A love story that’s long on charm and entirely free of mush. ‘Publishers Weekly’

A ring-a-ding winner. ‘Kirkus Reviews’

Tigers are quick and tigers are hairy.

We climb, we growl, we jump, we chew…

and we’re terribly good at tickling too.

A lively new picture book for 2-4 year olds, in which a tiger dad gives three cubs some tips in the art of tickling.

I would have written something here sooner if his arrival had been an easy one. But it wasn’t.

Rafa was born with a rare condition called a diaphragmatic hernia. It meant that organs which should have been down in his abdomen were actually up in his chest. This made it difficult for him to breathe. And less then two hours after his birth, he was in intensive care. The doctors reckoned his chances of surviving were about 50:50. At only 4-days-old he had to have an operation to put things back in the right place.

Happily the operation was a success. Even more happily, Rafa made an amazing recovery. One doctor used the word “sensational” to describe it (a nice word to hear from a doctor.)  

He spent nearly three weeks in hospital but is now at home with us, and seems a strong, happy baby.

So, here’s to the special boy, who got through such a hard journey so early on.

I read this poem to him when he was born:

WAITING FOR RAFAEL PATRICK

The chairs have been listening out for you.

Trees in the park look to see if you’ve arrived.

At the bottom of the toy-box, animals wonder

if your fingers will bring them to life.

The grit under the steps expects you.

Roof tiles look forward to keeping you dry.

A sandpit sits quietly, waiting for your feet.

The moon waits for you to look in the sky.

A warm weave of family and friends waits.

The hard ground waits to catch you when you fall.

And spoons lie waiting to reflect your face

in the darkness of the kitchen drawer.

Colours, stories and seashores wait for you.

And the sounds from the street before dawn.

And now the windowpanes whisper to each other,

                        “He’s born! He’s born now! He’s born now! He’s born!”

Although Rafael is doing well, and life is steadying now, I’ve decided not to travel to the UK as planned in May of this year. I’ve cancelled a number of events I was going to take part in. But I will be making the journey later in the year…in August and September.

So I’ll be available for school visits, bookshop signings other events then. Make touch if you’d like to arrange anything.

“Genuine, laugh-out-loud short stories set in the modern multi-cultural classroom” ‘Achuka’

More comic adventures featuring the children from Purple Class. Find out what happens to Jamal, Ivette, Zina, Shea, Jodie, Yasmin and Leon in this third book in the series, shortlisted for the 2009 Roald Dahl Funny Prize. For 7-11 year olds.

This year we worked on a story from the Middle East called ‘The Faithful Gazelle’.  All sorts of special writing was done in response to the story and the countryside around us.  This poem, by Manesha, left everybody still when she read it out:

HOW TO MAKE A GAZELLE

First take soft, smooth fur as gentle as the light of mid dawn.

Add bones stiff as stone.

Then attach 4 metal hooves to make a ‘click, clock, clack’.

Sprinkle a spoonful of quietness and a pinch of wild.

Finally place 2 sharp, shiny, grey horns.

by Manesha Yasmin

Thanks to Manesha for her beautiful writing, and to everyone else who took part.  You helped make it another journey to remember!

“Bright humorous illustrations accompany a rich, rhyming text to make this a story that children will want to read over and over.  Picture book of the season.” ‘The Bookseller’