Category Archive

The Anchor

The anchor is an important piece of equipment on a boat. It locks into sand or mud and stops the boat from floating away. After long weeks at sea, it’s lovely hearing the rattle and clang as the anchor races towards the seabed. The anchor on Lesley’s illustrations in ‘A Big Blue Boat’ is called […]

Reading Fun at Kempsey Library

There was reading fun at Kempsey Library when I shared the story, A Big Blue Boat, last Thursday. Everyone had a great time! We had children aged from 18 months up to 12 years. There was something for everyone to do. I just love sharing my stories with the children. It was lovely meeting Melanie, […]

Feather Stars

Yesterday, I discovered the most amazing sea creatures I have ever seen. They are called Feather Stars. Live Diet Can grow up to Scientific Name Eaten by ? Plankton 31cm Crinoidea Fish and mooches Feather Stars are the closest thing alive to walking plants! Their bodies are so small that they are difficult to see. […]

Lionfish

I love Lionfish. We were really lucky to see one swimming next to Gratis when we were visiting the island of Rodrigues. Live Diet Can grow up to Scientific Name Eaten by 10-15 years Fish, crustaceans (like shrimp), and molluscs 38cm in length Pterois volitans moray eels, tiger groupers, blue-spotted cornet fish and some sharks […]

Why Is The Toilet Called The Head?

How the toilet came to be called the Head is a really interesting question. I had to do a bit of searching to find the answer. About 600 years ago, the front of the boat was called the ‘head’. No-one knows the exact date when the word ‘head’ was used to mean the toilet. Early […]

Writing Fun

In this writing fun activity, trace, write and colour the Captain and A Big Blue Boat. Two free activity sheets to download and print. For more literacy fun click here For the A Big Blue Boat Activity Book click here

Purple Dragonfly Awards

Last year I entered A Big Blue Boat in the Story Monsters Purple Dragonfly Awards and then promptly forgot about it This morning an email arrived from the Purple Dragon Awards and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. A Big Blue Boat has received A Purple Dragon Fly honourable mention and a winners badge […]

Questions For Susea

Questions for Susea is where you will find the answers to your questions. Susea will attempt to find the answer to any question you ask. Did you find the answer to your question? No? Write to me here and I will try to answer your question.

Rhythm, Beat and Repetition in Picture Books

Rhythm, beat and repetition in picture books assists with developing communication, phonological awareness, syllabification, and fluency. I watched a show about autism and women a couple of years ago and a lot of buttons went click, click, click. Each click provided a reason for how I think, act and process. It explained why I am […]

K-1 Literacy Pack Well Underway

Containing ideas, activites and games, the K-1 Literacy Pack is well on the way to completion. Books are such a great source for learning, and A Big Blue Boat is perfect for this. To assist teachers of the K-1 year levels (also referred to a R-1 or F-1), I am creating this pack filled with […]