Author Visit and Pop Up Workshops at Singapore American International School

It's been a great privilege to be a visiting author and artist at several International Schools over the years. I love travelling and I love working with children, so it's a great combination for me. This year I was invited to be visiting author and illustrator at the Singapore American School by Kirsten Harvey from the Elementary Art Department at this great school. It was quite a challenge! 1600 children from all over the planet, all eager to express their creative skills with Mr Paul. And that was just the Elementary School!
What great kids and what a testament to a school that really values the power of creativity and art at the core of the curriculum. The curiosity and pure joy of learning that such an approach inculcates is so blindingly obvious that it makes me wonder, yet again, what our UK politicians and their pursuit of rote learning and grammar are thinking. Or not thinking.
The moment I walked into the first of four colourful and fun art rooms I knew I was in for a treat. The elementary art teachers, Kirsten Harvey, Suzanne Heathorn, Erin Caskey, Erica Adkinson and Kelly McFadzen have created such vibrant and interesting spaces that it wasn't just the children who were excited about their art classes. Class sizes were great at just 22 but in order to see all the 1600 children, I sometimes had classes of 44. Large numbers don't really faze me, as I often have to deal with much larger numbers in the UK but even with 12 working days at the school, I had to do shorter 45 minute workshops to see all of the children in the school.
These children were great though, with art, design and creativity as a core part of their school lives, they were full of fun and the joy of curiosity and artistic expression. They were ready to go!
Here's a lovely video made by Kelly of just some of the children I worked with over the course of 18 days in Singapore.



As usual it was immediately apparent that this school treasures it's librarians. It's always a joy to visit schools that are able to give their children the best start by not only providing top libraries but also passionate and skilled librarians. It doesn't have to be a well funded international school, any school that has a good library but more importantly good librarians at the core of the children's learning, immediately stands out. To walk the school corridors with a librarian being besieged by children asking about and clearly loving their latest books and eager for the next is such a pleasure. UK education authorities please take note.
My main contact with the Singapore American School library service was Kate Brundage, who helped to make my visit such a success. I think there's been a major run on the pop up books in their libraries since I left!
Years of school visits have prompted me to design a very simple pop up mechanism to teach to the children. I've created a pop up which utilises a curved fold which has now delighted tens of thousands of children. Curved folds always surprise and delight, as their action is somewhat unpredictable and can easily be customised by each child to create something completely unique. Not one single pop up monster will ever be the same and no matter what age, the children will be giggling and marvelling at the ingenuity of their inventions. It's simple so that reception or kindergarten children can easily achieve something special, whilst older children and adults find plenty of scope to create something more sophisticated.
It's a delight to guide and watch the children and to see the looks of surprise and pride makes everything worthwhile for me. Watching the children imagine the backstory and world of their creatures is a similar thrill. Even the most reluctant of storytellers seems to effortlessly build the story of their creature and to then watch the children interact with each other is such fun and very rewarding. No two workshops are ever the same.
What was particularly interesting was to see how the children, having been given extra time by their art teacher to develop their ideas, really took their creations to the next level. There is always one child who will go even further, to create something that will have me gasping in surprise and it is not always the obvious or recognised 'gifted and talented' child. Very often it will be the shyest child, or the one who may have attention or other issues. This is perhaps the best part of my job. being able to spot a startling talent, a child with a really unusual grasp of 3D and paper folding.
As ever I encourage the children to seek inspiration and ideas in unusual places, perhaps a discarded shape, a curl of paper, or the contents of the scrap paper bin. That's where I find my inspiration, it's great for coming up with new ideas and breaking creative blocks. It is truly amazing what can be created with one sheet of A4 card, a pair of scissors and a few centimetres of sellotape!

Paul Stickland, Pop Up Workshop, Author Visit,

Paul Stickland, Pop Up Workshop, Author Visit,

Paul Stickland, Pop Up Workshop, Author Visit,

Read more after the break...


Pop Up Paper Resources

A list of useful resources for pop up paper activities in and out of the classroom

Pop Up Paper Blog - www.popuppaper.blogspot.co.uk

Paul Stickland website - www.paulstickland.co.uk

Paul Stickland Author Events and Workshops - http://www.paulstickland.co.uk/Author-Events-Pop-Up-Workshops


Elements of Pop - David A Carter and James Diaz - Simon and Schuster - Fantastic book. Templates to download here - www.popupbooks.com/surprise.html


Paul Stickland Pop Up Books - https://plus.google.com/collection/MMUUX

Paul Stickland Dinosaur Roar! and Pop Up Workshops and Events - https://plus.google.com/collection/0kehP


Paul Stickland Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/naughtydinosaur




Dinosaur Roar! Mask Templates -

Dinosaur Roar! Colouring sheets - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7fhj3sn6n9bxlqu/AADEdklA-SX2sTfWyfdF5rHda?dl=0

Self Promotion for Children's Book Authors and Illustrators

Guide to Self Promotion, School, Library and Festival Events and Visits for Children's Book Authors and Illustrators



If you are a children’s book author or illustrator, you will be aware of the need to learn and practice the delicate art of self promotion. This will involve a well organised web presence and interaction with your target audience.
The following tips are intended to help children’s authors and illustrators through this process but equally apply to many other disciplines that require self promotion.
I’ve divided it into two sections.
The first section, ONLINE, will help you to create a simple and effective online web presence and to guide you into world of social media, blogging and websites.
You’ll need this to get found and to promote your visits, events and other promotional activities.
The second section, OFFLINE,  will deal with the real world of bookshops, schools, libraries, festivals events and author visits.
Read the full guide to self promotion for children's authors and illustrators after the break...

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Macmillan Children's Books publish Ten Terrible Dinosaurs!


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Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland, published by Macmillan Children's Books 2017

The wonderful Macmillan Children's Books have just published a brand new remastered 2017 edition of my children's dinosaur picture book, Ten Terrible Dinosaurs.
I'm really pleased to see this book back in print as part of the wonderful new World of Dinosaur Roar!
Originally created as a companion book for the bestselling Dinosaur Roar! which Macmillan Children's Books are publishing in many exciting new formats.

Writing Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

I wrote the text for this book sitting on another publisher's stand at the 1996 Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.
I spent many years visiting and working at Bologna and the atmosphere and company of colleagues from all over the world of children's books was always a stimulating environment for an author and illustrator.
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs was one of those lucky texts that just arrived, fully formed, all I had to do was write it down. Remarkably little editing and that doesn't often happen...
The same thing happened with One Bear One Dog and also Bears. I'd love to know how that works...
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs is a crazy colourful children's counting book but a counting book in reverse.
The simple story follows a bunch of naughty dinosaurs, as their mischievous antics and silly japes slowly diminishes their numbers until we're left with just one weary one...
...before his friends live up to their name once again!

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Drawing Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

I had great fun drawing and painting all those naughty dinosaurs! 
It was one of those rare books where I sat down with a my favourite pencil and a miniature paper dummy of the book and started drawing on page one. 
I then drew every single spread, in order, in one fell swoop. Again, that very rarely happens!
Usually, I have to make some changes to the characters as I progress through the book but this time I started off with the full cast of characters on page one and for some reason it went right first time. Love it when that happens! 
I wanted to the book to be as bouncy and rhythmic as possible to match the rhyming text, so it was really important to get as much energy into this cast of silly saurians. It was a good day and the whole lot just flowed out and onto the pages of this little paper book.
The miniature paper dummy has 48 pages, hand sewn, drawn in pencil and only 105mm x 148mm

Here are all the rough drawings for Ten Terrible Dinosaurs


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ten terrible dinosaurs, dinosaur roar, paul stickland, kids dinosaurs, classic childrens dinosaur book,

ten terrible dinosaurs, dinosaur roar, paul stickland, kids dinosaurs, classic childrens dinosaur book,

ten terrible dinosaurs, dinosaur roar, paul stickland, kids dinosaurs, classic childrens dinosaur book,




Reviews of Ten Terrible Dinosaurs:

 Winner of the Practical Parenting Best Book Award
"..the whole book has an exciting, energetic pace."
"..a funny and beautiful picture book that will make learning to count a very pleasurable task." 100 Best Books
"..an ingenious and entertaining way of introducing counting and subtraction..uproariously funny.." Early Years Educator
"What a welcome return of the wonderfully exuberant dinosaurs so much enjoyed in Dinosaur Roar! and Swamp Stomp... the text is terrific, full of rhyme and rhythm and delicious words to talk about.." Child Education
"..a must.." Parent Magazine

"This is a welcome reissue of a counting down, rhyming dinosaur romp and a companion volume to Dinosaur Roar. The vividly coloured creatures get up to all manner of lively, child-like activities such as dancing, stuffing themselves, playing tricks and more, as one by one they exit or are eliminated from the line-up (Not too sure about one sent off for being ‘too spiky’ what’s wrong with being different?) until just one dozing dinosaur remains. But then …
Great fun, with counting opportunities aplenty and perhaps even better, a chance to let rip with that grand finale."  Red Reading Hub

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Dinosaur Roar! and Ten Terrible Dinosaurs
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Cover of Paul Stickland's Ten Terrible Dinosaurs




by Paul Stickland

Macmillan Children's New Dinosaur Roar! Board Book

Wow! The most fantastic board book version of the children's classic dinosaur picture book, Dinosaur Roar! has just hit the shelves! Macmillan Children's Books have just published the most wonderful new edition.
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I love beautifully produced books. Where the book feels so good in the hand and is a joy to use, smooth matt lamination with wonderful tactile elements on the cover. Toddlers and children are going to love these. I can't stop touching my copies. It's rare for a board book to be perfect bound, so I'm really delighted with these glorious books for the pre-schoolers.
Available in your local independent bookstore!
Children will be roaring for more!

Paul Stickland on Instagram

I'm loving Instagram!
I didn't think I would but I do.
I love the simplicity and lack of features that Instagram has, or hasn't!
I like the square format and the opportunity offered for novel photo composition that it offers.
I don't really use most of the filters. The other tools are pretty useful but..
I still prefer to drop my images into photoshop for a bit of a tweak...

What surprised and delighted me was the fantastic array of international designers that use it, photographers, I'd expect but the fashion, art, architectural, garden, interior and floral designers that are there make it a great experience and it's easy to find anything.
After the complications of G+, Facebook, Pinterest et al, it's a joy! See you there!

Find Paul Stickland on Instagram using my name  @PaulStickland_

This is an Instansive widget for Instagram, great for blogs, widgets and websites.

BugStore - Pop Up Paper Bugs in Yeovil

BugStore! What a fantastic idea for your town's children's or literary festival!

I've just spent the last three weeks working on an amazing art installation with the children of four primary schools in Yeovil, Somerset. Together we created hundreds of colourful Pop Up Paper Bugs filling an empty shop unit in a prime site at the entrance to Yeovil's Quedam Centre. 
Pauline Burr of South Somerset District Council's Art department, came up with this genius idea and what fun it's proved to be! It's a brilliant way to engage with the wider community, to show the outreach work that goes on behind the scenes at a literary festival and a wonderful way to promote and publicise your festival. The reaction of children, teachers, shoppers and council was a pure delight.

Paul Stickland, BugStore, pop up paper bug workshops, pop up books, pop up bugs,

Pauline knew all about my popular Pop Up Monster and Dinosaur Workshops for kids and thought that I could come up with a simple pop up bug design to share with the children of Yeovil. It didn't take long to come up with a design which would be simple enough for even the youngest and least experienced hands to create something special and unique to them, something they could be proud of.

pop up paper bugs, bug workshop,

Using another thousand or so sheets of my favourite Rothmill Assorted coloured card, I set out to see what the children of Yeovil could come up with. I was not disappointed!
Read more after the fold...