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Not everyone may have kids, but all of us unavoidably were kids, once. A fair chunk of my childhood centered around books; reading them and collecting them. Certain stories only ever experienced one reading over 30 years ago, but for reasons inexplicable, remain unforgettably potent and as vivid to me as if I’d read them […]

It's  been 25 years since the publication of  We're Going On A Bear Hunt

Within just a few hours of arriving back in the UK last week I was off to the annual conference organised by The Federation of Children’s Book Groups (FCBG). The FCBG is a UK charity which works both locally and nationally to promote reading for pleasure amongst children.

Local groups run meetings for both adults and children interested in children’s books, author visits, and book themed activities. On a national level, the FCBG organises the Red House Children’s Book Award, promotes National Share a Story Month, and National Non-Fiction Day, and hosts an annual conference packed with author, illustrator and publisher talks amongst other things.

Having recently joined the National Executive of the FCBG this was my first time at conference. I had a tremendous, inspirational time, and here’s a flavour of who I saw and what I got up to:

Friday night saw a special party to celebrate 25 years of Winnie the Witch. Winnie’s illustrator, Korky Paul, gave a great talk about his work (revealing the reason behind Winnie’s crumpled hat). He also showed us his stripy socks which was a particular delight to me as last time I met him we talked about underpants.

Saturday morning kicked off in the most fantastic fashion, with Eileen Browne (author and illustrator of Handa’s Hen amongst many others) interviewing Axel Scheffler. Axel was quiet, unassuming and charming.

Axel revealed that the Gruffalo we now know and love started life as something rather more menacing – I hope you can see the grumpier, meaner Gruffalo in the photo below. Later he also revealed that the BBC are currently working on an animation of Room on the Broom for Christmas 2012.

First thing Sunday morning Sally Gardner gave an passionate talk about her background and her life with dyslexia. Sally did not learn to read until she was 14, and by this time she had been labelled as “unteachable”. Her’s is a remarkable life story, almost impossible to believe if you have read I, Coriander, a book set partly in 17th-century London and partly in a magical fairy world, which is both beautiful and lyrical, and a book I think many 8-12 year old (girls) would adore as much as