Roald Dahl Day

Roald Dahl Day is on the 13th Sept. A chance to reacquaint yourself and your children with this brilliant author, either by reading one of his books or watching a film adaptation. 

http://www.roalddahlday.info/

Quentin Blake is the most famous illustrator of Dahl's books and he has helped set up an organisation to preserve the illustrator's legacy. I went to an exhibition of some of his work at The Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle a couple of weeks ago. It is on until the 14th of October.

http://www.houseofillustration.org.uk/

I get regular newsletters from LoveReading4Kids. This month's featured writer is Jeanne Willis who I don't know and who writes for very young children. The illustrator of the month is Michael Foreman who is unbelievably prolific (try collecting all of his books!) and who's book One World I have often used to introduce environmental issues. One of the pages could be the beach at Redcar with industry in the background.

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/genre/iom/Illustrator-of-the-Month.htm

I'd also like to plug the reissue of Coraline by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by my favourite illustrator Chris Riddell. Chris's original artwork is for sale, and although a bit pricey, it is well worth a look at The Illustration Cupboard website:-


http://www.illustrationcupboard.com/default_flash.aspx




Neil Gaiman is an ilustrator himself and I was lucky enough to buy one of his illustrations for the Richard Dawkins book, The Magic of Reality. The work I have is an illustration of a Native North American Indian view of the origins of life. Maybe I'll get round to doing a bit on Dawkins and his attempts to get evolution into primary schools. I'd like to get involved in that.

Finally, in my ANIMATION blog, I forgot to mention the Wallace & Gromit Animation Soundtrack Competition for young children. Get the details from:-


http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/teachers/wallaceandgromit/