Stonely's Roaring Year So Far!

Calling all Stonely fans!

Stonely fans will recall that last September, Stonely's Pet Dinosaur became a finalist in the children's section of the UK's The People's Book Prize competition.  Well, voting is now underway to find an overall winner!  The general public are the exclusive voters.  

Therefore, if you would like to see Stonely' s Pet Dinosaur as your worthy winner, I would be thrilled if you could click on the logo below to register and cast your vote!  It only takes a few minutes, and is free!  Voting ends soon – on 10th July.

Colouring is cool!

Regular readers of my blog may remember that a Stonely's Pet Dinosaur colouring competition was featured in the Kids' Corner section of the summer 2015 edition of the South West Wales Primary Times.  The winning entries were announced in the October 2015 half-term edition.

I think the winning entries are dino-tastic.  

I was very impressed by the imaginative and neatly coloured-in designs.

Well done to all the winners, who received a copy of Stonely's Pet Dinosaur as their prize! 

If you would like to try your hand at colouring in some superb Stonely pictures, please click on the dot-to-dot colouring-in sheet below to download some copies.  

Fantastic fossil fun!

During a blustery weekend in February, Stonely's Pet Dinosaur took part in a Family Fun Day event at the Dinosaur Isle museum on the Isle of Wight.  The museum is Britain's first purpose built dinosaur museum and visitor attraction. 

Throughout the day, I did numerous readings of Stonely's Pet Dinosaur to captivated young audiences who just loved to ROARRR!!!  

My loyal sons acted as my patient prop hands.  

        

I also signed books for the young Stonely fans.

Colourful dinosaur-themed balloons proved a great success with the young visitors...

...who also enjoyed colouring in Stonely pictures.

  
Thank you, Dinosaur Isle, for inviting us to your Family Fun Day event.  We all had a wonderful time!


Stonely has landed in libraries again!

Stonely's Pet Dinosaur can now be borrowed from Essex Libraries as well as London Borough of Redbridge Libraries!

Thank you to everyone who has supported Stonely's Pet Dinosaur!

Keep on reading, roaring and voting! 

Naomi x

A roaring year!!!

Successful Stonely!

What an exciting year it has been for Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur since its release last August.  In April, the book won the silver medal in the pre-school picture book category of The Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards,

and now I’m thrilled to announce that Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur is a finalist in The People’s Book Prize 2015/2016!

I’d like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all those who voted and helped Stonely reach the finals!  I am now looking forward to wearing my posh red frock at the black-tie ceremony which takes place on 27 May 2016 at Stationers’ Hall in London, where the five winners will be announced!  The general public can vote for their winner(s) between 15-27 May 2016.  All votes for Stonely will be most welcome.  Please click on the logo below to vote.  It only takes a few minutes, and is free!

Dino-tastic delights!

Over the August bank holiday weekend, my family and I visited the Isle of Wight. The picturesque island has an abundance of dinosaur fossils in its cliffs and quarries. 

The coloured cliffs of Alum Bay were mesmerising!   

During our stay, we visited Dinosaur Isle - a marvellous, child-friendly museum in Sandown at the south of the island.

Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur is being sold in the gift shop of the museum,

and it was fabulous to see my book sitting comfortably on the shelf with lots of well-known dinosaur books for children! 

My sons enjoyed learning about the bones

and fossils found on the island. 

                        

They also enjoyed dressing up as cuddly dinosaurs in the museum’s Education Room.  ROARRR!!!

Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur is also available to buy from the gift shops of Dan-yr-Ogof (the National Showcaves Centre for Wales) and Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge.


Raucous roars!

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting one of my local libraries, Fullwell Cross Library in Barkingside, where I performed a reading of Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur to a captivated audience who enjoyed belting out their best dinosaur ROARRRS.

My sons enjoyed being my loyal prop hands!  

After the reading, I signed books

                         

and the young dinosaur fans coloured in Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur activity sheets

and played with bright balloons and inflatable dinosaurs!

Much fun was had by all.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur this year.

Keep on roaring!!!

Naomi x

Roaring Times!

Voting ends soon!

Regular readers of my blog will know that Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur, my debut rhyming picture book for young children, has been nominated for The People’s Book Prize 2015/2016.  This wonderful award, which promotes new authors, is judged exclusively by the general public.  Voting ends on 31^st August.  To help Stonely reach the finals, I would be delighted if you could click on the logo below to register and vote.  It only takes a few minutes, and is free!

A roaring time!

Last Saturday, on a sweltering summer's day, the charming Chicken & Frog Independent Children’s Bookshop in Brentwood, Essex, happily hosted my latest children’s book event. 

I performed a staged reading of my book aided by my trusty prop hands (my sons)

and afterwards I signed books.

There were big colourful balloons, mouth-watering chocolate chip muffins, inflatable dinosaurs

and dinosaur colouring sheets to keep the children amused.

A roaring time was had by all!

Date for your diary!

Please join me for another dino-tastic children's book event at Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside, Essex, on Thursday 27^th August at 2.30 pm.

Keep on roaring and voting!

Naomi x

Family Fun in the Sizzling Sun!

Cast your vote now!

The sizzling summer is speeding by in England, but there is still time to help Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur reach the final of The People’s Book Prize 2015/2016.  Voting continues until the end of August, and therefore more votes - and lovely comments - would be most welcome! To register and vote, please click on the logo below.  It only takes a few minutes, and is free!

Theatre treats!

A few weeks ago, thanks to Kids Week, where kids go free to London theatres, I took my family to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at London’s Drury Lane Theatre.  The mighty musical, which is based on Roald Dahl’s classic chocolate book, was full of spectacular effects and did not disappoint!

This week, we were transported to deprived Victorian England when we visited the theatre again to celebrate my younger son’s 8^th birthday.  We were captivated by the mesmerising musical Hetty Feather at the Duke of York Theatre in London.

The spellbinding show, which was nominated for an Olivier Award, is based on the book of the same name by Dame Jacqueline Wilson.  It tells the story of a fiery, imaginative red-headed young girl, who, as a baby, is left by her destitute mother at London’s Foundling Hospital in 1876.

Jacqueline Wilson, who was one of the first Fellows of the Foundling Museum, often attends performances of Hetty Feather, and my sons were thrilled when they spotted her during the interval.  

At the end of the show, the author, who also wrote the much-loved Tracy Beaker series which was dramatised by the BBC, happily signed books 

                    

                                         

                                  and programmes











and posed for photos with her young fans, including my sons!

Stonely has landed in the libraries!

I’m delighted to let you know that Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur can now be borrowed from the London Borough of Redbridge Libraries!  The book is shortly coming to Essex libraries too, so watch this space!

My boys love visiting their local library, and they are enjoying taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge to read six library books over the summer holidays and then write short reviews of them!

Dates for your diary! 

Over the coming few weeks, I will be taking part in the following book events for young children:

On Saturday 22^nd August at 3 p.m., I will be performing a staged-reading of Stonely’s Pet Dinosaur and signing books at the Chicken and Frog Independent Children’s Bookshop in Brentwood, Essex. 

On Thursday 27^th August at 2.30 p.m., I will be reading my book at Fullwell Cross Library, Barkingside, Essex.

I would be delighted if you could join me!

Thanks to all my Stonely fans for your continued support.  Keep on roaring! 

Naomi x