It’s half term here in UK and writing this from my mobile phone in distracted environments so apologies in advance for any typos/formatting!

It’s been a wet and rainy month but thankfully we have a lot to keep us distracted including suspense who will win Battle of The Books (see below!) and a beautiful Q&A with our Storyteller of the month Sophie Anderson.

And if you want something to keep your own young storytellers busy – check out March’s Your Story! Challenge HERE🔗!

This year is the National Year of Reading, and I decided to set myself a goal: read more non-fiction. (For the grown-ups only: I’m currently reading The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes, published by Orion Publishing Group. It’s utterly gripping. Lots of trigger warnings, but I’d still highly recommend it.)

Yesterday evening, I was midread and my eldest excitedly asked,

“Mum, have you read A Series of Unfortunate Events yet? It’s SO good!”

I admitted I hadn’t.

I told him I’d love to. Just as soon as I finished my current book… and the ever growing to be read pile waiting to be reviewed.🫣

His face fell.

And that’s when it hit me.

We’re always encouraging our children to read what we suggest. We hand them books we loved, books we think they should read, books we think are good for them, books we remember reading ourselves. But how often do we turn that around? How often do we say, “Alright then…what do you recommend?”

So I’ve set myself a new challenge…read their suggestions. No matter what. I’ve agreed with him for every chapter of my own choice, I’ll read a chapter of their choices (admittedly as a one book at a time woman it will take a bit of getting used to!)

Because the truth is, I adore children’s books. I don’t believe they’re only for children. They are for EVERYONE. There’s a kind of freedom in them that you don’t always find in adult fiction. The imagination is boundless, the possibilities feel infinite, and even though they’re written by adults, children’s books aren’t tangled up in the same limits and conformity we gradually wrap around ourselves as we grow older.

Maybe it’s time we let them lead the way for a while.

What children’s books can you recommend?

⚔️📖 Talking of grown ups reading children’s books..at last it’s time for the Battle of the Books reveal!

Mum and illustrator Shetal and her daughters Shreyana and Seraina went head-to-head-to-head with their favourite reads: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens, and That’s Not My Name by Anoosha Syed.

And the winner is… Murder Most Unladylike! Congratulations, Shreyana! 🎉

Keep an eye out next month as Cruise Ship Kid author Emma Swan and another family go head-to-head for the chance to see their book choices reign supreme!

And now let me introduce Sophie Anderson to our Storyteller of the Month spot! The first time I picked up the first of her stories based on Slavic folktales: The House With Chicken Legs published by Usbourne Publishing I kid you not …a shiver went down my spine. Years later, my boys were hooked on the audible version too. My uni dissertation was based on Russian folklore, so I have a particular interest but even without this, as a mum these books and tales are magical and hold the infinite imagination and wonder of children’s books mentioned earlier in my blog. All of Sophie’s books …The House With Chicken Legs, The Girl Who Speaks Bear, The Castle of Tangled Magic, The Thief Who Sang Storms and The Snow Girl are as enchanting and captivating as their titles suggest.

Personally I can’t wait for the latest The House With Chicken Legs Runs Away to come out (9th April 2026!🥳)

📝 Fun facts about Sophie:

🐚 Sophie grew up by the seaside, loved collecting shells and fossils, and dreamed of being a mermaid.

🤿 At university she learned how to scuba dive, and dived lots of ancient shipwrecks in Scotland.

🐓 Sophie is the proud owner of three chickens called Henrietta, Chewbacca, and Maracca. (Editors note: LOVE THIS!)

👋 Welcome Sophie! What are some of your earliest story or reading memories that shaped your imagination as a child?

My grandmother used to tell me Slavic fairy tales while sat at her piano, so that she could play a dramatic soundtrack for them.

Winter often brings a special kind of magic to reading. Who were your favourite kid lit winter book characters when you were younger and do you have new favourites now? Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson was a favourite childhood read, which features the most wintry of characters, the Groke. A recent favourite is The Other Father Christmas written by Serena Holly and illustrated by Shahab Shamshirsaz. It’s so much fun!

Who or what encouraged you when you first starting out as a writer? I came to writing quite late and I think what encouraged me most was discovering a much more diverse range of voices in children’s literature than I had experienced as a child. David Almond’s working-class voice in Skellig and Salman Rushdie’s lyrical, whimsical Haroun and the Sea of Stories, although very different, both made me feel that there might be a place for my voice and my kind of writing.

What was the moment that made you realise storytelling wasn’t just something you loved, but a permanent and meaningful part of your life? My writing has always felt meaningful on a personal level, but it grew into something more when The House with Chicken Legs published. I had been writing, on and off, for around ten years in my spare time, but had never considered that I might make a career out of it. The House with Chicken Legs changed that. My writing moved from being something I did occasionally around the edges of the day, to being this huge part of my life, and a full-time job. 

The Snow Girl, (recently re-released in paperback by Usbourne) weaves in beautifully with your Slavic folk-inspired storytelling. What memories from the book do you hope will stay with the readers after they have stepped into Tasha and Alyana’s magical world? I hope readers find something memorable and meaningful to them. I think one of the best things about fiction is that it connects with different people in different…(and often very personal)…ways. If, when a reader finishes the story, they are happy that they read it and feel that Tasha’s and Alyana’s world has brought a little magic into their lives, then I will be thrilled!

Without giving too much of the book away, what was your favourite part of writing The Snow Girl? I’ve always loved writing animal characters, and there are a few in The Snow Girl. I also love writing magic and of course the snow girl herself, Alyana, has some wonderful winter magic to play with. 

February is a month for love, and The Snow Girl is full of it in many different ways. What does love mean to you in her world? Love is definitely a verb in The Snow Girl, shown through the caring actions of friends, family and community.

And just for fun!

If you could take one tiny bit of Alyana’s magic in to your own world, what would it be and why?

There is so much of her magic I would like to play with! If I can only pick one, then making snowflakes dance into pictures that tell a story.

Where in our world would Tasha and Alyana most love to dance in the snow?

Karelia, in NW Russia. It’s such a beautiful place filled with magic! (Editor quickly Googles “Karelia” …and WOW! 😍)

🌟STAR READER QUESTION FROM JAMIE, AGED 8

How long does it usually take you to write a book and what do you do if you run out of ideas for characters? Which character is most like you? (Brilliant questions Jamie!)

From start to finish (including lots of drafts), around 18 months to two years. If I run out of ideas a good walk often helps, or refilling my creative well by immersing myself in other people’s works of art. I am most like Tasha in The Snow Girl I think… at heart I am very shy.

What beautiful answers Sophie! Thank you so much for taking part! And of course to our 🌟Star Reader Jamie for his fab questions.

For Sophie’s latest events CLICK HERE 🔗

Next week…Our Story! Family Q&A plus some gorgeous book reviews – Thanks as ever for reading!