Rather surprised to see Professor Severus Snape leading assembly when I arrived to run workshops at Palmers Green High School, but then my day was full of surprises … a Suffragette librarian, witches, rabbits and all manner of book characters popped up in this delightful school. It was still World Book Day here. Great to get some unusual celebrity endorsement of The Greatest Greek Myths from one of the Gorgons …
The school’s fame had spread far and wide, in fact to the Outer Galaxies, and visitors from far-flung planets decided to see the school for themselves. Would the aliens send their young offspring to study here, were they friendly aliens, or would they (as in one comic strip) devour all the teachers? Many excellent and inventive drawn/written narratives from enthusiastic students.
I showed younger children my Draw It! Dinosaurs book, and encouraged them to hatch dinosaur eggs, cutting out and glueing lift-the-flap eggs. Who was inside? What noise did tiny dinosaurs make? Fantastic (and loud) suggestions from two different groups, and some multiple births …
At lunch break I chatted to students about working as an author and illustrator as they drew portraits of each other, before another comic strip session full of delight. A great day with impressively creative results from Palmers Green High School.
