I really enjoyed my visit to the warm and welcoming Just Imagine Story Centre in Chelmsford . It’s a beautiful shop, brimming with wonderful books and exquisite dressing up clothes, too. Downstairs is a spooky dungeon, so it’s a terrific place to drop by, browse and play. I talked to some highly intelligent young Earthlings who all drew magnificent aliens. Then I bored on for hours to some very polite (and talented) adult Earthlings about my life as a Guardian cartoonist and authorene. They all stayed awake and even laughed occasionally. That’s because the shop’s delightful owner, Nikki Gamble, was tickling them with an ostrich feather attached to her little toe. You can’t see Nikki’s feather, but since everyone in Just Imagine has a smile on their face, I KNOW it’s there. Thanks so much Nikki and all of the Children’s Illustrators Group.
Meanwhile, Flowkwee, the Alien Schoolboy himself, has shown me his blog about HALLOWEEN but although he thinks he’s so clever, he can’t even spell it right. here’s what he’s written, but you may be able see it on his very own website
http://www.alienschoolboy.co.uk/
GREETINGS EARTHLINGS
I have been informed of a curious Earthling ceremony called ‘Hallo Ian’ that occurs once every Earth Year on OCTOBER 31st . I don’t know who this ‘Ian’ person is, but you have to say hallo to him anyway if you want to play. You also have to have a fat orange vegetable called a ‘pumpkin’ dressed up to look like a person. Younglings dress themselves in odd ‘costumes’ called ‘witches’ or ‘ghosts’ and make noises like ‘woo woo’ and bang on doors shouting ‘trickortreat’. Grown ups then open the doors of their dwellings and give the little savages sweeties! Sometimes the grown ups give out smaller orange vegetables called ‘tangerines’ but if they do, the younglings are very rude and go ‘yuk’, even though these little vegetables are much better for their chewing blades. As you know if you have read my excellent ‘books’, I have grown very fond of an Earth sweety called ‘chocolate’, so I am going to join my new school friends in their ‘Hallo Ian’ games this year. They say the point is to look scary, but between you and me my friends look like bin liners in bandages. I am going to take off my Earthling disguise and go as myself this year. That should get us lots of sweeties. I love the nice crunchy ‘wrappers’.
Look out for me, I’ll be looking like this.
Maybe I’ll come to YOUR house.
15 responses to “JUST IMAGINE and HALLOWEEN”
Thank you for coming to visit us. You had a real impact ont he children. Tom’s mum left a post on our Facebook page :
Just Imagine – Tom (almost 10) had a SUPERB time Cartooning with Ros Asquith yesterday – he was absolutely buzzing when his Dad collected him – needless to say – he is up at his desk drawing away. What an inspiring lady she was (and soooooooooooooo funny too). x x x x x
It was an absolute delight to meet you. Please do visit us again. Nikki
Nikki, thanks so much, I really enjoyed it. And thanks to Tom and his mum, too
(I’m not on facebook yet, but I guess it’s only a matter of time) but do tell MOT I’ve put his picture up if he’s interested.
As Chalrie Sheen says, this article is WINNING!
I love it and am posting the Hallo Ian on our website. Very funny and what a funny take on this Earthling tradition!
Cheers Brenda and hallo to any Ians out there.
Just wanna remark that you have a very nice -and very funny-site.
Hahaahha. I’m not too bright today. Great post!
Magnificent -you must continue your writing and fantastic drawings. I’m confident you have a great readers’ base already!
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I suggest adding a facebook like button for the blog!
Helen
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