April Update: School visits and new book and La Fontaine!

Hello everyone!

How are you?  For me, the month has rushed by. I have done a couple of virtual visits to schools. Not the same as a visit in person, and without the buzz of direct interaction, but the children seemed to like it!  I have some more visits planned after the School holidays.

I have been putting together some new activities and was much encouraged to hear from the Children’s University, Scotland, that children told them my activities were exciting, challenging, interesting and fun! (None of us can ask more than that.) Researching my new book, I have been finding out more about dinosaurs and mammals who lived at that time.  It seems that their eyes – and ours – have the structure for night vision, and that structure and function evolve much more slowly that features such as size… Perfect for a Midnight Feast story (in hand!). My best news last night is that my next book is well on its way. I’m so excited to share it with you!

This blog is about animals, and it is in verse, so it has quite a lot in common with my books of animal riddles, – but it is not a riddle. It is my translation of one of La Fontaine’s better known poems. La Fontaine was a 17th century French story teller and poet who is still widely read. Some of his stories have a political slant which is largely lost today. I do hope you will like this story.

The Crow and the Fox

Mr Crow sat on his perch    

high up amongst the trees,

happy that his beak gripped tight

a lovely piece of cheese.

Along came Foxy underneath,

he saw that Crow was well.

He spied the cheese and wanted some,

attracted by the smell.

Mr Fox cooked up a scheme

His smile was full of guile.

I’ll make him talk eventually

I’ll try for quite a while.

Foxy pleads, “Sing. Your voice….”

Crow opened up his beak.

He dropped the lovely scrumptious cheese.

Fox then began to speak.

He looked and said “Dear foolish Crow,

learn from what I’ve taught you.

Flatterers are never good.

Cheese, I’m glad I’ve caught you!”