Michelle Robinson: Blog - MICHELLE ROBINSON - CHILDREN'S AUTHOR

The Pawed Piper - coming April 4th!

1/23/2019

10 REASONS I LOVE THIS BOOK

1: It's my first book with Chinlun Lee, a truly wonderful Taiwanese artist and big-hearted animal lover.

2: The Pawed Piper is also my first book with Maria, Dee and Tanya and the rest of the wonderful team at Walker Books.

3: It's absolutely crammed with Chinlun's funny and beautifully observed cats -- on one spread you're invited to try and count all 67!

The Pawed Piper will be available from all the usual places you like to buy books, including your local independent book store.

MEANWHILE, Ernie Robinson has been missing since last June. I do hope the Pawed Piper helps him find his way home . . .

All art by Chinlun Lee

4: It's dedicated to all the actual cats who appear in it.

5: . . . Chinlun even squeezed in the Robinson family cats, Ernie and Muesli.

6: It's a smidge autobiographical -- like the girl in the book, I used to take my cat book to bed to cuddle until I had a cat of my own (emotional blackmail works, kids).

7: Chinlun based the family in the book on editor Maria, her husband and baby.

8: The 'lost cat' endpapers are magnificent.

9: It's genuinely lovely to read aloud.

10: All the missing cats get home again -- who doesn't love a happy ending?

New year, new website

1/6/2019

Happy New Year! I hope you've had a good Christmas? I seem to have gained the equivalent weight of a tin of Quality Street on each thigh.

Because I don't already have enough to do what with dieting, exercise and several books to finish, I thought I'd give my website a bit of an overhaul. Apologies for any bits of code that I've left visible, or any gremlins still in the works. I'll get round to a good old spit and polish when I get time.

This year sees the publication of, I think, at least five new picture books from me. But I may have miscounted... Tooth Fairy in Training with Briony May Smith for Walker, The Pawed Piper with Chinlun Lee for Walker, Happy Birthday to You, Princess and Happy Birthday to You, Pirate, both with Vicki Gausden for HarperCollins and Do The Dinosaur with Rosalind Beardshaw for Egmont.

Pre-Order Only One Of Me!

9/2/2018

Catalina and Tim have delivered final art for#OnlyOneOfMe! Those two deserve a pat on the back, standing ovation, Mexican wave, medal and quite frankly a holiday. Now it's over to the brilliant team at Graffeg to design and artwork it ready for print.
I can't wait for you all to see it. It's such a top quality picture book you would honestly never believe it came together so quickly. Incredibly, you don't have long to wait.
Both the Mum and Dad versions of #OnlyOneOfMe will be widely available to buy from 12 October 2018. You'll be able to buy a copy in high street bookshops such as Waterstones and WH Smiths, online through Graffeg and Amazon and at independent bookshops throughout the UK. You'll also be able to borrow #OnlyOneOfMe from your local library.
The first print run is limited. We expect high demand and hope to be re-printing before too long. Don't miss out - pre-order a copy NOW!Preorder DAD VERSION from Graffeg
Preorder DAD VERSION from Waterstones
Preorder DAD VERSION from Amazon
Preorder MUM VERSION from Graffeg
Preorder MUM VERSION from Waterstones
Preorder MUM VERSION from Amazon
I recommend popping to your local indie book store and asking them to order you one in. Should you need them, here are the ISBN numbers:-

ONLY ONE OF ME - MUM VERSION

ISBN-10
1912654644
ISBN-13
978-1912654642

ONLY ONE OF ME - DAD VERSION

ISBN-10
1912654636
ISBN-13
978-1912654635

Grandmas From Mars have landed!

4/5/2018

Have you looked closely at your grandma lately? You might want to check for signs that something's not quite right...

Is she acting oddly? Is she green around the gills? Has she grown tentacles? That's not your grandma. It's a Grandma From Mars! RUN!!!

I LOVE working with Fred Blunt!

Me and Fred Blunt's latest picture book publishes today, and - just like the Martians who feature in it - it's completely bonkers. Will siblings Fred and Nell thwart the aliens' fiendish plans to rule Earth in the form of little old ladies? And where the heck is grandpa when you need him?

Find out in Grandmas From Mars! You can buy it in bookstores everywhere. I recommend popping into your local independent book store - they need you! - alternatively shop online at Hive.co.uk, who support independent book stores.

Me and Fred are appearing at the Bradford-on-Avon Mini Book Fest later this year. I'll post a link to tickets and to any further UK events when they're confirmed.

Many thanks for your continued support!

Ten Fat Sausages - in stores Feb 1!

1/25/2018

Ten Fat Sausages, sizzling in a pan,
One went POP and the other went...
HANG ON A MINUTE! I do not like this.
The fridge went hum but the pan goes hiss.
Well, I won't go BANG and I won't go POP!
And Sausage Number Two went
hop, hop, hop...

I am utterly delighted with my latest book, illustrated hilariously by Tor Freeman and published by Andersen Press.

I've loved Tor's work for a loooong time, so I was beyond chuffed to be able to create a book with her. I hope it's not our last! You can buy the book pretty much anywhere that sells books - try your local independent or the next best thing, Hive.

It's an unpredictable, energetic and anarchic romp through the kitchen and - as proven with an audience of 300 children the other day - kids just can't help joining in.

I'm really looking forward to touring schools and book festivals in the coming weeks dressed as a giant sausage... Honestly.

2nd Feb - Bristol Schools with South Gloucestershire Library Service.
8th Feb - Plymouth Schools with Portsmouth Schools Library Service.
15th Feb - Seven Stories, Newcastle - tickets.
21st Feb - Portsmouth schools with Portsmouth Library Service
23rd Feb - Chippenham Literature Festival.
18th Mar - Story Museum, Oxford Literary Festival - tickets.
13th May - WITH TOR FREEMAN! Barnes Children's Literature Festival.

School For Little Monsters - out now!

9/6/2017

It's been a long old summer, but my kids started back at school this week. They're not big, but they tell me this year's reception children are TINY...
Very best of luck to everyone starting school this year. I hope you have as much fun as the characters in me and Sarah Horne's new book, School For Little Monsters. It's published by Scholastic and is available in all the usual places now.

I finally made a book with Sarah Horne!

Bam and Red - out now!

9/6/2017

I was lucky enough to see a giant panda and red pandas at Edinburgh Zoo this summer when I travelled up to take part in the Book Festival (another huge bit of luck!), so I'm all about pandas right now.
My latest book is now out as part of OUP's brilliant Story Sparks reading scheme. Bam and Red is illustrated by Ashley King, and it is completely gorgeous!

The Hat That Zack Loves - out now!

7/7/2017

THE HAT THAT ZACK LOVES has been waiting in the wings a long time, I'm so excited that it's finally on the shelves!

It's a new take on the old rhyme, The House That Jack Built, featuring a boy, a beloved hat, a host of animals and a wild goose chase across a city.

The striking illustrations are by Robert Reader, who is new to picture books but not so new to creating stunning art. I hope you like it!

Launch party for ‘Have You Seen my Giraffe?’

7/6/2017

Umpteen picture books later and I finally had my very first launch party! It was super special because it was 'have You Seen my Giraffe?' illustrator Claire Powell's first ever launch party too.

There was prosecco! There was popcorn! There was face paint! There was live drawing! There were inflatable giraffes! There was even real life giraffe adoption!

Massive thanks to Simon and Schuster and to Tales on Moon Lane for hosting us. Thanks also to everyone who made the journey to celebrate with us, you made an author and illustrator very happy!

Have You Seen My Giraffe? trailer

6/27/2017

Have You Seen My Giraffe is released in a couple of weeks - and the trailer is here! With thanks to Claire Powell for her wonderful art and to Simon and Schuster.