Huge thank yous to everyone who braved the grey and rain and donned their masks to help launch Beneath the Trees into the world. I massively appreciate your time and support and smiles (which I could see even beneath the masks :-)). I loved meeting so many creative kids and seeing so many of my SCBWI West mates – thank you everyone for making my day xxx

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Huge thanks also to my kids for helping with the platypus cupcakes and chocolate leeches, to my sister Nic, who provided my colourful homemade mask, to H M Waugh, who made a fabulous wearable leech accessory, to Mum for sewing a giant vampire leech, to my writing buddy Shirley Marr for exploring her clearly considerable illustration talent by illustrating her mask with a platypus, to my Wednesday Weeks co-author Denis Knight for driving halfway across WA in the rain, to the Paper Bird team for providing a gorgeous display and perfect venue and even flowers (thank you Fiona!)…I feel so lucky and so supported. And if morphing the super-launch party into a chilled craft-and-laugh session is the part I need to play in keeping everyone safe, then I can’t complain.

Book nook brilliance – check out the exhibition!

A highlight of the day was seeing all the amazing book nooks in the store right now.

If you get a chance, please fill your heart with joy and creativity and appreciation for just how wonderful the gift of Paper Bird is by checking out their Book Nook exhibition. There are so many gorgeous, clever, heart-lifting and wonderous book nook creations hidden in their shelves, made by kids and adults alike, and there’s even a bunch of book nooks made in a snap over the five days of Perth lockdown…it’s amazing what kids have managed to create in just five days with only what they have around the house.

I can’t help thinking of all the hours that went into imagining, planning, creating, trying and trying again to make these book nooks. All those hours were spent in joy and the creative process, not watching TV or feeling despair. I am so proud of everyone who entered, and especially of the team at Paper Bird for dreaming up and making happen and pivoting when required to gift us all this gorgeous thing.

Check it out and feel the love and explore Fremantle at the same time. Day trip!