Seasons Greetings!

 

As we all know, it's just not Christmas until you've seen a robot in a sleigh …

What?

You're telling me that's not a thing where you're from!

Seriously?!

Just a quick post to say thanks, once again, for your support this year folks. I hope that you and yours are safe and well, and would like to wish you all the best for a the festive season. Here's hoping 2021 brings better news for everyone.

Take care and all the best,

Dave

 

National Literacy Trust #FitforLit Alternative Sports Day Challenge

 

With COVID-19 set to have a disastrous impact on the literacy of the 4.6 million children living in poverty in the UK, the National Literacy Trust is raising money to fund projects to support these children.

The #FITFORLIT Alternative Sports Day challenge invites you to film or photograph yourself doing something active with a book – maybe set up a book obstacle course, or see how many books you can weight-lift!

I decided to attempt to read out loud the first chapter of A Robot Ate My Grandma while out running! Watch the video below to find out how I got on.

 

Why not have a go yourself? Challenge three friends to join in too! Visit the Literacy Trust #FitforLit website for more info and ideas for how to get involved.

If you are able to donate a few pounds it would be much appreciated and a huge help to this important project. Please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/fitforlit or text FITFORLIT to 70085 to donate £3 (texts cost £3 plus one standard rate message). Thank you!

Thanks for reading and watching the video of my pain! Have fun with your own #FitforLit challenge.

Take care and all the best, Dave.

A Robot Ate My Grandma – 3rd story in the Robot Babysitter series OUT NOW!

Hi folks, 

I hope you're all doing OK and staying safe. 

There's not been much to celebrate these past few months, so I'm really pleased to have a small piece of good news to announce. 

The third book in the Robot Babysitter series I've been doing for Stripes/Little Tiger Press comes out today! 

A ROBOT ATE MY GRANDMA finds the gang in another mess of trouble – this time with a mystery to solve. When Grandma goes missing and appears to have been replaced by a mechanical version of herself (AKA RoboGran), the twins' robot babysitter Robin activates his built-in detective mode and gets on the case (with Digby the dog as Dr Watson!). Unfortunately, Robin starts malfunctioning, and then a pair of strange and unexpected visitors arrive. Will they provide what the gang needs to solve the mystery or make things even worse? Only time will tell …

I had a lot of fun writing this one and, as always, Catalina has produced some fantastic illustrations to bring the characters and the action alive on the page. 

If you'd like a sneak preview, there's a video of me reading chapter one at the top of the page – I hope you enjoy it.

Take care and all the best
Dave

PS. If you'd like a sample of the second story in the series, you can watch Is My Teacher a Robot? here.

The first two stories in the series are also available as audiobooks, read by the excellent Peter Kenny.

Is My Teacher a Robot? Video extract

Hi folks,

I hope all is well with you and yours.

Is My Teacher a Robot? – the second story in the 'Robot Babysitter' series came out back in February and I've been meaning to record an extract ever since. 

With schools closed and events cancelled or postponed, I've put the unexpected free time to good use and finally put the above video together.

It's me reading the start of the story accompanied by Catalina Echeverri's excellent illustrations from the book. Those of a certain age will spot that I'm channeling a 1970s Jackanory vibe here with the somewhat shoogly animation! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. I'm thinking Rhubarb and Custard for the next one …?

Take care and all the best,
Dave 

Book at Bedtime? Robot Audiobooks Out Now!

Hi folks,

I hope all is well with you and yours.

I'm currently in self-imposed lockdown in my shed and not allowed out until I've finished my new book! When it's done, this will be the fourth story in the series about twins Jake and Jess and their accident-prone robot. I've had a lot of fun writing these and it's been great to hear that readers are enjoying them too!

I'm very happy to announce that the first two stories are now available as audiobooks, read by the brilliant Peter Kenny. 

It's great hearing someone else read the story – almost like listening to someone else's book! I found myself laughing out loud, which to be honest, feels a bit weird when it's your own stuff – but with someone else reading it … well, I decided it was OK. Anyway, if you're looking for a bedtime story or something to raise a smile on a wet Wednesday afternoon, why not have a listen?

Both audiobooks should be available via your local library. Alternatively you can download from Audible, here:

MY BABYSITTER IS A ROBOT

IS MY TEACHER A ROBOT?

Oh, and while we're on the subject … the next instalment of robot mayhem – A ROBOT ATE MY GRANDMA! should be out over the summer. Watch this space!

Look after yourselves …
All the best
Dave

ROBOTS! EVERYWHERE! "Is My Teacher a Robot?" paperback and "My Babysitter is a Robot" AUDIOBOOK - OUT NOW!

Hi folks,

You know how you can sit around for ages waiting for a robot to arrive and then suddenly two show up at once? No wait … that's buses! (Does that joke still work in these days of service cuts? Let's not go there.)

Anyway, I am very happy to announce that the next book in the series, that started with My Babysitter is a Robot last year, is now available.

  
IS MY TEACHER A ROBOT? is illustrated by the very talented Catalina Echeverri who is currently working on the pages for the third installment, due out in August.

Lots of stories start with an idle WHAT IF? For example, what if you woke up one day and could understand what animals were saying? (Feed me, probably!) Or maybe, what if you turned up at school to discover that your teacher had been replaced by a robot. Would that be good or bad? The answers are all here!

I promised you two robots and I'm a man of my word …

I've always been a big fan of audiobooks. From the days when I would sit in my bedroom making Airfix models while listening to James Herriot's vet books on cassette and getting gently high on the fumes of Polystyrene Cement and White Spirit (as a result Herriot has always been the Hendrix of the literary world for me!) to long car journeys with my own kids listening to Terry Pratchett's Wee Free Men. 

Therefore, I was delighted to be invited to narrate the audiobook for WAITING FOR GONZO a few years ago, but even more chuffed to discover that Peter Kenny would be reading the first two robot stories. My Babysitter is a Robot audiobook is available now and had me laughing out loud (I'm probably not supposed to say that, but hey …) So if you need something to keep the nippers quiet on the motorway up to see Grandma …

That's it. No more robots until the summer, unless you happen to see me at an event somewhere, in which case please do come and say hello.

As always, thanks for your support and for taking the time to read this rambling nonsense.

Take care of yourselves
Dave

My Babysitter is a Robot! New book – out now!

Hi folks! I hope this message finds you well. It's been a while since I posted here, but I've been busy touring schools, moving house, and most importantly, writing a new series of books for Stripes / Little Tiger Press. The first of which, I'm delighted to announce, is out today!

When Grandma creates a robot babysitter for twins Jake and Jess, chaos ensues! Robin is embarrassing, clumsy and, worst of all, programmed to make them do their homework. They're also pretty sure he thinks their dog is a baby. The twins decide they have to do something before everyone realizes that Robin is a robot. But getting rid of their new babysitter will mean putting aside their sibling squabbles and working together, which might be an even bigger challenge...

Illustrated by the talented Catalina Echeverri, My Babysitter is a Robot is the first of four books about a robot and the family he is supposed to be looking after. If you're aged 7+ and like to laugh at robots getting into mischief, this could be one for you!

Best wishes, Dave