My children's story in print

Along with 16 other writers, journalists and bloggers I have contributed a bedtime story to a children's book in aid of Save the Children.   You can buy it from blurb here.

All the stories begin with the classic Once upon a time, but all take the reader to very different places.  The inspiration for my story was children's play and the idea of making something out of nothing, in this case a box.  I made the collage illustration, above, with my two children, which might give you a few clues to the story.

The collection is very varied, with a mixture of stories and poems.  In most cases the writer's children helped with the story ideas and the illustrations.  It's a really inspiring collection, for a great cause, written by people who know an awful lot about what makes children, and their grown up story readers, tick.

Once upon a time

Bedtime stories
i...

By Seventeen parent ...

Book Preview

The Pass on the Love Picnic, a modern fairy story

A bloodcurdling scream whooshed through the tunnels of Castle Alexander. The King glanced up from angry birds, the princess paused her DS, and the little prince even dropped smelly bear.

'Enough' screamed the Queen as she came flying down the corridor on a toy car.  'Time to tidy up. This castle is a deathtrap.'

'Absolutely,' mumbled the King.

'Well, do something!' screeched the Queen.

At that moment there was a knock at the door, and as if by magic, there appeared a box. 

'Presents!'  shouted the prince.

'Toys!' shouted the princess.

'I bloomin hope not!' said the Queen.

'Well, shall we open it?' said the King.

Inside the box was a letter from Persil, and a Pass the Love Picnic Kit.  The Persil Godmother has spoken,' announced the Queen. 'We're having a picnic, we must wash your old clothes and toys in this', the Queen held up a gleaming bottle of purple liquid marked Persil and Comfort 2 in 1, 'and pass them on to other children in this', she waved a green Oxfam collection bag.

The prince and princess looked nervously at the green bag.  The little prince's bottom lip began to wobble.

'Never fear,' said the Queen. 'You may choose what to put in it, but anything that is not put away properly, goes in the green bag.  

So while the King made sandwiches, the Queen helped the prince and princess fill the washing machine with old soft toys and clothes.  The little prince even agreed to let smelly bear have a much needed bath, on the understanding he was not to go in the green bag.

The toys and clothes dried on the washing line.  The sun shone, the wind blew and filled the castle with the calming aroma of passionflowers.

The prince and princess ate their lavish picnic of jam sandwiches, hula hoops, quavers, fruit salad and ice cream in the castle gardens.

Meanwhile, panic was spreading amongst the castle animals.

'I hear some animals are going to the charity shop,' whispered the bluebird.

'They don't want us anymore,' sniffed the squirrel.

'The time comes', said the wise old polar bear, 'to pass on the love to another child. And to make some money for charity on the way.'

'What's charity?' asked fox.

'Some children don't have any toys,' said Polar bear.

'I wouldn't mind belonging to a child who didn't have any toys,' said badger.  'I might get played with more often.'

'True' said Polar bear, 'very true my friend.'

And so the green bag was filled with sweet smelling animals and other long forgotten toys, placed in the back of the royal chariot, and delivered to Oxfam.

Peace descended on the castle once more.  The little prince was reunited with passionflower smelling bear and curled up on the softest picnic blanket ever known, to finish the last of the quavers.

Persil Pass on the Love picnics encourage the recycling of old toys, either to other children, or to Oxfam, after a good wash in Persil and Comfort 2 in 1. Oxfam urgently need your support right now, after the worst food crisis of the century has left 10 million people in desperate need of food and water in East Africa.   Fill a bag, make a donation and if you are at Camp Bestival this summer look out for the Persil huge Pass the Love picnic.  Or why not organise your own picnic?  You can claim a picnic pack here.

I am a member of the Netmums Parent Bloggers Network, a unique community of parent bloggers from around the UK who have been handpicked by the Netmums team from our database to review products and brands on their behalf. I am paid an expenses fee to cover my time (and childcare if the fee is big enough!) but Netmums have no editorial control whatsoever about what I blog about. Being a member of the Netmums Blogging Network means that I get to try out products and brands and get my expenses covered but that I retain full editorial integrity.

Reinventing the Fairy Story

Once upon a Christmas, a Queen bought Mixed Up Fairy Stories for 4yo Princess L:

Make your own fairy story

It's turned out to be brilliant on so many levels. It is really firing her imagination and encouraging her to invent her own stories.  I love it because I struggle with fairy stories that lack girl power.  I'm with Fiona in Shrek 4 who said life isn't a fairytale and that she rescued herself from the tower.   Miss L did get a Rapunzel doll for Christmas, but I don't want her to think life is about sitting in towers waiting for a prince to come and rescue you.  Fairy stories need reinventing.

Best of all it seems to be right on her humour wavelength, I have never seen her laugh so much at the silly scenarios she has created.  However, this was the scenario that made me and Mr A laugh:

Blimey Cinders!



Mixed Up Fairy Stories by Hilary Robinson.  Illustrated by Nick Sharratt.

Anyway is it just me who thinks some fairy stories need mixing up? 

Penny in Miffyland and a GIVEAWAY

Penny was beginning to get very tired of being pregnant, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her husband was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is the use of a book', thought Penny, 'without pictures or conversation?  And then Penny's Mummy and Daddy suggested a visit to an art gallery.   From behind a pillar appeared a white rabbit... (Thanks to Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll)

This was taken when I was pregnant with Miss L (just thought I would make that clear), at an exhibition of Dick Bruna's illustrations at Manchester Art Gallery .  I loved his work as a child but as an adult the exhibition gave me a whole new appreciation.

Bruna used to be in advertising before he went into illustrating kid's books.  I think this really shows in his knack for communicating powerful messages simply.  Although his illustrations are far from simple to create.  Often it can take Bruna all day to get an expression just right. “For me, less is more. I work very hard on tears, making two or three of them, and then finding that one tear is more effective”. 

Miffy is 55 this year, but doesn't look a day over 5.  But even more remarkable, Dick Bruna is 82 and still works every day in his studio in Utrecht.

http://www.miffyshop.co.uk/ has a great selection of Miffy goods which would make great Christmas presents and stocking fillers. With Miss L starting school next year I am very drawn to this Miffy lunchbox:

I also have two to giveaway to two of the people who leave a comment below.  Please remember to tell me how I can contact you. 

For extra entries you are very welcome to tweet 'I have entered the Miffy giveaway http://t.co/UzCsu5i  #win #comp'  /follow my blog/ follow me on twitter @Aresidence/ mention this prize on your blog.  Please leave a separate comment for each you have done so I can allocate a number to each entry. 

Good Luck!  This is open until Thursday 16th December.  I am sorry but UK entries only.