Kelpies News and Features
Category: Authors
What is Eid? Guest post by Yasmin Hanif
Posted on 12/03/26 in Guest posts, Picture Kelpies, Yasmin Hanif
Yasmin Hanif’s debut picture book, Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name, begins at Eid, when Abdullah’s parents give him a teddy bear as a gift. As Muslims ar …
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Playing with Celtic Tales
Posted on 04/12/25 in Guest posts, Lari Don
Guest Post by Lari Don I love sharing traditional tales: folktales, myths, fairy tales. But I also love playing with traditional tales. I find them sa …
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Celtic Tales – what does that mean?
Posted on 07/10/25 in Guest posts, Lari Don
Guest Post by Lari Don I love traditional tales about magic, shapeshifters, fairies and monsters (and clever ways to defeat monsters), and I love rese …
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Celtic Tales on the Map
Posted on 07/10/25 in Books, Folk and Fairy Tales, Fun Stuff, Lari Don
Journey with us to the Celtic lands – Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Brittany – to discover classic stories of myth, magic an …
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Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales: Poster Download
Posted on 23/09/25 in Books, Folk and Fairy Tales, Lari Don, Posters
Shapeshifting selkies, cunning fairies, duelling dragons and bloodthirsty giants: discover stories of myth, magic and mischief retold for children by …
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Abdullah’s Bear Needs a Name! Teddy Bear Colouring Sheet
Posted on 08/09/25 in Fun Stuff, Yasmin Hanif
Abdullah loves his Eid gift — a teddy bear! It used to belong to his abba, who encourages him to guess its name. Abdullah’s siblings, friends and clas …
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Features for Teachers: My Name Is Samim Teacher Resource Pack
Posted on 23/05/25 in Features for Teachers, Fidan Meikle
‘A book that should be available in every school’ – Lisa Thompson, author of Goldfish Boy Are you a teacher looking for a book to inspire your class a …
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Dragon Tales: Poster Download
Posted on 04/10/24 in Features for Teachers, Kate Leiper, Posters
Looking for some fun posters to brighten up a classroom, library or bedroom? Let your imagination take flight with these free pdf posters featuring ar …
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Author Interview: Lindsay Littleson
Posted on 21/05/24 in Authors, Lindsay Littleson
Ice Cream Boy is the latest heart-warming novel from Lindsay Littleson, author of Carnegie-nominated Guardians of the Wild Unicorns. Full of authentic …
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Discover our Spooky Reads!
Posted on 29/10/21 in Books, Folk and Fairy Tales, Fun Stuff, Lari Don
Do you like scary stories? We do! (Well, nothing TOO scary…) This selection of some of our favourite spooky reads features witches and monsters, gho …
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Features for Teachers: Secrets of the Last Merfolk
Posted on 13/05/21 in Features for Teachers, Lindsay Littleson
Are you looking for rewarding reading resources that your pupils will relish? Then why not try this great resource pack for Secrets of the Last Merfol …
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Guest Post: Hannah Foley on life as a writer and a nurse
Posted on 11/03/21 in Authors, Books, Guest posts
We are immensely proud to be working with Hannah Foley, who is not only an author and illustrator, but is also a district nurse. Her Kelpies Prize-win …
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Win a Signed Copy of The Otherwhere Emporium
Posted on 20/07/20 in Competitions, Ross MacKenzie, The Nowhere Emporium
The Otherwhere Emporium is coming soon… But what do YOU think will happen? We have signed copies up for grabs for the most imaginative guesses, as c …
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Find Your Local Unicorn
Posted on 27/03/20 in Books, Fun Stuff, Lari Don
Once upon a time in the kingdom of Scotland, a young prince lost his smile. No one could help Prince Donald find his smile until his friend Hana, the …
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Guest Post: Searching for Unicorns by Lari Don
Posted on 13/02/20 in Guest posts, Lari Don
Have you ever been surprised by a unicorn? In today’s guest blog, Lari Don explains why Scotland has so many of these mythical creatures… Surprised …
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The Boy with the Butterfly Mind: Blog Tour
Posted on 24/09/19 in Author Interviews, Guest posts, Victoria Williamson
To celebrate the launch of The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, author Victoria Williamson has been busy in the blogosphere with guest posts, interviews a …
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Features for Teachers: Kindness Butterflies
Posted on 24/09/19 in Features for Teachers, Posters, Victoria Williamson
The Boy with the Butterfly Mind Jamie Lee wants to be normal. But his ADHD makes him feel like his brain is full of butterflies. Elin Watts wan …
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A Tour of Scotland in Stories
Posted on 04/07/19 in Extract, Folk and Fairy Tales, Theresa Breslin
We all know that Scotland is full of stories. It’s not surprising, really; the rugged mountains, mysterious lochs and impressive castles make the perf …
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The Elsewhere Emporium is here… Are you ready?
Posted on 13/08/18 in Ross MacKenzie, The Nowhere Emporium
We only have to wait a tiny bit longer… The Elsewhere Emporium is reappearing 13 September 2018! In the carnival-tastic sequel to Ross MacKenzie’s T …
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The Elsewhere Emporium: An exclusive extract!
Posted on 02/08/18 in Extract, Ross MacKenzie, The Nowhere Emporium
Are you ready?! The Elsewhere Emporium is published SIX WEEKS TODAY. To tide you over until then, we’re giving you lucky DiscoverKelpies fans an exclu …
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Announcing the winners of the Map My Monster Competition…
Posted on 22/07/18 in Fun Stuff, Lari Don
To celebrate the publication of Lari Don’s latest terrific traditional tale, The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster, Kelpies HQ have run our Map My Mon …
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Win a trip to Lochleven Castle!
Posted on 09/07/18 in Competitions, Theresa Breslin
The true story of the daring escape of Mary, Queen of Scots from the island castle in Lochleven is well-known throughout Scotland and the world. Now, …
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Football Tips and Tricks with Scotland Stars F.C.
Posted on 03/07/18 in Authors, Fun Stuff
Learn some new skills for the World Cup with the help of Calum and his friends. Discover the Scotland Stars F.C. books by author and football fanatic …
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Isla & Pickle Activity Pack
Posted on 29/06/18 in Kate McLelland
Get to know our favourite Shetland pony with some creative and crafty activities. Dive in this summer with the Isla & Pickle Summer Fun Activity B …
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Refugee Week: A Guest Post from Victoria Williamson
Posted on 20/06/18 in Victoria Williamson
How can we help refugees? In this guest post for Refugee Week, Victoria Williamson considers some of the small acts of kindness in her debut novel The …
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Join #PickleOnTour with Kate McLelland
Posted on 18/06/18 in Design and Illustration, Fun Stuff, Guest posts, Kate McLelland
It’s official – our favourite Shetland pony is back! Today is the first stop on Kate McLelland’s blog tour, which is celebrating the return of Isla an …
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What are your local monsters?
Posted on 07/05/18 in Authors, Lari Don
Today on the Discover Kelpies blog we’re delighted to be hosting Lari Don as she makes her first big splash on The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster b …
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Kathleen Fidler – Author Perspectives
Posted on 19/04/18 in Authors, Books, Young Kelpies
Author of over 80 books, Kathleen Fidler remains a titan of children’s literature. Whilst she was born and raised in England and Wales, she spent the …
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An exclusive author reading from Victoria Williamson
Posted on 26/03/18 in Victoria Williamson
Visitors to the Scottish Writers’ Centre got a special treat at a recent ‘open mic’ night. They were some of the very first people to hear a preview o …
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The Blog Tour’s Afoot!
Posted on 16/03/18 in Authors, Books, Fun Stuff
Calling all amateur sleuths, budding detectives and eager bookworms – the wait is over! The second book in the Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries is publishi …
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Our 2017 highlights
Posted on 29/12/17 in Authors, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Launches and Events, The Kelpies Prize, What We've Been Up To
It’s been another busy year at Kelpies HQ. With lots of new books, new faces and new ventures the past 12 months have been exciting, stimulating and r …
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Features for Teachers: Accidental Time Traveller
Posted on 15/12/17 in Features for Teachers, Janis Mackay
Are you looking for rewarding reading resources that your pupils will relish? Then why not try this pack for the award-winning The Accidental Time Tra …
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The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster: Cover Reveal!
Posted on 30/11/17 in Folk and Fairy Tales, Lari Don
Apparently 2017 was a record year for Loch Ness Monster sightings. We predict 2018 will be even better… We’re so excited to reveal the cover for The …
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Lari Don’s Blog Tour – Spellchasers Q and A
Posted on 23/10/17 in Author Interviews, Lari Don
Today on the Discover Kelpies blog we’re delighted to be hosting Lari Don as she kicks off her spectacular Spellchasers blog tour. Lari Don’s Blog Tou …
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Peg and Uan, and other Kelpies pets
Posted on 04/10/17 in Kate McLelland
In Peg and Uan: Making Friends, these two cute Kelpies characters meet for the first time. But did you know that the adorable Peg the Little Sheepdog …
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Author Interview: Alan Dapré
Posted on 20/07/17 in Author Interviews, Authors, Books, Young Kelpies
Alan Dapré is the author of over fifty books for children. He has also written over one hundred television scripts, transmitted home and abroad. His p …
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Win a pet portrait by Kate McLelland!
Posted on 14/07/17 in Competitions, Kate McLelland
To celebrate the launch of Isla & Pickle: Best Friends, we’re giving you the chance to win a pet portrait by Kate McLelland plus a copy of this br …
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Author Interview: Lindsay Littleson
Posted on 04/07/17 in Lindsay Littleson
If you know anyone moving up to high school after the summer you may well want to introduce them to the engaging, funny and slightly troubled Lily McL …
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Spellchasers Fan Art Competition: The Winners!
Posted on 28/06/17 in Authors, Competitions, Lari Don
We love our Spellchasers fans, and it seems that they are an extremely talented and creative bunch! To celebrate the launch of The Witch’s Guide to Ma …
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#FlorisDesign meets Kate McLelland
Posted on 19/06/17 in Design and Illustration, Kate McLelland
From wee lassies to midgies and nessies, Kate McLelland has illustrated many Kelpies books. Now she’s launching a new picture book series about a chee …
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Fan art competition: win the Spellchasers trilogy!
Posted on 26/05/17 in Authors, Competitions, Lari Don
Enter our fan art competition for the chance to win an exclusive Spellchasers prize bundle! Author Lari Don will judge the shortlisted entries and pic …
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Guest post: Writing for girls and boys
Posted on 18/05/17 in Authors, Guest posts
Alan Dapré is the author of more than 60 books for children, including the hilarious Porridge the Tartan Cat series. In this guest blog post, he refle …
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Would you trust this Spellchasers character?
Posted on 20/04/17 in Guest posts, Lari Don
In The Beginner’s Guide to Curses, we met the Spellchasers team. The unluckily cursed Molly, Beth the dryad, Innes the Kelpie, and Atacama the sphinx. …
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The Spellchasers trilogy – what happens next?
Posted on 03/04/17 in Lari Don
At our special book launch for The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Running Away – the second book in Spellchasers trilogy – author Lari Don let us into some o …
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A sneak peek into Lily McLean’s diary
Posted on 23/03/17 in Extract, Lindsay Littleson
Lily McLean had a Mixed-Up Summer. Now she’s (not) looking forward to an Awkward Autumn. Telling people you hear voices doesn’t win you many friends. …
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‘My First Scottish…’ – from brainwave to book
Posted on 07/03/17 in Design and Illustration, Kate McLelland
Have you ever wondered how a board book is created? Perhaps not! After all, it can’t be that difficult to make a board book, can it? We caught up with …
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Meet the Spellchasers team!
Posted on 17/02/17 in Lari Don
You’re on a quest to lift your curse. You’ve just been surrounded by the grey men of Ben Macdui. You need someone to help you escape. Who would you ch …
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Superfans speculate on the Spellchasers trilogy
Posted on 01/02/17 in Lari Don
We’re waiting on tenterhooks to read The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Running Away, the next instalment of Lari Don’s Spellchasers trilogy. In The Beginner …
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Spellchasers: The Beginner’s Guide to Curses
Posted on 19/08/16 in Lari Don
You may have heard us talking about Lari Don’s amazing Spellchasers trilogy recently, and now the first book – The Beginner’s Guide to Curses – is fin …
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The Myth of the Beast
Posted on 10/12/15 in Competitions, Kate Leiper, Theresa Breslin
Earlier this year we launched a competition for three primary school children to win £100 worth of Kelpies books for their primary school libraries. C …
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An inside look at Lily McLean’s diary!
Posted on 17/04/15 in Lindsay Littleson
With just under a week left until the publication of Lindsay Littleson’s The Mixed-Up Summer of Lily McLean, how is Lily feeling about it all? Take a …
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Have a sneaky peek at one of our spookiest #SpookyReads!
Posted on 28/10/14 in Authors, Books, Extract, Fun Stuff
One of our favourite things to do when it’s cold, wet and windy outside is to curl up somewhere warm and comfortable with a good book. And with Hallow …
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Clip clop CRASH! Yann and the Fabled Beasts gang are taking over DiscoverKelpies for a day!
Posted on 26/09/14 in Fun Stuff, Lari Don
Good morning Kelpies fans! We found this very mysterious blog waiting for us when we arrived at DiscoverKelpies Towers so of course we had to share it …
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#FlorisDesign Illustrator Interview: Philip Longson
Posted on 24/09/14 in Design and Illustration, Fun Stuff, Lari Don
Illustrator of…For the last three weeks we’ve dedicated our #FlorisDesign take-overs to showcasing our wonderfully talented Traditional Scottish Tal …
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#FlorisDesign Illustrator Interview: Ruchi Mhasane
Posted on 17/09/14 in Design and Illustration, Fun Stuff, Janis Mackay
Illustrator of… Last Wednesday we introduced you to the first of our Traditional Scottish Tales illustrators, Matthew Land – illustrator of Theresa …
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Cover reveal! Introducing The Fabled Beast Chronicles by Lari Don
Posted on 09/05/14 in Authors, Lari Don
Happy Friday, Kelpies readers! And boy, do we have a treat for you. A cover reveal treat, that is! You might have heard some whispers over on the Disc …
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Lari Don — Storm Singing and Other Tangled Tasks — Author Interview
Posted on 18/08/11 in Lari Don
In case you missed it, here’s the Book of the Month Author Interview with Lari Don. Lari released her latest book in the First Aid for Fairies series …
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Lari Don Clowns Around!
Posted on 22/07/11 in Lari Don, Launches and Events
Check out a clip of Lari Don, author of the First Aid for Fairies series and Rocking Horse War, clowning around at Edinburgh’s Central Library. Have y …
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Janis Mackay Author Interview
Posted on 13/04/11 in Janis Mackay
In case you missed it, here is the Book of the Month interview with Scottish author and storyteller Janis Mackay, whose new book Magnus Fin and the Mo …
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Seals at Deep Sea World
Posted on 01/03/11 in Janis Mackay, Launches and Events
To celebrate the release of Magnus Fin and the Moonlight Mission, the latest book about half-selkie (part-human, part-seal) hero Magnus Fin, we had a …
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Caroline Clough Author Interview
Posted on 23/02/11 in Author Interviews, Authors
Just in case you missed the author interview with Caroline Clough about her first book Red Fever, which won the Kelpies Prize in August last year, her …
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Lari Don Interview
Posted on 22/09/10 in Lari Don
Just in case you missed the Lari Don author interview which was posted at the release of her new book Rocking Horse War, here it is again. The questio …
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The Kelpies Prize 2026: Shortlist Announced!
