A huge thank you to Snells Beach Kindergarten for having me read Grandpa versus Swing at their morning hui last Friday. The children were very attentive and involved in the story. Together we put mixed up story pictures back in the right order, and they were keen to share their love of playgrounds. They are … Continue reading Kindy reading
Category: News and updates
Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Five
With the sea beside us, we drove the last leg of our tour on Friday 16 September. The mountain peeked in and out of cloud throughout the day, and the landscape became more volcanic, hillier and rockier, as we drove along Taranaki's Surf Highway. The first stop for Stuart and me was St Joseph's School … Continue reading Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Five
Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Four
We woke to a bright, blue day on day four of the tour, and at last saw the mountain in all its majesty. It was well worth the wait! My first stop was at the very colourful and friendly Normanby School. The Year 0-3 students there had lots of ideas for playground rescues, from hitching … Continue reading Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Four
Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Three
We had our first partial glimpse of the maunga as we headed out this morning. It was beautiful, but fleeting, and by the end of our first school visit it had disappeared from view altogether. It amazes me that a feature so dramatic and dominating of the landscape can be hidden so completely! Midhirst School … Continue reading Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Three
Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Two
We stopped in Inglewood today, where Year 2 and 3 students from St Patrick's School braved the elements to join me in the lovely and very welcoming Inglewood Library. The children did a fantastic job of retelling the story, and of creating their own stuck-in-the-swing rescue scenarios (jaws of life, a fishing rod, butter and … Continue reading Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day Two
Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day One
What fun! This week I'm on tour with Storylines Trust Te Whare Waituhi Tamariki o Aotearoa. We are travelling in a loop around Taranaki Maunga, visiting schools and libraries along the way. You can see updates on the Storylines Trust Facebook page, and on Instagram. Also on tour are authors Ben Brown, Cristina Sanders, and … Continue reading Storylines Trust tour of Taranaki: Day One
December 2021
I am sitting amongst large and diverse piles of books, figuring out which need to go back to the library and which we can hang onto for a little longer. When the libraries opened again a few weeks ago, all the books I had previously placed on hold came flooding in like an early Christmas. … Continue reading December 2021
Our beautiful book is here
My first hard copy of Grandpa versus Swing arrived yesterday, with a lovely note from the very supportive publishing team at Scholastic NZ. I am so excited to be holding a real book in my hands! Lael Chisholm's artwork is absolutely gorgeous on the printed page. Grandpa versus Swing is already available for pre-order, and … Continue reading Our beautiful book is here
Cover art!
Here is the cover art for Grandpa versus Swing, illustrated by Lael Chisholm. This gives just a taste of the wonderful humour and style of her artwork throughout the book. Lael won the Storylines Gavin Bishop Award for children's book illustration in 2017. You may know her work from the Granny McFlitter books (written by … Continue reading Cover art!
Happenings, March and April
Last things first, Grandpa versus Swing is right now at the printing stage! Thanks to the wonderful illustration, my little manuscript has become a riot of colour and energy, and I can't wait to see it on paper. While I wait, autumn continues its slow, shy appearance. There is a nip in the air morning … Continue reading Happenings, March and April
Tania Scott Sickling 