HELLO and welcome to the latest news from ALBERT the tortoise HQ and our good friends Hugg ‘n’ Bugg.
It’s our first blog of 2026 .. so a very belated Happy New Year to you all. We are about to head into February. We have not posted because we have been very busy all through the start of the year.
Pleased to report that after some very wintry times, occasional moments of occasional days are feeling a little bit spring-like. And that means a certain ALBERT should be getting closer to his wake up time from his winter sleeps.
While he slumbers on, we have been rushed off our feet.
It is looking like a busy year. Lots of major events and major initiatives coming up.
2026 is the National Year of Reading … aimed at encouraging reading in all ages.
Of course, March will again see World Book Day – or week as it has become.
This coming week is National Storyelling Week. More of that later.
We’re delighted to say our Christmas book ALBERT AND CHRISTMAS seems to have sold very well.
Thank you for lots of support at the close of 2025. We would say that it is set in summer .. so is a sort of all-year story.
During the busy times of Christmas and New year, we missed a lovely review of the book from book blogger littlestoryhaus.
They called the book REALLY SWEET .. and that is good enough for us. Thank you.
We were also delighted to drop into two of London’s biggest book stores and sign copies of ALBERT books…
First to Waterstones in Piccadilly – which is their flagship store.
Then to Foyles in Charing Cross Road. .. where we introduced Albert to Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin.
As we said earlier, 2026 is National Year of Reading… as part of that we are delighted to have teamed with Schoolreaders charity – a literacy charity who offer volunteers to help youngsters with one-to-one reading coaching. We are delighted to join a wonderful band of authors and famous names who support the charity and their work.
And as part of our support… we are holding our biggest ever Storytime event with our ALBERT the tortoise and Hugg ‘n’ Bugg books.
The online event on Thursday February 5 is open to all 1700 primary schools helped by Schoolreaders.
The response has been amazing. We are very much looking forward to it.
We will let you know how things go.
Please do keep sharing YOUR pictures with our books and goodies and also posting YOUR Reviews of our books.
We were delighted to receive this message …
Such Praise means a lot to us and we are most grateful.
As you may know, our books are available beyond English…
Our publisher Graffeg Books are based in Wales.. so many of our titles are also in Welsh.
We now also offer our first ALBERT adventure ALBERT UPSIDE DOWN in Spanish… as ALBERT al Reves.
Books are also available in Korean… and now also MALTESE.. thanks to our firends at BDL Books on Malta.
They have translated and published books . where Albert has become Bertu…
Real ALBERT approves!
We are now in talks with BDL Books to bring our storytime events to schools and other locations on Malta and Gozo early 2027.
The books are available in Maltese online from BDL, also from other online sites, various stores on Malta including the BDL bookshop in San Gwann, Malta.
Meanwhile… Bonzer news for our friends in Australia…
Thanks to our distributors there, Peribo books, the latest Albert story to reach Australia will be ALBERT AND THE THIEF .. which will hit stores in April 2026.
Our books are available all over Australia .. including some stores of QBD, Dymocks.. online with those chains, with indie bookshops and other online sites.
You can see we’ve been a bit busy.. and that’s not all of it.
Loads going on sorting school visits down the year and other events… book festivals, fairs, library events..
Very exciting.
As ever, thanks to each and every one of you for the support you show. It is truly much appreciated.
More news soon.. til next time…