2018! 😃📚✨

 

Sarah reading ‘Posie Pixie And The Pancakes’ to the school children during
World Book Week 😃📚✨

 

The snow has now melted away, leaving behind delicate snowdrops and budding daffodils as a sure sign of spring. The post has even been able to arrive today and with it came a really lovely letter from a headmistress of one of the schools I visited last week.

Lovely letter of thanks from the headmistress at Rowde Primary School 😃📚✨

Here was their testimonial following my half day author visit to Rowde Primary School:-
“Sarah Hill, author of The Whimsy Wood Family series of books came to visit us today, as we started Book Week! We had a fantastic morning, Sarah led an inspirational assembly and then read to KS1. KS2 enjoyed a creative writing class with her, designing their own characters and woodland adventures. Thank you Sarah, we all had a amazing, creative morning.”

Goodness me, as you can imagine, I’m absolutely overjoyed to receive such a wonderful letter and glowing testimonial. It really has made a brilliant start to my week! Thank you. 😃📚✨

I really am very fortunate to be invited into primary schools throughout the year with my Whimsy Wood Family children’s books and if you would like to know more about the wonderfully whimsical creative writing workshops that I run or book me, then please feel free to contact me here and browse this website for further information. Thank you.

Wishing you all a wonderfully whimsical week!

Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of the Whimsy Wood Family 😃📚✨

Wonderful Reviews For ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’!

Posted by Sarah Hill

Well it’s certainly been a wonderfully whimsical week in the world of ‘Whimsy Wood’! This is because a number of wonderful reviews have arrived in my inbox for a few of my ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s books, which is just marvellous! In particular, there have been two charming reviews for ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’, book 10 in my ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s series, that have really brightened up my week!

Here is a snippet from Briony’s review:-
‘….my son really enjoys these books and all of the wildlife in them. We spend ages pouring over the pictures as he points out different animals and insects. He giggles at the mishaps and now really wants to learn to fly. My only saving grace currently is the season, the lack of available dragonflies to train him is upsetting but understandable. Hopefully he’ll have forgotten by spring, that’s unlikely though isn’t it.

Every time we read a new one of the Whimsy Wood books his interest in the world around him peaks and he looks for bugs and insects even more actively than normal. That for me is the whole reason I love these books. A great story, coupled with an interest in the natural world. ….’ You can find the rest of Briony’s rave review on her brilliant blog at http://anywaytostay.com/fearne-fairy-chocolate-caterpillar-book-review/

The fabulous front cover of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’, the 10th ‘Whimsy Wood’ book!

Here is a sniff of the review by International Writers Inspiring Change:-
‘….Fearne Fairy and The Landing Lesson, by Sarah Hill, is a wonderful and light-hearted story, filled with visions of a fantasy world. Children will love this story, and no doubt, all the books in The Whimsy Wood Series, of which this one is number 10 in the series. …’

The back cover of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Landing Lesson’!

You won’t be surprised to learn that those lovely reviews have put a smashing smile on my little face! While I’m feeling ‘on top of the world’ so to speak, the best thing for me to do is to carry on writing! With that in mind, I shall bid you farewell and get cracking on book 15, ‘Fearne, Posie And The Giggling Ghost!’

Wishing you a wonderfully whimsical week,

Sarah Hill
Children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.