World Book Day with Churchwood Primary

Swapna HaddowHalfway Round the World with the Haddows, Pawsome News, Roosting With Dave

Yesterday, I spent World Book Day with the keyworker pupils of Churchwood Primary. I beamed in from New Zealand to the school in East Sussex to first meet with the Infants for a My Dad is a Grizzly Bear reading. This was the very first time I was reading the book to anyone so it was very exciting.

We then created our very own bears using scavenger hunt items and the children did a beartastic job creating lots of interesting shapes.

I then met with the Juniors for a Dave Pigeon plotting workshop where I revealed all my secret tips for making sure stories don’t fizzle towards the end when you are writing a page-turner.

There were stories about bouncy balls, deserts, libraries and even tissue boxes! I had so much fun inventing story plans with these brilliant young writers.

Thank you so much to the pupils and staff of Churchwood Primary Academy for making my World Book Day so special.

Ballet Bunnies: The Lost Slipper out now!

Swapna HaddowBallet Class in Session

Ballet Bunnies: The Lost Slipper hits shelves today!

Millie’s class have gone to the theatre to watch real ballerinas dance! Millie is about to go on a magical adventure with the Ballet Bunnies – will you join them too?

This fourth book in the Ballet Bunnies series is illustrated by the brilliant Binny Talib.

And it’s a double celebration at Miss Luisa’s School of Dance because Ballet Bunnies publishes in the US today with Random House Books. Hip, hip, hooray for the Ballet Bunnies!

The Book of Hopes is shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year

Swapna HaddowScrapbook

I’m so thrilled to announce that The Book of Hopes has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2020.

This book has gone further than any of us could ever have imagined and I never tire of seeing children’s wonderful work inspired by my poem ‘Me’ in the book. Thank you so much for your love and support and hugest congratulation to the many authors, illustrators, members of Team Bloomsbury, Team National Literacy Trust and Katherine Rundell on such an incredible feat.

Check out the incredible shortlist for the Book of the Year here.

Thank you, Waterstones!

The Book of Hopes out now!

Swapna HaddowScrapbook

I’m so thrilled that The Book of Hopes is now available to purchase in bookshops and online, with proceeds from sales going to NHS Charities.

It was a real honour to be asked to contribute to this beautiful collection and I’m so proud that Bloomsbury in partnership with Twinkl have produced an activity pack to help children find their voice and build confidence through poetry based on my poem ‘Me’. You can find all downloadable resources based on The Book of Hopes here.

Dave Pigeon at East Taieri School

Swapna HaddowHalfway Round the World with the Haddows, Roosting With Dave

Today I visited East Taieri School with ReadNZ’s Writers in Schools programme. It was my first school visit since lockdown and I was worried I might be a bit rusty but the staff and pupils at East Taieri were so kind and welcoming that I soon got back in the swing of things.

We created brand new stories for Mean Cat inspired by Dave Pigeon and I loved hearing how Mean Cat demolished a city, landed in a pool of baked beans and tripped over the world’s smallest worm amongst many, many other brilliant ideas.

Thank you so much to the staff and pupils at East Taieri for being so pigeontastic.