For all Whimsy Wood news, from information about the latest Whimsy Wood children’s book, to my Whimsy Wood school visits, to the new Whimsy Wood shop then, please visit this official Whimsy Wood website! We’ll look forward to seeing you there!
Wishing you a wonderfully whimsical weekend! 😃 📚 ✨
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
This week has seen the 400th celebration of the world’s most famous bard. This is of course William Shakespeare, without whom we wouldn’t have the huge array of plays, well-used sayings, or indeed vocabulary that we have today. My favourite Shakespeare play would have to be ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, so with this in mind, here’s a wonderfully whimsical and fairy-filled extract!
“Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon’s sphere;
And I serve the fairy queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
The cowslips tall her pensioners be:
In their gold coats spots you see;
Those be rubies, fairy favours,
In those freckles live their savours:
I must go seek some dewdrops here
And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I’ll be gone:
Our queen and all our elves come here anon.”
~ William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
On a much sadder note, you will also of course know about Victoria Wood’s tragic and untimely passing. 😢 She really was my much-loved heroine and a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet and gain an autograph from her wonderful self. I’d happened be in the Beatrix Potter tea-room in the Lake District with my husband and 2 young daughters, when low-and-behold she wandered in! Well, I almost choked on my toasted tea-cake with sheer excitement and adulation! Needless to say, she will be forever missed and in my eyes, she has always been a national treasure. May you rest in peace Victoria. Xxx
Rest In Peace Victoria Wood xxxx
As for news from the world of ‘Whimsy Wood’, well we’ve been busy little bees as usual. Work has started on the production of my 9th Whimsy Wood book, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Chocolate Caterpillar’, which is very exciting! This book is written for this current month of April, so you’ll read about Fearne’s ‘brilliant white bindweed umbrella’, vibrant violets, beautiful bluebells and ‘fairy foxgloves’ amongst other things!
‘Fairy Foxgloves’ Growing In Whimsy Wood.
You’ll also get to meet a new character, ‘Mustard the Magpie Moth Caterpillar’, who becomes Fearne’s best friend. Just as ‘Posie Pixie’ had her own ‘partner in crime’ shall we say in ‘Wibble Woodlouse’, it seemed only right to create a ‘side-kick’ for Fearne. 😉
Meet ‘Mustard The Magpie Moth Caterpillar’!
Well, I’d better get on and be creative elsewhere, so I shall bid you farewell and wish you all a wonderfully whimsical weekend!
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
I bet you’ve been wondering what the Whimsy Wood folk have been up to over the Easter holidays? Well, along with the annual Easter egg hunt that always starts and ends at The Woodland Store, there’s been a spectacular Easter bonnet parade, which was held in the bluebell patch by Mrs Bramble’s burrow!
Below, you will see the bluebell archway that was the entrance to Whimsy Wood’s Easter bonnet parade! There are bluebells dotted throughout Whimsy Wood at this time of year, but they seem to grow in abundance in this spot by Mrs Bramble’s burrow! I’m guessing it’s something to do with all the carrot peelings that she digs back into the ground around her burrow?!
The Entrance To Whimsy Wood’s Easter Bonnet Parade!
There was such an amazing array of beautifully decorated hats, that Mrs Spottisdowne the sparrow struggled to pick a winner for the ‘Best Bonnet’ competition. In the end, she chose Winona Wren’s violet-themed extravaganza of a hat! This creation was so big, that Winona couldn’t fly with it on her head! Instead she had to instruct a team of ants to carry it along to the Easter bonnet parade for her!
So that’s got you up to speed with what’s been happening in Whimsy Wood. As for me, well, I’ll be off visiting another primary school this week. Burbage Primary School in Wiltshire, have invited me to visit their key-stage 1 children on Thursday April the 14th. This is part of their new topic for this term, titled ‘What’s At The Bottom Of My Garden?’ I’m really looking forward to meeting them all and I’ll let you know how this author visit goes. 😊 http://www.burbageprimary.org.uk/wilts/primary/burbage
Wishing you all a wonderfully whimsical week!
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
When I look back at the start of this marvellous month of March, I can barely believe how much my ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s series and I have achieved.
We were invited to numerous primary schools and nurseries up and down the country, as part of book week. I was also asked to judge a children’s writing competition in the middle of the month, as shown in the top photo.
Book 8, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, was launched on Saturday March the 19th.
Front Cover Of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’
Finally, the beautiful, brand new ‘Whimsy Wood’ website went live on Sunday March the 20th. With this in mind, please note that this will be the last post on the Whimsy Wood blog here. Next week, you’ll find the weekly Whimsy Wood blog posts over on this wonderfully whimsical website :- http://www.whimsywood.co.uk
Well, all that’s left to say is, I hope you all have a wonderfully whimsical, chocolatey, sunshine-filled Easter! 😃 🐣 🐰 💐
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
The wheels of ‘Whimsy Wood’ were back on the road again last week, as I was invited to visit Townsend Barn Nursery in Poulshot, Wiltshire, to read ‘Posie Pixie And The Pancakes’, book 7 in my Whimsy Wood children’s series.
Visiting Townsend Barn Nursery in Poulshot, Wiltshire.
The pre-school children certainly enjoyed meeting all the woodland folk that I brought with me and loved listening to Posie’s February adventure! They were able to take home Whimsy Wood bookmarks and information about book 8, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, which is due out this Saturday! 😃
Talking of which, the first hardback and paperback copies of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’ arrived last week! I know I’m biased, but they really do look absolutely beautiful! If you’d like to pre-order a copy you can do so here :- http://abelapublishing.com/preorder–fearne-fairy-and-the-dandelion-clocks–book-8-in-the-whimsy-wood-series_p31235401.htm
The 1st Hardback And Paperback Copies Of Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks!
I was also invited to Hamp Academy in Bridgwater, Somerset last week, to run 2 creative writing workshops for their junior pupils. We had lots of fun, creating woodland story arcs in the form of game boards. The children were then able to write a short woodland story, using their story game boards. This tied in with a woodland visit the children had been on a few days before.
Finally, I was asked to judge a children’s writing competition run by The Little Hen House in Devizes, Wiltshire and the prize-giving party was last Saturday. The entries we’d received were really wonderful; full of imagination and creativity. Huge congratulations to the winners and indeed all the children who entered. 😃
Along with a treasure hunt around The Little Hen House, the children were treated to a ‘pin the beak on the chicken’ game and craft activities. Following some essential celebratory slices of cake, the children settled down to hear the first ever public reading of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’!
I’m delighted to say that it went down a storm and the children headed home, happily carrying their party bags and prizes. Hopefully, they had wonderfully whimsical dreams that evening, of little hens getting up to mischief in Whimsy Wood with Fearne Fairy perhaps?! 😃
The mention of dreams has just reminded me, that I really should be finishing off the content required for Whimsy Wood’s new website, which will go live this Sunday! So, I shall bid you farewell and wish you a wonderfully whimsical week!
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
My goodness me! Everywhere I look, where I live in the wonderful county of Wiltshire, are signs and smells that Spring is just around the corner! It’s such an uplifting and exciting feeling! In and amongst the various things that I have been up to this past week, I happened to stumble across this piece of prose about the early signs of Spring, written by Howard Evans. I thought it was rather lovely, so here it is.
Now, talking of ‘uplifting and exciting’ (as mentioned above), I think that would definitely describe last week for my Whimsy Wood Series and I. Last week happened to be Book Week, which reached its zenith last Thursday when it was World Book Day.
We had a stupendous week visiting Ayschoughfee Hall Primary School in Lincolnshire on the Monday, Easton Royal Academy in Wiltshire on Wednesday and OLOPS Catholic Primary School in Nottingham on Thursday. I delivered assemblies, woodland-related literacy activities and creative writing workshops to these schools’ pupils and we certainly had a blast!
My highlight would have to be the 2 creative writing workshops that I delivered on World Book Day, to the OLOPS Catholic Primary School children. I had never run a workshop for 60 KS2 children before and I was a little apprehensive about the number, but actually it went brilliantly! Once their school afternoon was finished, all 120 of their KS2 children had taken part in a Whimsy Wood creative writing workshop! Hurray!
In other Whimsy Wood news, a rather delightful plant is in bloom along ‘Snapdragon Stream’, that runs peacefully across the top right hand corner of Whimsy Wood. This intriguing plant in question is called the Butterbur (makes me think of Hogwarts!) and is beautiful when in flower :-
The Blooming Butterbur Growing Alongside ‘Snapdragon Stream’! 😃
‘Florence Fox’ spotted it’s pretty pink flowers first and she reported this development to ‘Mrs Scarlet the squirrel’, who runs ‘The Woodland Store’. Mrs Scarlet was delighted to hear the news, as she likes to use its leaves to wrap up the store’s special acorn butter and its flowers make a charming cordial, which she sells in The Woodland Store.
On that note, I’m going to make myself a cuppa and crack on with the preparations for the 2 school visits my ‘Whimsy Wood’ team and I have this week.
Wishing you a wonderfully whimsical week!
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
Book week is nearly here and I for one am very excited! It starts this coming Monday (February the 29th to be precise), with World Book Day being on Thursday March the 3rd. As a children’s author, this is one of the busiest times of the year, especially on the school visits front. 😊
This year, I have been fortunate enough to be invited to Ayscoughfee Hall School in Spalding, Lincolnshire; Easton Royal Academy in Easton Royal, Wiltshire; OLOPS Catholic Primary Academy in Bulwell, Nottingham; Townsend Barn Nursery in Poulshot, Wiltshire and Hamp Academy in Bridgwater, Somerset.
Visiting Author Chair! 😃
I’m really looking forward to visiting all these primary schools, meeting the children, running creative writing workshops, engaging with my audience and hopefully igniting some imaginations! I hope they enjoy some of the whimsical fun I have planned for them! 😃
In other ‘Whimsy Wood’ news, it’s only 3 weeks now until book 8, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’ is launched! Its official release date is Saturday March the 19th and it will be available in all good book shops and online retailers. Please do ask your local book shop to order a copy for you, as it’s great to support local independent book shops. Thank you. 😊
Front Cover Of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’
Well that’s all from me for this week. I hope to have some exciting stories of my Book Week school visits for you next week!
Wishing you a wonderfully whimsical weekend,
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
Hello there and a happy Thursday to you all! I hope you’ve been having a wonderfully whimsical week so far and thank goodness it’s nearly Friday! My desperate need to reach the weekend, has been fuelled by the frenetic pace of this week. I honestly don’t know if I’ve been coming or going! Mostly ‘going’ I suspect though and probably ’round the twist’!
Anyway, needless to say that the wheels of ‘Whimsy Wood’ have been whirring away and at an equally hectic speed. This is because book 8, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, is going through its formatting stage, ready for its release on March the 19th. Here’s another of Sarah Mauchline’s (our incredible illustrator) enchanting illustrations for this next Whimsy Wood book.
Poor ‘Fearne Fairy’ has crash landed again! 😁
Along with the formatting of book 8, a wonderfully whimsical website is currently being created for my Whimsy Wood children’s series. This website will contain inside information about the series and background information on all the Whimsy Wood characters. There will be regular children’s competitions and woodland-related craft ideas, along with Whimsy Wood’s own little online shop. I am really excited about Whimsy Wood’s website and I hope you like it when it’s completed. 😊
In other Whimsy Wood news, I’m delighted to share with you information regarding a children’s writing competition! This is being run by The Little Hen House in Devizes, Wiltshire. If you’re not familiar with this super shop, I can tell you that The Little Hen House stocks charming children’s clothes for ages 0-8 years old.
They opened their children’s writing competition on January the 23rd, (National Handwriting Day) and the deadline for entries is February the 23rd. So if you were looking for a half-term activity for your children, then this could be a splendid suggestion. 😊
In the afternoon of Saturday March the 12th, I shall be giving out the prizes to the wonderful winners of this writing competition. This prize-giving event will be held in The Little Hen House and there’ll be a treasure hunt, colouring-in station and a Whimsy Wood book reading. For further information regarding this competition, please contact The Little Hen House directly. Thank you.
Well, that’s all from me for today. Time is pressing and my ‘to-do’ list isn’t getting any shorter!
With whimsical wishes,
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
Yes, it’s official! The eighth Whimsy Wood children’s book, ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, is currently going through its formatting process and will be released on Saturday March the 19th! I am tingling with excitement that this book, which I originally wrote a good 2 years ago now, will be published very soon. 😊
Now, as you may or may not know, there are 35 books in my Whimsy Wood series for 5-8 year olds and these are divided into 5 sets of 7 books. This means that ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’ is the 1st book in the 2nd set of 7 books.
Front Cover Of ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’
This is the 1st time that readers, young and old alike, will meet Whimsy Wood’s Fearne. I’m relieved to say that she isn’t your typical pink, sparkly and sugary-sweet fairy. She is certainly a lovely wee creature, but she has flaws just like you and I. For example, Fearne’s brilliant at flying, but she’s completely hopeless when it comes to landing!
As you may remember, every Whimsy Wood children’s book is written for a specific month in the calendar, so the flora and fauna change as you read through the series. ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’ is written for the marvellous month of March, so you’ll read about white wood anemones and yellow daffodils, amongst other things.
White Wood Anemones Growing In Whimsy Wood
You’ll also meet 2 new Whimsy Wood characters, ‘Bertie and Beatrice Bramble’ who are baby bunny twins. ‘Raspberry Rabbit’, the twins’ auntie, returns in this story having last featured in book 4, ‘Posie Pixie And The Fireworks Party’.
Front Cover Of ‘Posie Pixie And The Fireworks Party’
For now, I’ll leave you with one of the wonderful illustrations from ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, by our fabulous illustrator Sarah Mauchline.
Fearne Fairy’s Looking Jolly Busy In Her Woody Home! 😊
I’ll also share with you one of the reviews that we have in already for this new ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s book :-
” The Whimsy Wood folk are timeless characters in the fashion of Potter, Milne and White. In time, The Whimsy Wood Series is likely to find its place in the lexicon of classic children’s literature.” – Readers’ Favourite, U.S.
Wishing you all a wonderfully whimsical day!
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
OK. So you’ve guessed it. I have a pending deadline and I really need to sharpen my creativity and get writing! This is all regarding ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’, the eighth book and start of the second set, in my ‘Whimsy Wood’ children’s series.
Now, the book in question is due to be launched this Spring and it’s already been edited. Our editor was perfectly happy with it. The odd grammatical amendment needed of course, but apart from that we were good to go……Until my creativity, need for absolute perfection and panic over what ‘the world and his wife’ will think of this next whimsical instalment, happened to get in the way. Oh the joys of insecurity and self-criticism!
Anyway, I have spent the last few days in a complete tail-spin as I unpick the story, add more dilemma and humour. This can only be a good thing surely? And the extra work and stress I have put on myself will all be worth it in the end right? Well, let’s hope so!
For now I’ll leave you with the current version of the front cover for ‘Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks’ and get back sharpish to my own drawing, or rather writing board!
Front Cover For Fearne Fairy And The Dandelion Clocks! 😃 📚 ✨
Wishing you all a wonderfully whimsical weekend.
Sarah Hill, children’s author and creator of The Whimsy Wood Series.
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