This is an exciting opportunity to for some of the UK’s leading author-illustrators to work with your students this November and December. Each in-school session costs £60 + VAT and each virtual session costs £30 + VAT and lasts up to 45 minutes. For In-School activities, schools can choose the time of the session. Virtual sessions take place at 10am or 11.30am.
The Picture a Story encounter workshops are in addition to our usual gallery trail for children, schools and community groups to support young people in gaining Arts Award Discover and Explore.
For further information or to book a session, please contact Androulla on 020 7709 8908 or androulla@halfmoon.org.uk
Monday 27 November 2023
Nicholas Allan, author-illustrator
Father Christmas Needs A Wee
- Max 60/two classes/one appropriate location
- Suitable for: EYFS and KS1
The session will include a reading, information about book making and demonstrations of how to draw using tips and tricks. All will be illustrated with magic illusion, ending in a spectacular snow storm made from a pair of paper pants. Chocolate will also feature. (*allergy warning, please advise).
Nicholas is an award-winning author-illustrator of picture book titles including The King’s Pants and The Giant’s Loo Roll. www.nicholasallan.co.uk
Margaret Bateson-Hill, author-storyteller
Dragon Racer: First Flight
(Book 1 of The Dragon Racer Trilogy)
- Max 90/three classes/one appropriate location
- Suitable for: Years 4-6
An interactive session using readings, simple role play and Q&A inspired by First Flight (Book 1 of The Dragon Racer Trilogy). Participants will create their own dragon and tell the imagined tale of the day they met. Follow up activities include designing a racing jacket and imagining your own “secret self”.
Margaret is both an author (Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain, Masha and the Firebird) and experienced storyteller working across the UK in schools, libraries and museums. www.margaretbateson-hill.co.uk
Catherine Randall, author
The White Phoenix
- Max 30/one class/classroom
- Suitable for: Years 6-8
An interactive talk and creative writing session, exploring ways of bringing the past to life. Following reading a short excerpt from The White Phoenix, a novel set at the time of the Great Fire of London, there will be an illustrated interactive talk about writing a story set in the past. The students will then use their imagination to transport themselves back to London in the 1600s and write an exciting scene themselves.
Catherine writes historical fiction for 9-13 year olds and The White Phoenix was shortlisted for the Historical Association Young Quills Award 2021. www.catherinerandall.com
Tuesday 28 November 2023
Karen Owen, author
Major and Mynah: Operation Raven
- Max 180/assembly
- Suitable for: Y2-4
This interactive talk includes an insight into being an author, how to be a code-breaker and a chance to practise British Sign Language. The children will discover the exploits of junior detectives Callie, Grace and Bo from the Major and Mynah series, which has been shortlisted for Children’s Book of the Year (Younger Fiction) for The Week Junior Book Awards 2023.
Karen Owen’s work is acclaimed for its inclusivity and diverse characters and she has extensive experience in delivering workshops and school events. www.karenowen.co.uk
Rikin Parekh, author-illustrator
Fly Tiger, Fly!
- Max 100/three classes /one appropriate location
- Suitable for: EYFS & KS1
An illustration session where the author-artist will demonstrate how to create animal characters, including some visually exciting ones from his own books as the focus. The session includes a draw-along with ideas taken from the children in the audience. Rikin works extensively in primary schools both as a TA and an artist.
Rikin is the author-illustrator of picture book Fly Tiger, Fly and illustrates picture books including The Worst Class in the World series. www.rikinparekh.com
Jane Porter, author-illustrator
So You Want To Be A Frog?
- Max 60/two classes /one appropriate location
- Suitable for: Y3-5
Jane Porter will read from her funny non-fiction book, So You Want To Be A Frog?, followed by a fun drawing exercise where participants will invent their own new frog species, learning amazing facts about frogs along the way.
Jane is an award-winning author-illustrator of A Little Bit of Hush and The Girl Who Noticed Everything (both listed on the Sunday Times Best Children’s Books of 2022). She has extensive experience leading workshops with children and adults. www.janeporter.co.uk
Wednesday 29 November 2023
Alice Hemming, author
The Leaf Thief
- Max 60/two classes /one appropriate location
- Suitable for: YR-Y1
Alice Hemming will share her story, The Leaf Thief, with the participants, followed by an interactive Q&A and a chance for everyone to make their very own leaf thief.
Author of the New York Times bestselling autumnal book The Leaf Thief (illustrated by Nicola Slater), Alice is an award-winning author of over fifty books for children and has extensive experience in hosting workshops for children in schools and at festivals. www.alicehemming.co.uk
Sally Kindberg, author-illustrator
Comic Strip History of Space
- Max 30/one class/classroom
- Suitable for: Y3-6
Author-illustrator Sally Kindberg will lead a comic strip workshop in which children develop via drawing/writing four frame narratives, based on the subject of space. She will use her ‘Hat of Surprise’ containing for some simple visual prompts/stimuli.
Sally is the author of Bloomsbury’s best-selling Draw It! series and has vast experience running drawing workshops for children. www.sallykindberg.co.uk
Matt Wainwright, author
Out of the Smoke – Illuminating Worlds: A Short History of Illustrations for Grown-Ups
- Max 200/assembly
- Suitable for KS3
Matt Wainwright will take the participants from the prehistoric caves of Indonesia to the medieval monasteries of Wales, through the smoke of Victorian London and right up to the latest streaming blockbusters, exploring how people have always turned words into pictures as they have done for thousands of years.
Matt is the author of historical fiction for young adults (Out of the Smoke; Through Water and Fire) with extensive experience of working with schools and libraries, especially in Greenwich and Lewisham, delivering creative writing workshops and promoting literacy in the classroom. www.matthewwainwright.co.uk
Thursday 30 November 2023
Jane Elson, author
How to Fly With Broken Wings
- Max 180/Assembly
- Suitable for: Y5-7
Interactive story-telling event in which the audience will explore unlikely friendships, autism and bullying, as seen through Sasha’s eyes, the 13-year-old protagonist from Jane Elson’s novel, How to Fly With Broken Wings. In the story, Sasha wants to step away from bully Finn Mason’s gang. She meets 12-year-old William, whose two aims in life are to fly and make at least two friends of his own age.
Jane is an award-winning author who has an acting/improvisation background and uses these skills in her assembly based events, which involve audience participation. www.aroomfullofwords.com
Mo O’Hara, author
Agent Moose
- Max 60/two classes /one appropriate location
- Suitable for: Y5-7
Mo uses her own graphic novels to demonstrate techniques that can be used to storyboard and create a scene with your own characters. She will explore how to write the dialogue for the scene, how to create conflict and how to lay out a story visually so that it grips the reader. Mo uses the fresh and funny Agent Moose books as the stimulus, meeting secret agent Anonymoose, who is a master of disguise.
Mo O’Hara writes picture books, humorous graphic novels and junior fiction, including Honey’s Hive and the New York Times best-selling My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series. www.moohara.co.uk
Lucy Reynolds, author
We are Family
- Max 60/two classes /one appropriate location
- Suitable for: EYFS and KS1.
A fun, interactive story workshop celebrating the many fascinating ways that baby animals grow up on our wild, wonderful planet, and the journey we all take to find our true place in the world. Includes interactive storytelling, an animal quiz and a creative storyboarding and drawing exercise.
Lucy Reynolds is a poet and writer of picture books with a focus on conservation and inclusivity and the author half of publishing duo Doddles and Scribbles. www.lucyscribbles.co.uk
Friday 1 December 2023
Loretta Schauer, author-illustrator
The Legend of Ghastly Jack Crowheart
- Max 150/assembly
- Suitable for: Y4-Y7
Loretta Schauer will present a drawing extravaganza and allow the participants to discover their highwayman alias by submerging themselves in the grimy 18th century world of Lil Scroggins – sometime orphan and general dogsbody at the Squawking Mackerel Coaching Inn – from The Legend of Ghastly Jack Crowheart.
Loretta illustrates picture books and also writes and illustrates junior fiction. She has experience in delivering workshops for children in primary and secondary school settings. www.lorettaschauer.com
Ally Sherrick, author
Vita and the Gladiator
- Max 180/assembly
- Suitable for: Y3-Y6
The author will transport the children on a nail-biting journey back in time to Roman London. They will meet Vita and Brea, the brave heroes of her new book Vita and the Gladiator. They will discover how, having been sold into slavery, they end up fighting for their lives against a shared enemy in the city’s great gladiatorial arena. Ally will also reveal some of the fun and fascinating facts she discovered while researching her story and work with the audience to create a fearsome fictional gladiator of their own.
Ally is an award-winning author of junior fiction titles full of history, mystery and adventure. www.allysherrick.com
Andrew Weale, author
Spooky Spooky House
- Max 120/four classes/one appropriate location
- Suitable for: YR + Y1
In this fun session, the children will enjoy two very interactive readings of Andrew’s most successful picture books, including his award-winning pop-up book Spooky Spooky House. There will be a guessing game, a quiz and Andrew will ask for help from the children to perform a funny and slightly scary poem based on three very special monster guests from his book.
Andrew is an actor and award-winning author of picture books for young children. He has extensive experience in storytelling and delivering school events. www.andrewweale.com
Thursday 30 November 2023 | 10am
Steve Antony, author-illustrator
Rainbowsaurus
- Online session
- Suitable for: YR-Y3
Join Steve Antony for a fun and interactive reading of his colourful new picture book, Rainbowsaurus, where the participants will learn how to draw their very own dinosaurs. Steve will also share some fun and inspiring tips on how to make up your very own stories.
Steve Antony is an award-winning children’s author and illustrator. His books, now sold in over 20 languages, include the Mr Panda series, The Queen’s Hat series and two Matilda the Musical picture book collaborations with comedian and musician Tim Minchin. www.steveantony.com
Thursday 30 November 2023 | 11.30am
A.M. Dassu, author
Fight Back and Boot It!
- Online session
- Suitable for: Y4-Y6
Award-winning author A.M.Dassu will talk about her life and work as an author. She’ll examine themes in her books Fight Back and Boot It!, which include an exploration of identity, what it means to be an ally and the vital importance of coming together in the face of discrimination.
A.M. Dassu is a multi-award-winning author who became one of the lead authors in The National Literary Trust’s campaign to help inspire a love of reading and writing in children and young people. www.amdassu.com
Connected Events
The Big Family Art Event
Sat 9 Dec | 11am-3.15pm | Various ages | Tickets £7
Join us for an interactive art and literature experience that explores the bright and imaginative world of visual storytelling through live drawing and storytelling sessions, interactive song-based shows, stimulating creative workshops and lots of opportunities to join in.
Discover more and book ticketsPicture a Story
14 September-22 December 2023
A vibrant exhibition that shines the spotlight on the creative and innovative world of children’s book illustration. Colourful, diverse, wry and amusing, Picture a Story brings together a collection of stunning and evocative work by published author-artists from a range of genres and styles for babies to older children.
Explore moreCelebrate and Investigate
7 Dec 2023 | from 6.30pm | Ages 13+
An opportunity to explore Children’s Writers and Illustrators for Stories and Literacy’s (CWISL) stunning Gallery @ Half Moon exhibition, Picture a Story, in the company of some of the UK’s much-loved and award-winning authors and illustrators, many of whose work is on display. The event includes an industry panel event which will be particularly relevant for anyone interested in breaking into the children’s book illustration market.