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Do your DC have a question for Cressida Cowell? Join our webchat on Saturday 26 September, 10:30am

69 replies

TinaMumsnet · 21/09/2015 10:35

We're very pleased to announce that Cressida Cowell will be joining us for a webchat on Saturday 26 September at 10:30am.

Cressida Cowell's How To Train Your Dragon series made has her a household name. Her scratchy, vivid illustrations, mischievous humour, support of the underdog and crazy plotlines have enthralled young readers across the land. As well as being a global bestseller, it also inspired the Dreamworks film franchise of the same name: the second movie, How To Train Your Dragon 2, came out last year, and was a box office smash. Somehow, she's also found the time to continue her work for the National Literacy Trust (NLT), the Children's Media Foundation (CMF) and The Reading Agency.

This month, she brings the series to an end in How to Fight a Dragon's Fury, the 12th and final adventure for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

On Saturday 3 October Cressida will be joining a glittering line-up of authors at the Telegraph Bath Children's Literature Festival, which runs for 10 days from Friday 25 September (visit the website for further information).

Do you or your DC have a question for Cressida? Join us for the webchat or if you can't make it post your question on the thread below.

Photo by Debra Hurford Brown.

Do your DC have a question for Cressida Cowell? Join our webchat on Saturday 26 September, 10:30am
Do your DC have a question for Cressida Cowell? Join our webchat on Saturday 26 September, 10:30am
OP posts:
Racundra · 21/09/2015 10:43

Oh, wonderful! I shall have to get a move on, and finish the book... Chapter 22, all getting very hñnnnnnn... I want to know what happens, but cannot bear for it all to be over.

Badders123 · 21/09/2015 12:37

Oh fantastic!
My eldest son loves your books! They are the only books he has ever read for pleasure - and as he is severely dyslexic that is pretty much the highest compliments I can give you! He read the latest in a 4 hour stint with one break for a snack :)
My sons question is...
Will there be any further books about hiccup as an adult and as king of the wilderwest?
Or more adventures of toothless as a sea dragon?
Thank you so much for this wonderful series :)

Molliepolly · 22/09/2015 09:28

I just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful series of books. Totally immersive and hilarious

gingercat12 · 22/09/2015 09:57

DS and I love your books. He is 7 and went to school dressed as Hiccup from book 9 (not the film or book 8 - he said outraged) for World Book Day.

We both thoroughly enjoy your humour, sarcasm and humanity. We are only on book 11, as we try to stagger it out to last longer.

I personally enjoyed Stoick's 'We shall fight them on the beaches' speech most. We had to listen to Churchill after that.

I am guessing book 12 is the end. (We had a look at in Morrisons, but did not want to spoil ourselves). Have you anything else in the pipeline? Would you write for adults? I for one would love to read more from you.

Thank you for sharing these stories with us. They led to a lot of discussions and guesswork in our house.

AlwaysOutnumberdNeverOutgunned · 22/09/2015 10:24

Hi Cressida, your stories are comic genius and the David Tennant audio versions are a huge favourite in our house. Thanks for these wonderful stories Grin

Dc question - do you have a dragon and what is it called?

Mummy question - how do you feel about the americanisation of Hiccup's accent in the tv version? I feel this let an otherwise brilliant adaptation down and wondered how much say you get as the original writer?

Racundra · 22/09/2015 11:30

So, I finished it last night, and there are questions and comments i want to make, but worried about spoilers for others.

gingercat12 · 22/09/2015 11:34

Racundra Aren't we meant to pretend that we are reading these to our DCs?

Enb76 · 22/09/2015 11:54

My daughter loves your books, her favourite person is Camicazi whom she feels is by far the funniest of all the characters.

So we have watched the films, watched the TV series (both Netflix and terrestrial), read the books, and listened to the audiobook (Tennant really is a blinder of a choice to narrate these)

My daughter's question is, would you think about writing any stand-alone stories with girls similar to Camicazi because she would like to read books like that.

My question is - do you feel that the film and tv franchise of your books has created an entirely different world and set of characters to the world your Hiccup inhabits and does it make you sad (it does me) or do you separate them entirely in your head.

Racundra · 22/09/2015 12:05

Gingercat Grin
My DS stopped me at chapter 22 and point blank refused to continue because he's worried something terrible is going to happen!
I had to know for myself (having read aloud 12 whole books worth! My voices are just as good as DT's I'm sure)

Alfieisnoisy · 22/09/2015 17:19

Thank you for a fantastic series of books. They have been my son's chosen audiobook at bedtime for a long time (with occasional breaks for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

My only question is how much say you had over the films. I struggled to enjoy them as I have been so spoilt by David Tennant's reading of the books. I couldn't cope with the changes the film made to the books....but guess I should enjoy them as separate entity.

Currently my son's favourite book is "How to Speak Dragonese", he is autistic so this has been the nightly choice for some months. His favourite line being "a Slitherfang in the knickers is no laughing matter", always greeted with gales of laughter:

Thank you again for an amazing series of books.

gingercat12 · 23/09/2015 09:44

DS's question: Why did you start writing books? (he started writing his first book after Roald Dahl day)

His first 20 questions were obviously about Hiccup, Toothless, Furious, Camicazi, Fishlegs, Valhallarama and Stoick, which you would not be able to answer without spoilers.

You are a household name with us. I just asked if he has any questions for the author of Hiccup and he went Cressing Cowell. Grin

Racundra · 23/09/2015 14:37

OK, DS wants to know whether you will write any more Hiccup books, because he loves them so much.
He says "I never want them to end. She can put that on the cover if she wants, to encourage others to read them"!
Grin
A 6yo has such a sense of self-importance.
Following on from that, my question is- is toothless based on anyone in particular, because there are an incredible number of parallels between him and my DS. They are very, very alike in so many ways (not least of which is him keeping me warm because he's like a little furnace Grin).
He chews things too Hmm

ThomasRichard · 23/09/2015 18:27

My 5yo DS and 2yo DD love 'There's no Such Thing as a Ghostie' but it's quite difficult to get hold of now. Are you planning on doing any more books for younger children?

hermancakedestroyer · 24/09/2015 18:29

Hi Cressida, my friend's daughter absolutely loves your books.
She asked me to ask you the following question...
Olana would like to know how you feel about the differences between the book and the film versions of how to train your dragon? Does she share Olana's outrage??
Many thanks

Lisa2505 · 24/09/2015 18:51

Hi Cressida,
You met my mum last week at the book signing in Cambridge- she was the one who laughed when you had trouble with the lift in Watersones!
Thank you for signing the book for my son Fred, I was disappointed that she hadn't got my name in too as I'm just as big a fan as Fred! He was over the moon and thought it was awesome.
His question is: How long does it take you to write a Dragon book?
P.S. Please let there be some spin off books from this series as I don't know what we'll do without Hiccup and Toothless in our lives!!
Lisa

BathshebaDarkstone · 24/09/2015 20:21

From DD 8, who's currently reading How to Fight a Dragon's Fury:

Why do you like dragons?

stealthsquiggle · 25/09/2015 09:17

I feel disadvantaged. DS snaffled our (long pre-ordered) copy of the book and has taken in to school (he part-boards). I, and his favourite dragon (who considers herself to be best friends with Cressida because Cressida was kind enough to reinforce her belief that small cuddly red dragons are definitely the scariest kind) are very very cross with him and want him to hurry up and finish it so we can read it. The only thing that he has told us is that the hardback cover (under the paper cover) is beautiful.

DD, her dragons, and I are reading How to Steal a Dragon's Sword at bedtimes. Her favourite dragon (a small green one called Melissa) is very jealous of Stormfly because she wants Toothless all to herself.

There's supposed to be a question in here, isn't there. I'll have to ask some dragons and get back to you.

Do your DC have a question for Cressida Cowell? Join our webchat on Saturday 26 September, 10:30am
stealthsquiggle · 25/09/2015 10:40

OK - I asked them - the consensus question was "how many dragons is "too many" for one household?"

(Hint: one adult human member of the household seems to think that the current number (about 30 at last count) could be considered, if not too many, then definitely enough. The dragons and the DC don't agree....)

CressidaCowell · 25/09/2015 12:44

Hello everyone, looking forward to tomorrow's webchat!

BathshebaDarkstone · 25/09/2015 14:13

Hi, Cressida, I'm stupidly star struck! Blush

Pippidoeswhatshewants · 25/09/2015 15:52

DS is very disappointed with your decision to end the series ("Can she not think of more?!?")...
He would like to know if you will start another series of books?

Chippednailvarnish · 25/09/2015 19:59

Question from my DS;

Hi Cressida, I just wanted to know how you got the idea for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III? And can you come and visit my school?

Thanks!

Racundra · 25/09/2015 21:23

DS has more questions! (sorry)

Who did Hiccup marry when he grew up? (his first thought was that he might be gay and marry Fishlegs because he loved him so much, but then I pointed out the children bit...)

And I really, really have to know about the scars on the dragons' chests- where did Wodensfang and Toothless' scars come from? How did they have them, are they really related to Furious in some way? (in which case, why was it never mentioned?)

Thank you!

muffincuriosity · 26/09/2015 04:40

You've marveled in amazement before at how David Tennant will almost seemlessly go from character to character when recording the audiobook. If he's yet to record this final adventure, is there any chance when he does so of sharing a short video of his doing the reading for the rest of us to see and marvel at his skill as well?

Are there any new tribes in the new book? It won't be released here across the Atlantic for over another month from now...

Thank you in advance for your answers!

muffincuriosity · 26/09/2015 04:41

You've marveled in amazement before at how David Tennant will almost seemlessly go from character to character when recording the audiobook. If he's yet to record this final adventure, is there any chance when he does so of sharing a short video of his doing the reading for the rest of us to see and marvel at his skill as well?

Are there any new tribes in the new book? It won't be released here across the Atlantic for over another month from now...

Thank you in advance for your answers!