by Gudrun Bowers | 21, Apr 2022
Welcome to the World is Julia Donaldson’s beautiful new book – a magical, lyrical celebration of babies’ first experiences, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. To celebrate the book’s publication, Julia will sign copies of Welcome to the World, plus her latest paperback Counting Creatures, and all her other books purchased on the day or pre-ordered, at The Steyning Bookshop on Saturday 7th May from 10.30am.
To attend this signing you MUST book a place. Each booking admits 1 family (of up to 5 people). There are 2 family ticket prices: the £12.99 price includes 1 copy of Welcome to the World in hardback, the £10.99 price includes 1 copy of Counting Creatures in paperback. Additional copies of these and Julia’s other books may be purchased from us on the day. Julia will sign all books purchased at our shop, but we are afraid that customers may not bring their own copies from home to be signed.
There are 3 signing sessions: 10.30am, 11.15am and 12 midday. Each session lasts 40 minutes and 20 families will meet Julia during this time, so there will be time to have a little chat!
by Gudrun Bowers | 14, Feb 2022
Come and meet Julia Donaldson at the Steyning Bookshop on Saturday 5th March, from 2pm onwards, to celebrate the release of her 2 wonderful new books A Pocketful of Songs and Mole’s Spectacles. For COVID safety, this event will be organised in timed slots, each 40 minutes long, admitting 20 families per 40 minutes. Your ticket booking entitles entry to the signing for 1 family group of up to 5 people, and includes a copy of either Pocketful of Songs (£14.99 ticket) Mole’s Spectacles (£6.99 ticket) , or both books (£21.98 ticket)
Click here to book via Ticketsource
Additional Julia D books for signing can be purchased at the bookshop on the day – we will have a huge selection of ALL Julia’s books on display for customers to browse, buy and get signed, but if there is a particular book that you really want, you can add it to your ticket order by phoning the shop on 01903 812062 or shopping via our website here, selecting LOCAL PICKUP as your delivery option, and adding in the ORDER NOTES that you’ll be collecting it at the signing.
We are sorry, but we cannot allow customers to bring books from home for signing by Julia.
There will be activities for children while they wait to meet Julia!
Pocketful of Songs is the latest collection of Julia’s songs, including family favourites from Stick Man and Superworm to Tiddler and The Highway Rat, collected in a beautiful hardback gift edition, richly illustrated by Axel Scheffler and accompanied by a CD featuring Julia Donaldson herself performing the songs, which will have the whole family singing and clapping along. The book also includes music scores for piano and guitar.
Mole’s Spectacles is the 7th book in Julia and Axel’s beloved Acorn Wood series, perfect for pre-schoolers, produced in sturdy board book format with fun flaps to lift on every page…. Mole has lost his spectacles. He searches all around his house, in the garden and even in Weasel’s sweetshop, but he can’t find them anywhere! Where could they be? Lift the flaps to help him find them!
by Gudrun Bowers | 27, Nov 2019
On Wednesday 4th December from 6-9pm Steyning High Street becomes a winter wonderland! With street entertainers, live music, a candle-lit procession, Father Christmas in his vintage transport, and a host of wondrous stalls selling all manner of artisan gifts, plus delicious, tempting food stalls, and, of course, most of the high street shops open for business.
As always, at the bookshop we will be dispensing Rob’s legendary home-made mulled wine, to accompany Sara’s famously melt-in-the-mouth mince pies, and this year our guest author is Julia Donaldson!
Although the shop is open all evening from 6pm-9pm, Julia will only be signing at the shop from 7.45-9pm, we calculate this is enough time for about 30 families to meet her, so, if you want to be SURE you’ll get a chance to buy a book and get it signed & dedicated in person, we recommend you give us a ring on 01903 812062 to book your place.
Julia’s latest book is The Smeds & the Smoos (£12.99 hardback), a hilarious and heart-warming inter-galactic love story – she’ll be signing this and all her previous books.
by Gudrun Bowers | 30, Aug 2019
Very last minute but Julia has just kindly agreed to come for a signing for her brilliant new book The Smeds and the Smoos!
This will take place on Saturday 7th September here at the Steyning Bookshop, from 10.30 am till 12.30 pm. If you wish to attend, you must pre-order and pay for your copy of The Smeds and the Smoos (£12.99) by phoning us on 01903 812062 or popping into the shop. For queue management, we will divide the 2 hour period into 30 minute time slots, and let you know your time slot when you pre-order. As always, all Julia’s other books will be on sale and available for signing, you can shop for these when you arrive. We must ask that you do not bring books purchased elsewhere, or books from home to be signed. If the weather is warm the signing will be in the garden. Free activities and refreshments for children will be provided.
*Local customers who are not able to attend the signing but wish to obtain a signed and dedicated book can pre-order a book to be picked up at a later date*
The Smeds and the Smoos is an out of this world intergalactic love story from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
In a distant galaxy, far far away…The Smeds (who are red) never mix with the Smoos (who are blue), so when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love, their families strongly disapprove. The star-struck lovers elope on a cosmic rocket trip around the universe, meeting all manner of curious extra-terrestrials. Eventually, a bouncing purple baby brings the two tribes together, and love and unity prevail!
This wonderful picture book is a joyous celebration of inclusivity and diversity, with Julia Donaldson’s humorous rhymes exuberantly brought to life by Axel’s colourfully hilarious illustrations. A real treat for bedtimes!
by Gudrun Bowers | 30, Aug 2018
On Saturday 20th October at 2.30pm fans of Julia Donaldson will get another chance to meet her as she celebrates the release of not one, not two, but THREE new books – a delightful alphabet of animals: Animalphabet, a new story with the fabulous illustrator Lydia Monks: The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes, and a beautiful new illustrated hardback edition of Julia’s play about the second World War: Bombs and Blackberries. The book-signing is an amazing chance to buy one of these wonderful new books in first-edition hardback, and get it personally signed and dedicated by Julia.
In order to make the signing an enjoyable experience for everyone
- Entry will be strictly by prior booking only, and limited to under 100 families.
- You can book your place by calling the shop on 01903 812062 and purchasing any of Julia’s new books (or her older titles!)
- Your pre-order allows entry of 1 family group (1/2 adults and up to 4 children).
- You may purchase additional books on the day – all Julia’s books will be available for purchase and signing.
- There is no way to host a Julia D signing without some queuing, but we will attempt to reduce the queue time by staggering the entry times: 2.30 pm for the first 30 families to book, 3.30 pm for the next, and 4.30 for the final group. You will be advised of your recommended signing time when you book.
- The signing will take place inside the shop /the back room of the shop, there will be refreshments and activities for children, but space is fairly limited.
- Please do not bring ‘books from home’ or books purchased elsewhere for signing.
- If you are unable to attend the signing but would like to order and pay for a book to be signed/dedicated by Julia, to pick up in person later, please call in/ phone the shop and we will be happy to arrange this for you.
- Don’t forget – for those who live further away – you can get a signed Julia Donaldson book anytime from our website store!
JULIA’S NEW BOOKS
Animalphabet is Julia’s delightful alphabet of animals with stunning illustrations by Sharon King-Chai.
Julia’s cleverly written, rhythmic text invites children to compare one animal to another, and ingenious hints and peep-through holes within the artwork make the book a hugely entertaining guessing game as well! Each intricately cut page draws you further into a beautifully vibrant world of huge elephants, slithery snakes and growling tigers, and the book will make a gorgeous gift. £14.99 in hardback.
The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes is an exciting new story illustrated with glittery magic by Lydia Monks. When Josephine leaves the shoe shop after buying some new running shoes, she hears an unusual sound – Click-click! Click-click! A bear with a backpack is following her! Luckily for Josephine, her new shoes are anything but ordinary – these are magic shoes. But can they help her escape the bear when there’s a mountain, a bog and even a lake in her way? £12.99 in hardback.
Bombs and Blackberries is a dramatic and touching play which brings Manchester during the Second World War and its people to life.
World War Two has been declared and the Chivers children are sent to the safety of the countryside. They are delighted to be brought back home when it looks like the Germans aren’t going to invade after all. But the air-raid siren goes off and this time it’s frighteningly real. It is perfect for class reading as well as performance, also includes helpful tips on staging and costume. Beautifully illustrated by Thomas Docherty. £12.99 in hardback.
11th December, 2024, Steyning Bookshop