Hello – welcome to the latest news from Albert the tortoise HQ. We have loads to share.
We’ve been on our biggest schools and bookshops tour to date, we’ve done radio overseas and a really big day for Tortoises and Turtles is coming. And that’s just the start.
Let’s dive in…
We took our school visits to Manchester in the North West of England.
First up was Forest Preparatory School in Timperley. A grand visit – which involved meeting the school tortoises George and Mildred… In a way they started the tour off. About a year ago, when the first Albert picturebook was published, very soon afterwards Graeme Booth the headmaster of Forest posted on twitter praise for the book and mentioned George and Mildred. By chance, our writer bloke and Albert wrangler spotted the tweet and a conversation started about visiting the school. Of course, lockdowns and other hitches got in the way. But, at last the visit was possible.
It was a great visit and we want to thank Mister Booth and all the staff and children for being so engaged. We visited kindergarten, reception and Years 1 and 2.
After visiting the school, we made our way to great indie bookshop B for Butterfly Books in Sale. There we signed some books and did some book posing. Thanks for supporting the Albert books!
Then it was into Manchester – where probably most people would have been disappointed our writer bloke, Ian Brown, wasn’t THAT other Ian Brown of The Stone Roses…
Anyway.. to Waterstone’s in Deansgate where we had a great chat with the nice people of the children’s department. We did a book pose too..
From there to the Arndale centre and a great chat with the nice people of Waterstone’s there. Oh – and another book pose..
Our next school was Brabyn’s Preparatory School in Marple. Thanks to everyone for a great visit. To all the staff and pupils – in Pre-Prep, Reception and Years 1 and 2. Students had been studying Albert Upside Down and garden bugs… and had made an amazing wall chart.
They liked to hear the story too.. And we met the school tortoise Gorky.
Then we headed into Bramhall to amazing award-winning Indie bookshop Simply Books… We signed a supersize stack of all the Albert books and did a little posing too. Thanks to all at the shop for being so super supportive of the Albert books.
Our last school of the week was Forest Park Preparatory School in Sale. A top visit with Pre-Prep, reception and years 1 and 2. Thanks to all for a great time.. some super questions and a great response to the reading of Albert Upside Down.
Our tour of Greater Manchester was a great delight. Thanks to everyone..
Meanwhile, we received some great book poses from a competition winner. The contest was run by a facebook Tortoise group. Their prize was a copy of Albert Upside Down – and their own tortoise was only too pleased to take a very close look. Congratulations to the winner and please keep sharing YOUR book pose pictures with us.. they don’t have to include a tortoise.
We also did a radio interview in Spain – with Hannah Lopez Murray at Talk Radio Europe. It was great fun chatting about Albert and the new book ALBERT SUPERSIZE. Thanks Hannah and all at TRE.
NOW for some things to look forward to.. MONDAY MAY 23 IS WORLD TURTLE DAY… we will be marking the big day and will be posting separately about that.
Also .. On Saturday May 28 the world of Albert the Tortoise is coming to Brockley and Lewisham Literary Festival in south London. We are very excited to be talking about real Albert and reading Albert Upside Down – if not more. Thanks to Crofton Books and the organisers. We very much hope to see you there.
Then – on Sunday June 12 we will be back at Waterstone’s bookshop in St Albans in Hertfordshire to do a reading of Albert Supersize – which is to be the store’s Picturebook of the Month for June! – we are tortally excited. Supersize thanks to all at the store.
We think that’s enough for now… It has been busy for sure.
Thanks to everyone who has supported us this week – and thanks to all who support us in general. We are MOST grateful.
Til next time…