It’s been 20 years since the start of Independent Bookshop Week. To celebrate today, I’m highlighting the fabulous Jenna Warren at Book Corner. #saltburn #bookshop #independentbookshop #supportindependentbookshops

It’s been 20 years since the start of Independent Bookshop Week. To celebrate today, I’m highlighting the fabulous Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Brentwood. #independentbookshops #bookshops #independentbookshopweek #neuronsseries #kidlit #supportbookshops

Change a letter of an existing song to make a new one. WE ATE THE CHAMPIONS for @writerblighter.bsky.social Note: this is a new tune. Not a parody where I change the words of an existing song, which is something I find a bit dull... & like the musical equivalent of colouring in.

It’s been 20 years since the start of Independent Bookshop Week. I’m going to highlight some of my favourite indies this week. Today, I’m starting with Everybody Reads in Chiswick ❤️📚📗📒📙📖

STEPPING OUT A free exhibition exploring one environmentalist’s journey through Kingston and beyond. 📍 Tolworth Community Library 📅 19th May – 21st August 2026 Free entry – all welcome 💚

Something's in the mix! Watch this space 🧠 🌈 ♾️ ☂ #neurodiversity #neurons #neuronsseries #ADHD #autism #dyslexia #dyspraxia #tourettesyndrome #epilepsy

Workshop planning for Empathy Day with two kids off school yesterday. They gott stuck in too, and turned a boring bug day into a creative helping-out-Mummy day! 🐸 Join me at Pollards Hill Library (12.30) and Mitcham Library (3.00) this Saturday to celebrate empathy in all its forms 🐸

Don't miss out on the Empathy Day Festival at Morden Libraries Saturday 6th June! 💙 Frog's Bog reading 💙 Designing empathy glasses 💙Creating emotion colour wheels 💙 Word banks full of empathy 💙 Putting it all together in an empathy caliigram Pollards Hill Library @ 12.30-2pm Mitcham Library 3-4.30pm

Excited to share that Teaching Notes are now available for the Neurons Series! 💙⁠ ⁠ Created to support:⁠ 📚 Teachers⁠ 🧠 SENCOs & support staff⁠ 🏡 Parents & carers⁠ ⁠ Check out the Teaching Notes on our website under the Schools heading and “Free Teaching Notes”

The Blunt-Headed Burrowing frog (Ballon Frog) is always popular when I do kid's workshops. I love them too, in a cute/ugly sort of way, and I've found the perfect portmanteau to cover it: busukawaii! It's Japanese slang fusing busu (ugly) and kawaii (cute) to describe something ugly but cute 🐸💚

International Dawn Chorus Day is here. I love the whistles of blackbirds, and this might not be a popular choice, but the high-pitched calls of swifts always soothe, reminding me of lazy summer days. Illustrations by Mariela Malova’s from the Frog’s Bog series 🎶 🎼 🎵

May is National Share-a-Story Month. The theme for 2026 is 'Once upon a storytime', highlighting the joy of reading aloud with children. Obviously, I'm already a convert and self-confessed storytime enthusiast, but if you're looking for an excuse to share a cracking tale, May is your month.

That's a wrap for Autism Awareness Month! A great month of classroom visits, library visits and assemblies ♾️

Tomorrow at Wimbledon Library, I'm reading from Neurons and Autism and throwing in some Frog's Bog too! We’ll look at the senses, how neurons help us, then follow up with crafts. This is my last event for Autism Awareness Month, then I'm back to squirrelling myself away for some new writing time.

The theme of Earth Day 2026 is Our Power, Our Planet! We can all do our bit for environmental action, from sowing pollinator-friendly wildflowers to keeping a messy, untamed patch in the garden. These illustrations are some of my all-time favourites by @mariela_malova from the Frog's Bog series 🐸💚

It’s World Voice Day! I use my voice to tell stories on the page and in person at author events. I still do the odd bit of voice-over work, too. It's a scary world at the moment, and moving forward, I'd like to stick my neck out, take a few more risks, and use my voice more bravely.

It's Purple Day! A time to highlight the power of stories to show what living with epilepsy means. Neurons and Epilepsy is a bite-sized picture book exploring how neurons work and their role in epilepsy. Find out more about the neurons and other titles within the series at Graffeg.com

There were many highlights from the ASLTIP Therapy Talks conference, but can we just take a minute to appreciate the fabulous branding of @aprilcottagetherapies blue nail art? (Scroll to see). Amazing nails aside, it was a pleasure to talk with so many wonderful, insightful people.

Neurodiversity Week is drawing to a close and it's been a busy one! More school visits, a conference, and I'm rounding up with another visit to Tolworth Library! Please join me for an interactive reading from the Neurons series plus activities explaining how neurons help us everyday.

During the Maidenhead Big Read a couple of weeks ago, lovely Stephan introduced me to Emma at The Little Bookshop, Cookham; a picture-postcard bookshop packed with fabulous titles. It was also lovely too see a poster of fellow @graffegbooks title, Stay, too!

Thank you, Yarm School, for a fabulous visit on Monday! I loved sharing the hidden world of neurons with the wonderful children here. A great way to kick off Neurodiversity Week and the perfect excuse for a whistle-stop trip back to Teesside. I even got to spend Mother's Day with my lovely Mam ❤️

A quick Book Week round-up: 7 schools, 1 nursery and 1 Beaver colony. Phew! Shall we do it all over again for Neurodiversity Week? Of course! #worldbookday #kidsbooks #authorvisits

Dodgy pointing and posing aside, I had a great time taking part in the Maidenhead Big Read again this year. 2026 may be the National Year of Reading, but this event has been going all in to encourage a love for books since 2018. Please do look them up and their incredible work with local schools.

Thank you Spring School Kingston for a fantastic author visit! Big shout out to Poppy, Oliver, and Freddie for these amazing neuron designs 😃 #WorldBookDay #worldbookday2026 #neurodiversity #neuronsseries #neurodiversebooks #kidsbooks #kidsnonfiction

Happy World Book Day! Another awesome school visit yesterday, this time at the Downsend Schools in Leatherhead and Epsom. I was reading from the Neurons series, but it was such a lovely surprise to see Frog in a Fog as one of the Books of the Week in the School library! Bring on more school visits!

It was such a treat to return to Surbiton Hill Nursery yesterday. I have so many lovely memories here; two author visits, and my eldest daughter came here twelve years ago. Thanks for having me!

World Book Day visits have begun. I spent time with the fantastic children at Christ Church Primary on Friday, and I'm ready for a jam-packed week of more author visits! #WorldBookDay #worldbookday2026 #authorvisits #GoAllIn #NationalYearOfReading #WorldBookWeek #ReadingForPleasure

I know I'm biased, but if It's International Take Your Child to the Library Day, I must highlight Tolworth Library. Yes, there's a Frog's Bog window display, but more importantly, a lovely team and a host of events, including Rhymetime, Rewilding Rangers, and art groups. Plus books, books, books!

A forgotten video from over a year ago that I found again, just in time for World Read Aloud Day! #wrad is the perfect time to connect with family and friends through the power of stories. For more information, visit @LitWorld and see their amazing reach worldwide. #worldreadaloudday

#NationalStorytellingWeek = endless possibilities! Pop to your local library or bookshop. Enjoy books at home. Read alone or as a group. Read to kids, or have them read to you. Swap books or create a crafts inspired by them. Write and perform your own! Have fun and celebrate the power of stories.

Another year rolls around, and another National River Day. Stunning illustrations by Mariela Malova from Frog in a Fjord. #rivers #waterways #childrensbooks #amwriting #picturebooks #authorlife

Oversized jumper and comfy, cosy writing vibes? Yes, please. Let’s do this! #amwriting #writingcommunity #writinglife #writingislife #kidlit #authorscommunity #childrensauthor #wip #cosyvibes #writingupastorm #cosywriting

Sheesh. These marketing emails. #scamemails #authorlife #kidlit

I love writing when the weather is bad. There’s something about whistling winds and dead leaves scraping on the window that fuels me whilst I tap away. That said, I craved a good, long walk, so I relished the bare trees, crisp air, and even the relentless drizzle yesterday.

Last weekend, my daughter exclaimed that her butter “Had abs." Hardly a six-pack, but she does have a point. I love the random turns of phrase, observations, and the unique rhythms of children's speech. They never fail to amuse and inspire! #writingprompts #writingcommunity

GO ALL IN for the National Year of Reading 2026 and make reading a daily highlight for children. A couple of local schools have approached me to get involved, and I still have availability. If your school, nursery, or library is looking to go all in for the National Year of Reading, do get in touch.

Balancing acts! Families with neurotypical and #neurodiverse children juggle hobbies, #sensoryneeds, confidence levels & abilities every day. Striking the balance isn’t always easy, but siblings can provide a lifetime's worth of support, friendship, and an extra helping hand!

I'm busy taking bookings for school #authorvisits this week. I’d no idea how much I’d LOVE school visits when I first started writing. #workdbookday (5th March) is always a busy time, so if you'd like a Neurons or Frog's Bog workshop, get in touch whilst there are still some spaces. #authorreading

Neurodiverse children mask symptoms. At a Christmas fair, my child struggled with noises of piercing laughter & tinny music bouncing off the walls. She tries to tough it out, exhausting as it is, until the dam breaks. She is learning she doesn't have to tolerate the intolerable and to self-advocate

Getting a Grey Heron to eat a fish out of your hand... PS. Kids - Don't try that in real life without a suit of armour and goggles. A Heron beakspear is so so sharp. 📷 @mariellebayliss.bsky.social

Wondering what this #author #illustrator duo would LOVE for Christmas? #bookreviews please! We've had amazing feedback, but when we ask, most people don't think to leave a review. We are not celebrities and depend on word of mouth. Give us something to toast and please review 😀 #kidsbooks

Christmas can be challenging for neurodiverse kids; sensory overload, routine changes, loud music & burn-out take a toll. These challenges are different for everyone, and I’ll be highlighting some soon.

Dreaming of faraway lands this Christmas? Catch a heron and fly across the globe to a fjord, waterfall or a hot spring with the latest adventure from the Frog's Bog series. #FroginaFjord available in all good bookshops and online, now. #kidsbooks #frogsbog #picturebooks @graffegbooks.bsky.social

The Neurons LOVE to travel fast! They have zipped into bookshops & libraries across the UK and now they're on their way to Australia; arriving March 2026! I can’t wait to find out where they are off to next! #epilepsy #adhd #autism #dyspraxia #dyslexia #tourettesyndrome #kidsbooks #neurodiversity

I can hold off no longer! My first Christmas-themed post of 2025 comes before I've scoffed a mince pie or slugged a mulled wine. I have been eyeing up some posh advent calendars, though. Anyway, the point of the post: please do gift a book or two for Christmas! #frogsbbog #kidsbooks #kidsbookfriday

It's been seven months since the Neuron series was published! How did that happen? We have loved celebrating differences, and can't wait to see where those nosy neurons take us next. #neurodiversity #autism #adhd #epilepsy #dyslexia #dyspraxia #tourettesyndrome #kidsbooks #neuronsseries

Frog spotting post! My gorgeous niece spotted Frog's Bog at Waterstones Middlesbrough whilst Christmas shopping last week. Thanks for sharing 🐸💚 #waterstones #kidsbooks

Sharing some lovely reviews on the Neurons series for #nonfictionnovember "Led to wonderful conversations about neurodiversity with my children" "An fantastic book! As a Neurotypical individual it really has taught me a lot" "I only wish something like this had been available when I was diagnosed."

I've had a couple of weeks away from the socials to reset and mull things. I've also had my head down with #newwriting. I'm at a crossroads and have a decision: carry on with Project A, pause Project A and start Project B, or try to juggle them both? Which route to take?

Great to see the Neurons series available in the junior non-fiction section at Kingston Library 🧠🧐 #kidsbooksaboutneurodiversity #theneuronsseries #kidsbooks #autism #theneurons #epilepsy #supportlibraries #kingtsonlibraries #lovelibraries #librarylife #kdsbooks #neurodiversity #adhd