Reading Hero

Quiet classrooms - thing of the past?

2009-01-28T12:36:00.006Z

Allow me to be unusually controversial for a while:

When I visit a class of six year olds, I expect them to be able to write their own name legibly, copy my name and a book title from the board, and write a simple sentence about the story they have just heard, this latter with some encouragement and assistance.

I expect this because this has been my experience over the last six years of working in infant schools. Inevitably there would be probably one child who was less able or willing to participate, but with persistence and encouragement that child would produce a lovely piece of work, and the child and teacher would be thrilled.

Increasingly, it is my experience that these proportions of ability have been quite reversed: it is only a handful of children in the class who are able to manage the task, whilst most of the class struggle to scribble their own name, have no idea of what they are copying from the board, are not able to copy it accurately, or even approximately from the board, and are entirely flummoxed by the thought of having to write a short sentence, even with considerable help.

Teachers and classes of children vary enormously of course, but I am concerned that too many children are not learning how to sit quietly and concentrate on a piece of work. They are not expected to be able to achieve much, so they don’t. If they manage to get something scribbled down quickly they get to choose to do something fun, but they are not encouraged to try a bit harder, to do a little bit more.

This was illustrated tome very clearly in a school where I worked with two classes, a year 1 group and a year 2 group. The year 1 group listened well, actively participated then produced work of a consistently high standard. The year 2 group, a whole year older, were noisy, couldn’t think of any relevant questions to ask, and produced rather mediocre work.

In discussing this with staff later, I realised that the difference was not down to the ability of the children, but to the ability of the teachers involved. The year 2 teacher was excused as a “maths specialist”.

A maths specialist??

These children are 6 and 7 years old, they don’t need specialist subject teachers! They need teachers who can create an atmosphere where they can learn effectively, who can enthuse them, spark their imaginations. We need teachers who can TEACH! Sadly the year 2 group experience is by far the more widespread now.

I always know when a teacher has prepared for my visit by the quality of the questions the children ask in our “Q’s and A’s” session. Children who have been prepared well and encouraged to give some thought about what it might be like to be an author and how books are made, have fantastic questions to ask. Unprepared children tend ask irrelevant and unfocussed questions about dogs.

There are some great teachers out there who do a fantastic job under very difficult circumstances. I’m not knocking teachers. But I do wonder about the prevalent classroom culture that is disabling children from learning effectively.
This culture dictates that it is acceptable, or even normal for small children to make a lot of noise; that it’s acceptable to be told umpteen times to listen, that doing anything is better than doing nothing, rather than doing their best.
Let’s bring back quiet classrooms, the skill of concentration and the reward of hard work being the piece of work itself.

This is a deeply complex issue, and not least affected by the numbers of children displaying special needs that are now in mainstream classes, but let’s not be deflected: how can small children work properly in a noisy disruptive environment?

Too many ideas!

2009-01-14T12:44:00.006Z

Clearly, having too many ideas is not a rare occurrence on this blog - when I started typing it in, it remembered me from before!

Although January is usually a pleasantly quiet month for us, this year has got off to a roaring demanding start, and I am already upto my nose in ideas. And yes, I AM standing up, thanks.

I've been playing about with some ideas for Frog as superhero; kids love the picture of him as the Cake Crusader, so now he's gone off and found himself the full superhero outfit.

"Faster than a speeding bullet, is it a bird? is it a plane? NO! I'ts Super Book Dog!"

"As soon as Frog walks into a book shop or library, he becomes... SUPER BOOK DOG!"

I think SuperBook Dog will be part of the revamped "Frog's Five a Day" initiative. It seems that asking parents to spend ten minutes a day reading a story can be too much for some people, so I have decided to restyle with only FIVE minutes. I will be writing a series of stories that can be read in five minutes or less, to encourage the less determined to have a go, presenting them in a bedtime story style book. It's hard for me to understand how a ten minute story can be too long at bedtime, but I've heard enough parents say it to know it's a problem, so I shall address it.

I'm also going to be emphasising how Frog the Dog books bridge the gap between picture books with minimal text for under 5's, and the "young readers" books that have very few line drawings. Children in this critical stage of reading need every encouragement to keep reading, so lots of colour pictures are still important.

"Feed your brain with Frog's Five a Day!" There, you heard it here first.

I have to go now, as Frog would say, it's time to cool down my brain.

We have resolved....

2009-01-08T13:23:00.006Z

Happy New Year!

We sincerely hope that the year ahead brings you everything you need and much of what you want, that the months ahead will be strewn with opportunities, fun filled and brimming over with contentment.

We have resolved this year to have even more fun despite the gloomy economic climate. We are planning to write a new book and aim to be seen and sold in new outlets. We will be refurbishing the content Frog's Wagsite and trimming up the Reading Heroes initiative to be even more focussed on helping parents and kids to read together easily.

We want to visit more schools to excite children about befreinding books, and hope to include extra visits to out of school groups like Brownie Guides to help with their Writer's Badges.

So much to do, so few fingers!

Watch out for "Feed your Brain with Frog's Five a Day" coming to a blog near you soon!
(Visit the FrogBlogDogLog to see what Frog did in the holidays....)

Sharing the excitement!

2008-11-13T09:54:00.004Z

We've had a very upbeat week with the launch of our Frog Blog Dog Log Song on itunes, with great coverage in the local press, and fantastic feedback and enthusiasm from everyone who has heard the song and seen the vid on youtube.

We are poised to hear it being broadcast on Radio Lancashire early next week, and have asked everyone we know to request it on all the local radio stations.
The challenge now is to convert that enthusiasm into sales, and to spread the song virally, to create a snowball effect that will carry us into mainstream audiences.
Any suggestions and offers of help gratefully received!

From a personal standpoint, I am realising how much more enjoyable it is to share a project like this, than it is to always work alone. I really appreciate having someone else getting over-excited with me. That's not to say that my family and friends don't support me, because they are all incredibly supportive, but it's the very special nature of sharing a creative idea, working to give it life, then witness it give pleasure to other people that is feeding my own enthusiasm.

Chris Carter, my co-conspiritor and the singers are all very local with strong local connections so were inundated with calls from well wishers after the local press coverage - a first full page pic spread for Frog and I on the front of the leisure section, with a follow-up story and another pic inside of all the singers - whereas my social network is thrown much wider so I didn't get that same initial response. I was grateful to be able to share their excitement, whilst it was just another day in the office here.

This has decided me to make sure that I share the experience of hearing our song played on the radio with Chris next week at the studios of the BFWSB so we can get a crowd atmosphere to celebrate. The BFWSB - the Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind, is a very fitting place to gather, as that is where Frog and I recorded our audio CD, "It's Frogtastic!" and first met Chris, who we then commissioned to write our original music.

Now I have to return to the less public work to start chasing retail buyers again - it's nearly Christmas you know!

Dreadful Cat Doggerel

2008-11-05T12:50:00.002Z

We have been waiting very impatiently since Monday 3rd for our Frog Blog Dog Log Song to go live on itunes - it's now two whole days overdue. so while we go berate the unforunates who live on the other end of the itunes helpdesk, try a bit of this, and if you don't go buy our song as soon as it IS ready, we'll just keep on writing more. You've been warned!

Dreadful Cat Doggerel.

Squeakers Maguire swaggered into the room,
The fur on his tail was quite patchy.
Three whiskers were bent, his claws ragged torn,
And he whistled a tune that was really quite annoying.

Squeakers Maguire sauntered up to the bar,
“A milkshake!” he bawled, “Make it snappy!”
The room turned to stare, Squeakers just didn’t care,
That the barman was not looking at all pleased.

Squeakers Maguire stared an amber eyed glare,
His tail shook with menacing twitches,
“A Milkshake, please sir,” he said, smoothing his fur,
“Or your face will need several sticking plasters!”

Squeakers Maguire took a step back or three,
As the barman snarled, spitting and growling,
“No milk served in here, we’re all dogs who drink beer,
So leave now and none of your lip!”

Squeakers Maguire turned slowly to go,
Pretending he cared not a hoot,
When he got to the door, did a wee on the floor,
Then fled as the dogs chased him right down the street.

Not a dogumentary

2008-10-29T11:03:00.005Z

Here it is - it's not a dogumentary, it's a pop song and vid!
We'd love to know what you think - it's already proving popular with the under fives who demand to see it over and over.
Make yourself a coffee, turn up the volume, and enjoy some unashamed fun!

The song goes live on itunes et al on Monday 3rd November, so we've been waiting until this week to send out the promo packs to radio stations and press.

We're hoping to upload the video to a site that will enable us to sell the vid for a few pennies for mobile phone use, as we're keen to promote and utilise the digital technology to share the message that books are fun.

Even a short time ago we would not have been able to do this, but this is so exciting - book characters are no longer confined to the flat page, but live and play in any of the many places where kids have access. Maybe not every child has access to the internet at home, but they nearly all have mobile phones, heaven help us! In presenting Frog the Dog as a friend and advocate of safe, silly, and exciting fun, we hope to reach a wider audience than the printed word could achieve.

Frogtastic!

Chris Carter of Bluebird Recording Studios and I both need this to go large for us. We work hard at our respective businesses, but we both need the break into mainstream recognition. We believe this song is good enough to do this for us both.

Please, there is plenty you can do to help, and we need your help to get noticed.

It would be be amazing if you could do any or all of these:

Buy the song from itunes, Napster, Rhapsody of Amazon MP3

Watch it, rate it and review it on youtube - www.youtube.com/frogthedog1

Be our friend and spread the word on myspace - www.myspace.com/frogthedogandthebeachhousegang

Watch the vid and leave us an encouraging message - It gets lonely here sometimes!

Send these links to your friends, and tell every child you meet about Frog the Dog or maybe treat them to a book or toy for Christmas - suitable for kids upto 8yrs old for the books and CD's, and any age for the Frog Ted toy - he's very cool :)

Thank you!

I have to go send out press packs, and then cross my fingers that this takes off so that both Chris and I get noticed enough to earn a salary soon!

Back at the blogs

2008-10-22T12:18:00.007+01:00

Hey, did you miss us? No??
We simply had to take some time out to work on the new drawings for the Frog Blog Dog Log video, and I find that the only way not to get distracted it to turn the computer right off!
So I had a blissfull week creating some new images, and realised how little time I get to create new work for it's own sake. A piece of art always has to have a purpose, to fit a specific brief, usually to illustrate a story.
I couldnt wait to get started on this tuba playing pic!
The video has been a collaboration with our good chum Chris Carter of Bluebird Recording Studios who wrote the original music for us, and who was keen to develop that into a pop song. I really wanted a video short that would amuse everyone and be a good promo tool, so we set about planning.

Because we have such a strong international following, I thought it would be good fun to have Frog with the most famous London Landmarks, and to have clips of our own dear beach here in Fleetwood; if we can do our bit to promote the tourism in Fleetwood, I would be very happy.

I also wanted a mix of Frog in his various guises, cartoon, plush toy and real dog. So the plan emerged that we would use brief shots of a mix of all these to create an animated effect with stills, but being the creative silly people we are, we couldnt resist a little stop animation with a Frog Ted. No cakes were harmed or eaten during the making of this video!

Having assembled over 80 photos, and a range of cartoons, I then spent a week storyboarding the pics into position, humming the song as I worked to give a rough plan. Then it was into the studio to work on the stop animation, where Chris excelled himself, and there was much giggling as we put it together and saw how it looked. We (Chris) spent quite some time going over and over it to get the synchronisation right, so when we finally finished very late that night, it was very hard indeed to go home and NOT share the results until the next morning!

We really want the song and the vid to be something for the kids to enjoy that they can access themselves through their mobile phones/mp3 players. We know that kids who are too old for the books still enjoy the whole concept and character of Frog and his friends, so like the blog, this song and vid are a new way of being friends with Frog.

So after that brief but exciting burst of creativity it's back to the marketing and selling in the run upto Christmas. Back to arranging signing events and book orders; but it's great fun telling everyone that we have a pop song out and how much fun it is. Stand by your ipod - launch day is 3rd Nov - we're nearly there!
PS: We'd be so appreciative of your support - if you can spare the time to comment, rate or review our vid on youtube, we'd be really gratefull!
Find us at www.youtube.com/frogthedog1

Making the fun happen

2008-10-08T14:37:00.010+01:00

One of the very nicest things about doing what I do is the scope for having fun and being silly, which is always a welcome break from being sensible and corporate.

I push myself very hard in the pursuit of professionalism and achievement, and refuse to relent when it comes to the fun side of the business. Sometimes making the fun is hard work!

Frog worked hard at the Brand Licensing show at Olympia, catching some international interest, and on his "day off" went out to shoot some photos for our upcoming promo video to accompany The Frog Blog Dog Log Song, ready for imminent release on Itunes.

Yes, a Frog pop song - how much fun is that??

We wanted some photos of Frog at iconic London sights to use in the video - how hard can it be?

Not as easy as one might first think!

The famous landmarks might seem to be right next to the tube stops - but maps lie! So a great deal of brisk walking was called for.

The Tube was closed in places for maintainance work - more brisk walking, catching buses, and more brisk walking.

Some of us involved in this frantic photo bid are not as fit as some others, and you really wouldn't believe how many stairs there are to access the underground system - its a long way down - and up again! Oh my poor knees....

The photo I most wanted was a shot of Frog with a Guardsman at Buckingham Palace, so when we got there I was very disappointed to discover that the guardsmen now stand well inside the palace grounds, whereas they used to be outside the gates and prone to all kinds of attention from the public. We were flummoxed!

The technicalities were proving hard - the guardsmen were quite some distance away, the railings got in the way and Frog wouldn't stay focussed. When it started to rain, we decided to move on.

But perhaps the power of positive thinking was with us - as we trudged wearily down Birdcage Walk, passing the Guards Chapel, our tired spirits lifted when we spotted two guardsmen outside the chapel, waiting for a wedding to start.

We decided that the Prince of Wales' motto "Carpe Diem -Seize the Day" was called for, so I despatched Frog Ted with my charming and attractive accomplice to ask the favour.
You can see what a great photo we got at the top of this post.
I could go home happy!

Among the 80 odd photos we took in five hours, and the 40 odd that we intend to use, this one is my favourite, so we want to say a very big thank you to the Guardsmen involved for their willingness to take part. I'm sure they must have had other more important things on their mind! We know how much the iconic sights of London are enjoyed around the world, and really wanted them to be a strong part of our pop video.

So here's to the splendid and long suffering guardsmen, to Frog, and to my cheerful accomplice, who all contributed magnificently to making the fun happen - you are all quite FROGTASTIC!

Frog the Dog World theme park plans put on hold

2008-09-10T12:12:00.002+01:00

Sadly, our dreams of buying Fleetwood Pier to build a Frog the Dog World theme park have suffered a set back - the poor old pier was burned down yesterday, the last of the old English seaside piers to be built, back in 1910.

I would love to have known the pier in its heyday; but in recent years it has fallen into decay, and was recently bought by a local business man who hoped (somehwat controversially) to build residential flats on it.

In the hearts of most Fleetwood people though was the dream of restoring it to its former glory. Can you imagine how much it would cost in public liability insurance alone to have a fun fair on the pier these days? But it's what piers were made for - we want to see merry-go-rounds and helter skelters, we want to sniff the candy floss, peer over the railings into the briny, saunter long the planks to take in the stiff sea breezes.

We want somewhere to relish the views across Morecambe Bay, somewhere to sit with an ice cream, somewhere to sit inside when its raining; this IS England, after all!

Now we will have to stand by watching the pier disintegrate whilst it is decided what will happen to it next. Poor old pier.

Book Signing Events

2008-09-03T11:12:00.003+01:00

We are still in the midst of our book signing events for the ASDA UK supermarkets - two more this week, in our home town of Fleetwood on Thursday and a few miles south in Blackpool on Friday, a much larger store.

The sheer footfall through the supermarket doors is staggering. It is a ceasless flow of humanity and trolleys, eager to buy.
The staff are keen to promote the product as part of their commitment to local produce, and are very enthusiastic to have something a little unusual, and for children. I'm learning from ASDA how to be very local yet global - it's fascinating how little details can give a product an edge, so I hope to take this newly acquired expertise into the bookshops too.

It's a fantastic opportunity to get our products in front of the general public in a big way - and the interview on late night BBC Lancashire was a lot of fun too. Ive now been interviewed by all but two of the programmes on BBC Lancashire - think that's a target presenting itself! I only have to crack the breakfast show and the mid morning show and I shall have a full set.
Frogtastic!

Five years of Sniffing and Wagging

2008-08-27T10:30:00.006+01:00

Five years in business as Sniff and Wag - Frogtastic! What an eventful, exciting, and exhausting five years it has been. But it's only when reminded by family that I really look back at our various adventures. I tend to be so focussed on making the present into a successful future that it's easy to overlook just how far we have come.

When I started, I just wanted to be one of the 20% of small businesses in the UK that make it through the first year, and that did feel like a real achievement.

We had a quiet spell in the middle when we had to decide how to go forward with printing the books - full colour printing in the UK is expensive, and I wanted to be sure that we could justify the print run. Five years on I am in the process of deciding on how soon we will need a print run ten times the size.

We have met so many amazing people, and made such good friends along the way. We have learnt more than we could ever imagine that we would need to know! And yet, it feels like the beginning.

Because now I have set my sights at achieving much larger goals, and starting to supply into one of the UK's top four supermarkets is the beginning of that strategy coming together.

Not everything we try falls into place - I worked hard to put myself forward to be the author of choice to promote the Lancashire Library big summer read, but without sucess. I worked with two other companies to put in a bid to the BBC children's tv for a pilot programme for under fives, and Frog Ted was our ambassador at the New York Licensing Show back in June, to showcase Frog the Dog to international licensing companies. There has been some interest from the far east, but this is a process that takes time, so we have put it to the back of our minds for now. None of these ventures would have seemed remotely possible five years ago, or even 18 months ago, but now, we tuck them away and see what else might be possible.

It's hard to listen to the news being so negative about the economy; but I am told over and again that it's those of us who keep going through the bad times that will make it through the other side. I CAN see the light and it's very bright - I'm going to be here in another five years. What's going to happen next?

Have fun!

Pressing press releases

2008-08-20T13:26:00.003+01:00

I am a woman in need of staff, preferably a PR team.
Please apply here, with a full tin of biscuits and an unflappable disposition. A willingness to pet the celebrity dog whilst preparing copy is appreciated.
Please excuse me now, I have a pressing appointment with the ..erm...press.

Get out of your comfort zones!

2008-08-13T16:15:00.007+01:00

When I started out writing those simple stories for young children, I could not have envisaged where Frog would take me and what an adventure it would be.

The learning curve has been almost vertical!

I am constantly out of my comfort zone; learning new skills, meeting new people, getting into new areas of expertise. This week I have gritted my teeth and launched Frog into Myspace. Youchers!

A year ago I researched a bit and decided it wasnt for us. I visited Terry Pratchett's page (and others) and saw all the illiterate txt speak messages left by the dubious searchers of internet fame and thought that this was not for us.

But now I feel I understand so much more about how the viral marketing works that I can see how I can make Myspace work for me.

Yes, I will have to cut my way through the sloss - but that happens everywhere.

On Myspace I can create for Frog and the cats a place where they can be free of the constraints of the books, where they can interact with each other and with other people, where they can develop new aspects of their personalities that are currently limited by being created within a book for very young children.

It also means that I can create something new for our readers to grow up with so that when they leave picture books behind, they can still have fun and interact with Frog and his friends in quite a real way as peers. The characters can have more depth, the readers get new content and background. So although I cannot give the time to creating a whole new story book right now, I can create small vignettes that add to our content for readers whilst giving me the space to keep a creative toe in the warm water.

It always seems odd and a shame to me that the general public seem to assume that one must either love books OR computers. I really believe that the future is in both - a shared world that moves seamlessly with whatever platform you want to use at that time, and in whatever format.

I especially enjoy writing the Frogblogdoglog - and it's a great adddition to the main wagsite that is safe and easy for the kids to navigate by themselves. The blog introduces youngsters to another format that I hope they will become familiar with for when they want to step out a little themselves. Blogging community blogcatalog is within my comfort zone, it's my networking place of choice, and Ive made some good friends here. but I have to be elsewhere too, and how to choose? It has been trial and error for the last year or so, but now i feel it is comng together, I'm finding the platforms that i enjoy using, and that give us what we need to build a complete world for Frog and his friends.

A recent addition to our collection is Flickr - having paid a small fee to upgrade to "pro" status, I can now arrange Frog pics in neat collections and sets that make sense to view and to follow. Now that we have blog friends sending us in their pics of Frog adventures, I can add them to the overall collection, so you can see photos of the original and real Frog, the dog that inspired the stories, a selection of cartoon Frog pics, and now an amazing assortment of photos of Frog Ted getting upto mischief around the world.

Now that Facebook have introduced "pages" Frog is allowed a page that he could not have before, and we are slowly picking up a fan base there. It's interesting to see who turns up in these various places - some people are everywhere! Others of course stay with a select few places they feel most comfortable with, so Frog needs to be prolific in his networking to catch all these places.

The reality is that I can only service so many outlets within the limited time I have available, so although I have recently had a very enjoyable time discovering Plurk, I shall have to give it up, as it really geared up for daily, indeed multi-daily input, and I just cannot give it that amount of attention. I find it easier to be in places on a more sporadic basis - and that wont harm if I am out of the office for a few days. Sorry Plurk! You're great, but not for us just now.

So, wherever it is you like to be, come and find us too. The weak link in this is my appalling memory and the possibility that I will forget to link everything up so it is all the seamless eperience it ought to be, but hey, I'm learning a lot of new stuff, I have to forget the old stuff to make room for the new!

On facebook, put "frog the dog" into the search facility

myspace www.myspace.com/therealfrogthedog

Where will I find you?

Watch this (my)space!

Frog the Dog in ASDA UK - FROGTASTIC!!

2008-08-06T13:17:00.004+01:00

Friends, there is a time and a place to be cool and professional - this isnt one of them.

We have, after several months of talks, just been given the go ahead to start supplying into ASDA UK!

We will be a local supplier into seven stores, Barrow, Kendal, Lancaster, Fleetwood, Blackpool, Preston and Chorley, with the intention of growing to regional then national sales.

This is fantastic news for us, and a fantastic opportunity to establish ourselves.

So with much to do that couldn't be done until now, I'm going to rush off and run around in cirles for a while with Frog, and we trust that normal blogging will resume as soon as possible!

Frog the Dog - so cool he should be in the chiller cabinet:)

Beating Writer's block - or giving youself time to think through ideas...

2008-07-25T16:27:00.005+01:00

In his laid back, relaxed "Coffee with Allan Cockerill" blog, Allan is a mine of useful and interesting info and comment. I got so enthusiastic responding to his article Beating Writers Block And Mining Your Life For Writing Material that I have used it as the basis for my post today.

Do take the time to check out Allan's writing - he's a prolific contributor and social networker, and has recently taken to full time writing. It's ironic but often true that in devoting time to full time writing, the creative urge suddenly goes off for its holidays and leaves you at home sulking.

As a "full time writer" this subject is close to my heart, though for slightly different reasons; In publishing my own writing, I have become so busy working on the publishing side of the business, that I have no time for creative writing. I tried giving myself "writing days" in my diary, but I just over-rode them with other tasks. I tried to promise myself "art days" out in inspiring places, but they never happened either. So I gave up on trying to give myself "creative thinking time".

What I DID do though was to organise my working week so that I could have one day off in the working week to catch up on some of the many jobs that need doing around the house and garden, that leave me feeling pressured if they don't get done. if i feel pressyred, my brain feels clogged up, if I feel clogged up, I find it hard to focus...

So now, very prosaically, but very fruitfully, I now allow myself Fridays out of the office for chores, and have unexpectedly found time to think too, which is great because it's a day off that makes me more productive - that's cool.

Fridays (unless I have a bank holiday or other such holiday earlier in the week) are now for doing all the necessary household chores like grocery shopping, cleaning, washing etc. This frees up my weekend for more fun stuff, and it gives my poor brain time to cool off a bit and think through some ideas while being usefully busy elsewhere.

Staring at a blank page is the surest way to kill off any small spark of inspiration you may been teetering towards! Whereas doing mundane tasks that allow you to think are great for putting ideas together.

The other thing I've noticed about myself is that when I first started, my office was my refuge, my safe quiet place to write. Now, I feel much more free to be creative if I am elsewhere; even if I have to make rough notes or pics to copy up later. Pottering in the greenhouse or cleaning and polishing my little car are really useful for giving me time to plan out ideas. The physical work leaves my mind free to roam.

I now have two strong ideas for the next book, and now need to make the time to sketch out some of the ideas - that's a whole new blog post. I have to start now if I want to publish another title next year.

Writers all have their own particular tricks to free up their creativity. Obviously a writer working on a full novel has quite different time pressures and priorities than I do here running the sharp end of the business as well as producing the writing that gives the business its purpose. That's the irony really.

If I dont make time for myself to BE creative, the business has no new products, but if I'm working flat out on the business, it's hard to find time to be creative. So it's not a luxury for me to give myself creative thinking time, it's a necessity and good business sense. So if I finish my chores and take myself off to a comfy coffee shop with a big squashy sofa where I can sit making notes and sketches, I'm not just enjoying myself - I really am looking after my creativity and my business - honest!

More coffee?
See you next week :)

Arte y Pico award - for us??!

2008-07-23T10:32:00.002+01:00

Forget work/life balance – here at Frog the Dog’s Beach House, there is a constant creativity/business balance to be weighed and found wanting.
One of the fantastic benefits of belonging to the blogging community is meeting and interacting with other creative minds. I am constantly asked where I get the inspiration for my ideas. Answering that could be a whole new blog in itself!

Being open to possibilities and having time to explore them is the key for me. Having the opportunity to share ideas with friends is a luxury that I love and appreciate very much, so when my clever funny friends at the Banana Bblogg awarded the frogblogdoglog with the beautiful Arte y Pico award, it was a chance to thank and acknowledge the friendships forged in the blogoshpere that have actively given birth to new ideas to write and draw about. I really hope you will take a little time to visit our friends, and maybe make some new friends yourself :)

Award rules
One of the award rules is having the award rules, so here they are for your ref:

1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award, creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.

2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Each award-winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

4) Award-winners and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y pico”blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) To show these rules.

Arte y pico

The Reading Hero blog started life intending to research and write articles supporting parents to read with their children, but the harsh reality of time availability killed the impetus somewhat. The RH website is full of info, so the blog was not really adding any value, was tiresome to write and was generally a pain.
So remembering some feedback given by the wittily talented Lisa Wines at OHMYWORD! I have launched the Sniff and Wag Diaries, and find I have more to say about life running a tiny publishing imprint than I can safely shake a wet dog at.
So for Lisa, without whom the Sniff and Wag Diaries would not have come into being, who participated so awesomely in the “Find Spiky” challenge on the Frogblogdoglog, for all her support and encouragement and for her brave writing, we gratefully and enthusiastically bestow the first of the five awards to OHMYWORD

Equally, I have the utmost admiration for two very highly educated silly people who view the world with perpetual astonishment. They throw out ideas like we throw out apple cores – enthusiastically, carelessly and with great aplomb. These two are behind the Banana Bblogg where silliness is bandied about amidst insightful political debate and social commentary. Their fresh perspective and eager comments inspire us on a regular basis, so please excuse me for being a bit of a luvvey by giving the award they gave US right back to them. There are so many examples of how they have contributed, from comments on their own and our blog, to themed awards "Mantlepiece Fruit" that led us to start the “I’m throwing a custard pie at…!” group and the wittily creative series of pics they sent of Frog Ted - here’s to mutual inspirational creativity!

My very first and special friend in the blogosphere was Rythmduel. His comments and participation kept us going when we might otherwise have given up and gone home. Rythmduel’s writing is thoughtful, considered and beautiful. It makes me stop and think. It makes me want to start writing serious thought provoking content. I t makes me want to try that too – and that’s my most favourite kind of art; art that makes me feel like I want to try it too. I am only sad that my reliance on translation technology sometimes means that I am not able to glean the finer nuances of his undoubted talent. Luckily for me, his English is excellent! So for Rythmduel, dear friend and supporter, whom we have missed so much whilst he has been slogging over his international MBA, many hugs, much appreciation and the Arte y Pico award.
Rythmduel at 5 Impulses

Surprisingly for a doglog, we have a high cat readership, and we are not entirely sure why this is. Grumpiness personified, Catpaw suddenly got all cheerful when Frog Ted was invited to stay, and the resulting pics and story were delightful. Just by being a grumpy cat, Catpaw has given us ideas for writing that were gratefully pounced upon, the same pics used in various different ways on both the Frogblogdoglog and Frog’s wagsite. Catpaw, we think you are great, keep on being grumpy – we know that you a big softie really!

You might notice that I have used only four of the five allotted awards. But that elusive fifth element (!) is for all those snippets and ideas that float through my brain from all directions, wherever I am, where I cannot attribute any particular source. For the silly conversations, and the off the cuff remarks that sometimes lead to something lovely, new or fresh, I acknowledge your presence with gratitude!

So go now and be inspired. Take the time to feel inspired. Let ideas meander through your thoughts, and give them room to grow. Then get writing!

Doodle Week - In our garden we would like....

2008-07-16T14:18:00.014+01:00

Sometimes it's tough being in charge - I had to decide this week whether to go with my original post idea on inspiration for creativity or divert to Doodle Week; so with my supercharged honing skills I plumped for Doodle Week because next week it won't be, and this will add content for the creativity post next week. Cool, that's sorted.

So, Doodle Week is encouraging everyone to have a go at creating something, and we think this is a great idea!

It's rather a shame that Blogger seems to be playing up just as we are all trying to post, and we can't properly upload our pics - dang. Apologies if you are seeing the rather poor quality version of Jelly and Ice cream just now.

Today's theme is "garden" and as one of my favourite pastimes is relaxing in the garden with an ice cream, I've chosen this to submit today. Of all the pics Ive drawn, it's also one of my faves.

Frog, Jelly and Obi-Sven didnt want to be left out, so a new pic of them riding a carousel makes its debut today on the Frogblogdoglog. I think I can improve it, but had to balance the need to get it done and my desire to have it exactly how I want it in the time I have available, a constant work/creativity balance issue. More on this another day, and more on inspiration for creativity next week!

Many thanks to the excellent Doodle Week Team, who gave me the impetus to get the carousel pic finished, and to finally get Frog the Dog onto Flickr !

Do go take a look at the marvellous illustrations on display, maybe have a go yourself!

Have fun!

How do you become a writer?

2008-07-09T14:18:00.009+01:00

There are some questions that children will always ask and this is a favourite: "How do you become a writer?"

Got a pencil and a notebook/pen and paper/electronic gadgetry ready?

Get writing! It really is as simple as that. Don't put it off, worry about the finer points later - to start off, just get writing. Do it!

Children are amazed when I tell them that I got up one morning and decided to be a full time writer, and this is where it got me!

Of course, I want to encourage them to believe in themselves as creatives, and that they can make exciting things happen for themselves, and it's not sensible to burden infant school age children with some of the harsher realities of making a living. But the reality isn't too different - it's more or less what I did.

I believe that three things are important in order for me to be able to create: emotional support, financial security/backup and available time.

I had scribbled long long letters to anyone and everyone I could think of all my life, for the pleasure of writing and for the need to express my ideas. I had to write or my head would go off bang. I was too busy bringing up my family and not sufficiently nurtured to believe that I was capable of writing anything as astonishing as a book.

But my life and circumstances changed dramatically, and I found myself in a position where I was supported, nurtured and encouraged to try out my newly found creativity.

I was drawing and writing regularly, and had created the original set of characters with several stories for pre school children. It was at that point when I woke up one morning and said "I am going to work full time at writing and trying to get published.
I had not an inkling at that point where that decision would take me; how much I would learn, and still have to learn, how much I would grow personally and creatively, who I would meet and work with. It has all been the most fantastic adventure, yet having come so very far, I have so much further to go. Where will we be in another five years?

(PS: Maybe I will have learnt how to format this blog! TSK. Why does it always re-arrange my line breaks??)

A bad review for Frog the Dog

2008-07-07T14:54:00.007+01:00

Yes, it's true, I have today received my first review that is less than favourable.

It feels a bit like getting a D grade when I'm used to getting A*

This all started because I wanted to offer our gorgeous storytime session in local libraries in my home county of Lancashire.

The libraries come under the jurisdiction of the North Lancashire Area Library Manager who told me that having seen my most recent book, (It's Stickinormous!") she would not be working with me, either to book me for library events, or to buy my books.

It took me some while to establish with this manager why this should be, and it seems her main reason is because I have published the books myself, so therefore (in her words) "They have not undergone with rigorous editing process" of a mainstream publisher. Neither are they deemed strong enough to withstand regular library use.

So, because they will not be buying my books because they are not of a "high enough standard" (quote) neither will they invite me to events as they only wish to invite authors whose works are available in the libraries. Oh yes, and my story sessions are not of a professional standard, so perhaps if I were to go along and see how other authors do it, I might learn something.

Now, I have been running storytimes in schools and various other venues for five years. I pride myself on maintaining the highest professional standards and give the kids a great time. The reaction I get from kids, parents and teachers tells me I am doing it absolutely right.

I am invited every year to read to children by Kendal's Sunday Library Service - but they are in a different county - Cumbria, and I recently had a great day out with the Blackpool Library Service for World Book Day, again a different authority.
So, ever up for a challenge, I asked my county councillor to find out for me how I might tackle this problem and how it might be resolved.

The review below is the result. Before you read that though, let me just tell you that whilst I was lining up to take part in Fleetwood carnival last week, the daughter and grandaughter of my county councillor rushed up to me to say how mad keen they were on Frog the Dog, what a thrill it was to meet me and could they buy a Frog Ted from me there and then because the grandaughter was so taken with him. She is nine years old.

This review by an Early Years advisor for Lancashire County Council written especially for me as feedback:

It’s Stickinormous by Helen McGlasson
Here is another adventure with Frog the Dog and his feline friend Ginger Jelly. Together they enjoy sticking shapes and playing snakes and ladders, until Ginger becomes far too sticky.

The concept of the book is good; using a dog as the main character has been successful with many picture books, old favourite Harry the Dirty Dog and Hairy MacClary are just two examples. However on this occasion the story does not fulfil the promise of this concept. It is hard to know the age group the book is aimed at, for while the illustrations are very simplistic and lacking in finer detail, the story is over long and drawn out. Small illustrations in the corner of the page, presumably of Obi–Sven-Knobi, the smart grey velvet cat, bear little relation to the story. Careful editing would probably have improved the language in the book.

A nice touch is a snakes and ladder game in the back, but the flimsy format of the book makes it more suited to personal, rather than library use. While applauding the author’s attempt to write a story “of friendship, patience and the everyday experience of small but favourite things being important”, these sentiments are not dealt with in sufficient detail to be significant. The idea behind the book is admirable, but sadly this is a story which doesn’t work.

I would like to invite any of you who wish to read the story to email me for a text copy - you can see some extract pics on our wagsite. Or buy the book yourself - £4.00 worth of fun and silliness!

Perhaps if you have already read it, you would like to express your views?

After I had the conversation with the Area Manager I was furious that she should be so dismissive purely on the grounds that I have published these books myself. These books have been carefully edited and scrutinised by teachers, head teachers, and parents. They have been thoroughly tested on children and small furry animals.

Now I am trying to be philosophical - realistically the library service would not have brought me in much business, even county wide, but I have always loved libraries, and it feels, despite my trying to be business like, that an old friend has slapped me in the face.

Bring on the supermarkets - and heaven save us from literary pretensions and snobbery!

In the beginning....

2008-07-03T11:40:00.010+01:00

I have the sort of job that people want to know about, which is great for getting the opportunity to tell everyone about my books.

But I choose carefully what I tell them depending on who I'm talking to - I hate seeing that eager spark of excitement when I say I'm a publisher, quickly followed by bitter disappointment that I only work with Frog the Dog!

I've been running Sniff and Wag Publishing since Sep 2004, intending to keep it small and local. I thought I'd approach three choice retail outlets, make a handful of school visits per year - just enough to make enough money to print the next batch of books, which at that stage I printed and bound myself.

The reaction I got was way beyond what I hoped for - rather than just three shops, I found myself stopping at twelve because I couldnt physically make any more books in time for Christmas, and the schools loved the way Frog the Dog workshops inspired their kids.

So, after some flapping about over printing issues and funding, I had to make some big decisions about the future of Sniff and Wag.

In Sep 2008 I re-launched and re-branded Sniff and Wag with a range of professionally produced products for the retail and educational markets, and they've been very well received. Now I have set myself the target of being a recognised global brand within ten years. How hard can it be??

Since April I have worked with two other companies to submit a proposal to BBC children's TV CBeebies for a pilot show on mid morning TV, I have sent Frog off to the New York Licensing Expo to gauge interest, and I am still in negotiations with ASDA UK (A supermarket chain owned by Wal-Mart) to supply into a number of stores in my area.

It's starting to get a bit exciting - time to start taking notes about how it all comes together and what happens next!