Facebook Live with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: Wednesday 6 September, 6pm

[RachelMumsnet]

We're going live on Facebook with dream-team author and illustrator Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler next Wednesday at 6pm. Julia will be reading part of their fabulous new picture book The Ugly Five and Axel will be drawing some of the animals that feature in the book. We'd love you and your Dcs to join us and post up questions (in the comment box) for Julia and Axel from your children. Kids are also invited to post up the animals they would like to see Axel sketching. There's some great prizes up for grabs so do join us on Wednesday at 6pm on Mumsnet Facebook.

If you're not able to join us live, please post your questions for Julia and Axel on this thread before 4pm on Wednesday 6 September.

[DaisyDando]

I love Tabby McTatt! I'm a little bit scared of the baddie in Superworm. Which of your villains do you like the best?

[GhostsToMonsoon]

We've always enjoyed Julia and Axel's books. In fact my daughter is planning to call her as yet hypothetical guinea pig Julia.

My questions:
Julia - Do you consider different accents when working out your rhymes? For example, 'scarf' and 'laugh' won't rhyme for many people.
Axel - where are Pip and Posy's parents? Do you have a drawing of them?

Thank you

[mermaidsandunicorns]

(Bows down in worship to Julia and Axel)

Thank you so much for your books they have brought so much joy to both my sons (and myself)

I especially enjoy the little "Easter egg" illustrations with the squirrel featuring in the books.

A lot of your books touch tenderly on social and moral issues. I'm really pleased you do this as it is sometimes difficult to raise these issues with children.

Thank you ❤️

[BillywigSting]

So many of my son's books are written and illustrated by the two of you. I love how the different characters make little cameos in the backgrounds of stories they aren't in. He gets so excited to see, for example, the cat from room on the broom in Charlie Cook's favourite book.

They are an absolute joy to read, even out loud, every single one of them.


So just wanted to say thanks really! (The first book my son ever said he loved is the smartest giant in town, so that was a bit of a misty eyed moment!)

[Kraggle]

My question is do you both get asked for your input when your books are made for tv? Or do you help to decide which books are made into tv programmes?

Have you been happy with the results so far?

We love the Gruffalo and Stick Man and are looking forward to Highway Rat this year!

But I also want to say thank you both for your beautiful books. They are a joy to read and look at and I have loved discovering them with my children.

[traceyturnblatt]

The first book I ever read my eldest son was Tiddler and now at 2 can recite it! We love all the books you've done,my youngest son is 4 months and I can't wait for him to show the same excitement!

So no questions but just wanted to say thank you!

[DamsonGin]

Does Gruffalo taste of chicken?

(love the books, mine are older now but I've still hung on to them)

[HappylandToysEverywhere]

Can I just say a huge THANKYOU for Tales from Acorn Wood! My daughter adores those books!

What inspired you to create that series of books?

[HappylandToysEverywhere]

My daughter wants to know which book is your favourite? (Both Julia & Axel I presume?!)

[churchilllounge]

I love reading zog as I think it's such a positive message that men and women should want more than being knights and princesses.

No questions but I just wanted to say how much I love your books.

[OlennasWimple]

Another fan here!

My question: have you got any characters that you tried to use in your books but which just didn't "work"?

[Roundandroundtheapartment]

My son has asked who is your favourite villain?
What do you feel is your most successful story?

We really love your books, think we have most of them now and I'm keeping them for my daughter to enjoy when she's a bit older.

[Chocness]

My two year old loves your books! Zog, The Troll, Charlie Cook and Superworm are his favourites (and ours).

I'd love to know where the inspiration for the illustrations come from. You seem to create an identity for each character way beyond what the words in the book give way to.

Also, are you planning on releasing any further Audiobooks? We love the 10 cd compilation, esp the songs!

[BiscuitTinClarabel]

We adore your books in our house - read Rabbit's Nap until it collapsed, now loving The Snail and the Whale, Room on the Broom, Squash and a Squeeze... Thank you so much for creating stories that are a joy to read, and illustrations with so much to spot in them.

My DS (3) loves making up his own stories and always starts them with "a story by Julia Donaldson". They feature rather more light sabers than your originals though! His current favourite book is Tiddler because it has a picture of Julia in.

My question is: do you have a tune in mind for the songs that feature in your books? And if so, could you publish the music for us? I have a reasonable bash at the ditty from Tabby McTat but the Smartest Giant is defeating me!

[Felyne]

My 7 year old daughter (who is a budding author herself!) wants to know what your inspiration for The Gruffalo was. (She is also standing at my shoulder pointing out my typing errors...)
I love your books, adore the illustrations and I think the Songbirds series is brilliant. It must be a huge challenge to write a whole story using only phonically decodable words especially at earlier stages but you do it so well.
Thank you both, you have brought hours of joy to our household.

[1969angep]

The Gruffalo has become such a massive success. Do you ever feel like you've created a monster in more than one sense 😂

[Blahblahblueblee]

We LOVE your books, thank you for creating them!
'Deep dark wood' aka The Gruffalo is my 3 year old daughters favourite. She wants to know:
'I have a special microphone, does the gruffalo like to sing?'

[s4ff]

Which of your books do you love most?

My 10mth baby loves 'Chocolate moose for greedy goose'. It has him giggling away whenever he gets fussy in the car...phew!

[RebeccaCloud9]

@biscuittinclarabel loads of them are songs already - we have an amazing CD set and lots are on YouTube performed by Julia and her husband

[RebeccaCloud9]

Our question is:

We can't wait to see The Highway Rat on TV this year. Do you know which book will be adapted for TV after that?

[Goldenbug]

Hello. I'm a big fan of you both. Axel's pictures are exactly what illustrations in children's books should be: Big and colourful and full of character. And I love Julia's wonderful easy rhymes that just slip off the tongue. It's that sort of style I try to do in my own writing...

...talking of which, apart from the usual children's literary agents route, could Julia please suggest any other ways to get a story published?

(I would be willing to send Julia a story if begged/at drop of hat.)

[8yoemetophobe]

I don't have a question but just want to say how much I love your books.

The characters are charming, and such lovely positive messages in there.

They are beautifully drawn too!

Thankyou.

[iamfabulicious]

I just wanted to say that I'm a HUGE fan!

Will there be any more Gruffalo books? My two little ones love the gruffalo and Gruffalo's child do I wondered if you'd considered doing a 3rd gruffalo book?

[FlowerTink]

I don't have a question, I just want to say how much we love your books in our house! They are always picked to be the bedtime story!