Yes, this post is about five picture books I read last week, but Giggi and Daddy is special, so special that I think it's probably one of my favourite picture books of all time! I bought a bunch of books at Pickle Yolk Books' birthday sale and ah! I could read all of them over and over again.And on that note, if you haven't yet had a look at their sale yet, do. It is on right through the month of October. Of my treasures, I read The Tree Boy first. I was intrigued by the title and the illustrations, plus, the writer is a friend. I've read and loved several of her other books - It's a Laddoo Party! on StoryWeaver is one that I've used multiple times during workshops, I attended the launch of her award-winning The Clever Tailor ... It was time to read another.And I loved it! The artwork, the layout and the story itself come together to create a gorgeous, … [Read more...]
Reflections: Day One of AFCC 2018
AFCC 2018 was a bit of a whirlwind experience for me. For one, with work commitments that I could not break, I got to Singapore only on the day that the festival was to begin. So, sleep-deprived but fuelled by adrenalin, I arrived at the National Library Board after the keynote had begun. Exhaustion took its toll on me, though, so on days two and three, I was barely able to attend any sessions. Despite that, AFCC 2018 was wonderful, full of new ideas, energy and the urge to create more.I began AFCC 2018 with a session conducted by Australian author Pamela Rushby on making the perfect pitch. I hear so many stories about authors meeting editors and publishers at lit fests and then signing contracts for books. Learning how to pitch would definitely be useful.For me, there were two big takeaways. One, I discovered again how essential the word count of your novel is. It helps … [Read more...]