Launching the parrot

The Girl with the Parrot on her Head has been out in the world for two days now, stomping about, sneaking into bookshops. Already Julia Eccleshare has written about the book at LoveReading4Kids where it’s also debut of the month! EXCITING TIMES. I’ve written about the process of making The Girl with the Parrot on her Head over on Walker’s blog Picture Book Party (where you can also find out how to make a parrot, or SOMETHING ELSE, to live on your head).
Umbrellas (photo by Trudi Esburger)

Two days before publication we had an amazing launch party at Daunt Books in Hampstead (thanks to Trudi Esburger for the better photos). If I’d put as much thought into the speaking part as the snackfoods I might have said something sensible. We had bears, hula hoops, not-actually-broken-umbrellas and truly incredible wolf biscuits by my cake-genius friend Emily of Love & Cake.
Snackfoods

We also had a lot of lovely people and a counter covered in books. In a weird reversal of my expectations, we ran out of books and had wine left over. It was totally predictable, however, that the wolves all vanished in no time at all.
Wolf biscuits by Love & Cake (photo by Trudi Esburger)Here are my entirely brilliant Editor and Designer from Walker Books:
Lizzie Daisy Ben

Me drawing in books (when does it stop feeling like defacing school property?):
Signing (photo by Trudi Esburger)

And illustrators! Some of the many excellent friends, family and book-people who made it so grand:Illustrators (photo by Trudi Esburger)

Very many enormous thanks to everyone who helped and all who came along!
Wolf

Follow Emily of the wolf biscuits @MissWilko or on Instagram.

Read about the making of The Girl with the Parrot on her Head at Picture Book Party.