The new Highland Cowgirl book ‘Showtime’ is now out! It’s so good to see the two books together. I loved illustrating Hanna and Calamity Jane’s new adventure, I hope you love it too. By @louisamacdougall.bsky.social published by @foggietoddlebooks.bsky.social foggietoddlebooks.co.uk #kidlitart

The "AND a librarian" is key here, when holding the government to account about their promise for a library in every primary by 2029. Recommend listening to this too!

Having a cactussy Monday? Cheer up by reading about a new book by @louisamacdougall.bsky.social and enjoy the inventiveness of young Hearaich who helped her. More on our website: www.dethadolharris.com/post/harris-... #dethadolharris #harrisnews #guhearach #harrislife #isleofharris #cactussy

We love hanging out in our local libraries - so much going on to support reading and readers!

Thanks so much to @scbwi-bi.bsky.social for having me on the Words and Pictures blog this week. Here's what a day in my author-life looks like (though there are plenty of other not-authoring days too) www.wordsandpics.org/2025/06/in-s...

Very happy to share the cover of our new Highland Cowgirl picture book

A wee reminder that you can find lots of extra resources linked to my books at louisamacdougall.co.uk. There are workbooks, colouring pages and video clips. I'd love some feedback on what to add or take away! #roryandthesnackdragons #thehighlandcowgirl

While waiting for delivery of my new book (Rory & the Balloon Bicycles) we heard a rumour that a strange-looking giant egg (perhaps even a DRAGON EGG) had washed up on the beach. Of course we set out to investigate... And look at what hatched out when we did! #roryandtheballoonbicycles #outnow

Thank you for having me @litkidsmagazine.bsky.social. I really enjoyed mulling over these questions - its good to have a think about what it is that gets you writing!

Thank you! 😊

Wolf the Badger and Badger the Wolf is a story about river erosion and an unusual animal friendship. I was excited to learn that it placed second in the @writersonline.bsky.social Swanwick Writing for Children Competition last month. You can read it at the link below...

Most of my posts are about #kidlit, but I'm also in a lovely grown-up book club that meets at our local @wilibraries.bsky.social library. This month we're reading #secretsofthebees by Jane Johnson. Its character-driven Cornish fiction & my favourite book club pick so far.

While enjoying the colours of Harris in the sunlight, you can read about how the Outer Hebrides inspire local artist Joceline Hildrey. 🎨🖼 You can read the interview on our webpage: www.dethadolharris.com/post/tea-bre... #dethadolharris #harrisnews #guhearach #harrislife

Great article from @thebookseller.com about my supportive and imaginative publishers Little Door Books... www.thebookseller.com/news/little-...

So excited to share the cover for the new Rory the dragon book: Rory and the Balloon Bicycles. A tale of airborne adventure, firm friendship & giant veg...plus recycled bicycles & bad balloons. Fangtastic illustrations are by Giulia Cregut. You can pre-order now! uk.bookshop.org/p/books/rory...

Today UK authors are protesting against Meta for stealing our work to train their AI model. Authors earn an average of £7000 per year, we are not rich, and yet a trillion dollar company decided it didn’t want to license our work fairly as it was “too expensive” Theft is not a valid alternative.

Loved drawing this scene for @louisamacdougall.bsky.social beautiful story

A Scottish Wildlife Collection for young readers🐿️🪶🐈 A scatty red squirrel who loses his nuts, a wily wildcat without a home, and a hooded crow who thinks he's a cockerel... Meet Scotland's iconic species in this collection of short stories. Fiction plus fun facts. #scotwriterpitch2025

#scotwriterpitch2025 When 'Newt' accidentally discovers a witches' grocery shop behind his mum's lab, he has no idea what's in store for him! Coffee making robots, Latin-speaking frogs, and a trip back through time await NEWT AND THE SNICKET WITCH. Upper MG, 25000 words.

The Ugly Puffling #scotwriterpitch2025 When an egg rolls into the puffins' burrow, they treat it as their own. But the fluffy chick with the sharp beak is not like the others & must learn to survive in her own way. #PB celebrating Scottish Seabirds Pic by Joceline Hildrey (with permission)

Wolf the Badger & Badger the Wolf A wolf with stripes like a badger meets a badger who howls like a wolf as their homes are threatened by erosion. Can these smart outcasts convince their families to flee? #pb #scotwriterpitch2025 Illustration @sarahlovellart.bsky.social (with permission)

We loved meeting the Beck and the beavers in Catherine Ward's By the Beaver Pool. This beautiful book (ill Phoebe Roze) shows readers the incredible ways beavers transform the landscape, wrapped in a heart-warming story about new beginnings. @florisbooks.bsky.social louisamacdougall.co.uk/reviews/

March is the month for new children's books celebrating Scotland's incredible landscape. Our hearts were in our mouths through Barbara Henderson's exciting eco-adventure I Don't Do Mountains! Ideal for kids who love the great outdoors @scattyscribbler.bsky.social louisamacdougall.co.uk/reviews/

What a World Book Day (week) we have had, with lots of school visits, a dragon hunt in the library and story-telling and paper-dragon-making at Waterstones in Inverness

This is cool: you can get the fab @worldbookdayuk.bsky.social books even if you're rural and can't get to a stockist, which is a thing in the Highlands and in many parts of Scotland. Brilliant idea! Thank you, @scottishbooktrust ! Go to shop.scottishbooktrust.com

I love sharing stories in schools and am getting better with experience (I hope). What I am not getting better at is taking photos to prove I was there. Other #kidlit authors share pupil pics, artwork, selfies at school signs, landscape shots etc. I am home before I remember, EVERY TIME!

Rory the Snack Dragon's mini dragon friends have escaped! The naughty reptiles vanished when we were visiting Tarbert Library (Harris) to get ready for World Book Day. We think they are still there, hiding between shelves. Can you help us find them? @wilibraries.bsky.social

Spent the last day of our Feb holiday at Dragon Egg Beach, collecting mini dragon eggs ready for some Rory and the Snack Dragons events next month. And look! We found one that had just hatched..

Making the most of blue skies and sunshine on the Isle of Harris...and a wee hint about the theme of my (hopefully) next writing project. #hebrides #harristweed #notjustrags #lovingthecolours

It is definitely still a work in progress, but here (at last) is my author website. Any ideas and suggestions welcome! louisamacdougall.co.uk

Happy Christmas & thank you to everyone who has supported my books this year.⛄ Here's a wee a snowy bedtime story (about 4 cheeky leopard cubs) that I hope might fill 5 mins over the holidays.❄️ Thanks @sarahlovellart.bsky.social for the fab cover pic #thehugloo youtu.be/akbeTKcwX6g?...

We can't wait to join Grinchmas Storytime at Stornoway library on Wednesday night. Testing out the green hot chocolate to warm up. @wilibraries.bsky.social

It's @louisamacdougall.bsky.social on the Kilts Advent Calendar! Fab wee book, great illustrations too. kidlitscotland.wordpress.com/2024/12/02/a...

Excited to see Rory and the Snack Dragons (by me & Giulia Cregut) behind Door no 2 on the Kidlit Scotland advent calendar... And looking forward to getting lots more Scottish #kidlit recs in the run-up to Christmas. kidlitscotland.wordpress.com/2024/12/02/a...

Feeling very lucky that my chapter book Rory and the Snack Dragons (illustrated by Giulia Cregut) is part of Publishing Scotland's #BookWeekScotland debut showcase. Here's me reading an extract & chatting about my inspiration & favourite Christmassy kids books. www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ_f...

It not too late to book for our Dragons after Dark #BookWeekScotland event at Tarbert (Harris) library tonight (Tue). We promise candle-lit story-telling, sparky hot choc & Rory and the Snack Dragons shadow theatre (see taster below!) @wilibraries.bsky.social www.eventbrite.com/e/1077304048...

My map of children's independent bookshops is updated regularly. Most provide an online service and they're all run by people who can make well-informed book recommendations. Make sure you support your local one if you want to keep it. Any missing, please let me know. padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

Hello, Bluesky. My debut picture book, Pandora and the Story Forge, was published in September. I write children's stories and poems (lots on the Dirigible Balloon website). Looking forward to finding my kidlit people here.

We're so lucky to live somewhere where an otter encounter isn't that unusual - but getting a half-decent photo of one is (for us anyway!) After months trying, our 12-year-old took this family pic last week. Aren't they gorgeous!

Looking for Scottish libraries to follow? See below for info on our fab Western Isles service.

If you know one of those invaluable folk who is working away to help Scotland’s kids find books they’ll love, you can nominate them for Scottish Book Trust’s Reading Champions Award. www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning-and...

We are joining in this year!

Another excellent starter pack for #ukkidlit

Next week is my first Book Week Scotland as an author & it's going to be a busy one, with lots of school visits and an after-dark library event complete with dragons (and sparky hot chocolate). Can't wait!