Kelpies News and Features

Category: Books

Animal Adventure Club: Otter Fact File

Posted on 09/08/19 in Books, Fun Stuff

How much do you know about otters? The Animal Adventure Club learned lots about these fascinating creatures in their latest adventure, The Baby Otter …

Outcasts: Sneak Peek

Posted on 19/03/19 in Books, Claire McFall, Extract

She had a stitch in her side and her legs were burning, but Dylan barely noticed. Her every thought was focused on Tristan running in front of her, an …

Not Your Typical Unicorns…

Posted on 21/02/19 in Books, Fun Stuff

The unicorns of Lindsay Littleson’s latest middle grade novel are not your typical unicorns. Wild, dangerous, and hunted almost to extinction, read on …

Meet the Animal Adventure Club!

Posted on 08/02/19 in Books, Fun Stuff

If there’s a wild animal in trouble, the Animal Adventure Club is here to help! Isla, Buzz, Gracie and new girl Lexi love animals, and they love helpi …

Floris Books and Historic Environment Scotland announce a new collaboration. Image from Little Explorers: Scottish Castles

Floris Books and Historic Environment Scotland team up!

Posted on 28/01/19 in Books

We’re thrilled to announce that Floris Books is collaborating with Scottish history experts Historic Environment Scotland to publish a brillian …

New Year: New Kelpies!

Posted on 01/01/19 in Books, What We've Been Up To

Gooooood morning 2019! We can’t quite believe we’re here again already, but we have a whole new list of Kelpies coming to bookshelves near you in the …

Kelpies for Christmas

Posted on 06/12/18 in Books, Christmas, Fun Stuff, What We've Been Up To

On the hunt for the ideal Kelpie to gift at Christmas this year? The season has well and truly landed here at Kelpies HQ (the tree’s up and everything …

The Elsewhere Emporium is here… Are you ready?

Posted on 13/08/18 in Ross MacKenzie, The Elsewhere Emporium, 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 …

The Elsewhere Emporium: An exclusive extract!

Posted on 02/08/18 in Extract, Ross MacKenzie, The Elsewhere Emporium, 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 …

Announcing the winners of the Map My Monster Competition…

Posted on 22/07/18 in Fun Stuff, Lari Don, Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster

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 …

Win a trip to Lochleven Castle!

Posted on 09/07/18 in Competitions, Mary, Queen of Scots, 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, …

Isla & Pickle Activity Pack

Posted on 29/06/18 in Isla & Pickle, 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 …

Join #PickleOnTour with Kate McLelland

Posted on 18/06/18 in Design and Illustration, Fun Stuff, Guest posts, Isla & Pickle, 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 …

#FlorisDesign meets Melanie Mitchell

Posted on 15/06/18 in Design and Illustration, Guest posts, Illustrators, Melanie Mitchell, Three Craws

Sung throughout Scottish homes up and down the country, classic rhymes and traditional tunes make for fun, interactive stoytime sessions. Some of them …

Porridge the Tartan Cat - Pet Show Show-Off competition

Pet Show Show-Off: Introducing Slomo the sloth!

Posted on 08/06/18 in Alan Dapre, Competitions, Porridge the Tartan Cat

Huge congratulations to Jill Bennett, winner of our Porridge the Tartan Cat ‘Name A Character’ competition! Jill’s suggested name of Slomo was the fav …

Wee Granny’s Guide to Pirate Lingo

Posted on 31/05/18 in Fun Stuff, Wee Granny

Get ready for excitement and surprises as Wee Granny (Scotland’s very own Mary Poppins!) and her magic tartan bag set off on another adventure. This t …

What are your local monsters?

Posted on 07/05/18 in Authors, Lari Don, Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster

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 …

#FlorisDesign meets Sandra Klaassen

Posted on 26/04/18 in Design and Illustration, Flash the Sheep Dog, Haki the Shetland Pony, Illustrators, Sandra Klaassen

A leopard may never change his spots, but a cover can change many times in the lifetime of a book. At Kelpies HQ our Kelpies Classics collection have …

Guest post: Alan Dapre on what makes a funny book

Posted on 20/04/18 in Alan Dapre, Porridge the Tartan Cat

What makes a funny book? Making a book laugh-out-loud (or even just quietly-giggling) funny is a huge challenge. But it’s something that Alan Dapré do …

#FlorisDesign meets Nataša Ilinčić

Posted on 01/04/18 in Design and Illustration, Nataša Ilinčić, Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster

There have been enough stories, claimed sightings and tall tales about the Loch Ness Monster to fill the famous loch itself. But as an illustrator how …

Enter our Name A Character competition!

Posted on 23/03/18 in Alan Dapre, Porridge the Tartan Cat

In Porridge the Tartan Cat and the Pet Show Show-Off, our favourite cat meets an array of animals competing to win the Best Pet Prize! One of Porridge …

The Blog Tour’s Afoot!

Posted on 16/03/18 in Artie Conan Doyle and the Vanishing Dragon, Robert J. Harris

Calling all amateur sleuths, budding detectives and eager bookworms – the wait is over! The second book in the Artie Conan Doyle Mysteries is publishi …

Birdwatching – Finding Artistic Inspiration in Nature

Posted on 16/02/18 in Kirsteen Harris-Jones, Ollie and the Otter, The Grouse and the Mouse

Throughout the month of February, schools up and down the country are taking part in the Big Schools’ Birdwatch. The RSPB initiative aims to both enco …

Ferryman film rights sold to Hollywood

Posted on 18/01/18 in Claire McFall, Ferryman

We’re incredibly excited that a Hollywood studio has optioned the Ferryman film rights. US production studio Legendary Entertainment has acquired the …

New Kelpies galore join us in 2018!

Posted on 01/01/18 in Books

2018 will be the 15th birthday of the Floris Books Kelpies list. So, we thought it was only fitting to celebrate in style! We’ve got ALL these new Kel …

Features for Teachers: Ruby McCracken Activity Pack

Posted on 15/12/17 in Elizabeth Ezra, Features for Teachers, Ruby McCracken

Are you looking for some Ruby Mc-Cracking activities for your classroom? Then look no further than this Ruby McCracken: Tragic Without Magic activity …

Features for Teachers: Porridge the Tartan Cat

Posted on 15/12/17 in Alan Dapre, Features for Teachers, Porridge the Tartan Cat

Are you looking for some MOG-nificent classroom activities? Ones that will make your pupils say Me-WOW? Then look no further than the Porridge the Tar …

Features for Teachers: Accidental Time Traveller

Posted on 15/12/17 in Features for Teachers, Janis Mackay, The Accidental Time Traveller

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 …

Ruby McCracken’s Guide to Christmas

Posted on 08/12/17 in Fun Stuff, Ruby McCracken

Hi guys, Ruby McCracken here. As I get ready to spend another Christmas in the Ordinary World, I thought I’d explain some of the weird Ord customs to …

Ruby McCracken’s Guide to the Ordinary World

Posted on 30/10/17 in Ruby McCracken

Hi! I’m Ruby McCracken, and I’m a witch. Well, I was a witch, until my parents forced us to leave our home in the magical world of Hexadonia to come a …

Lari Don’s Blog Tour – Spellchasers Q and A

Posted on 23/10/17 in Author Interviews, Lari Don, Spellchasers

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 …

Illustrating Children’s Crime Fiction

Posted on 16/10/17 in Design and Illustration, Fun Stuff, Guest posts, Illustrators, Top-Secret Grandad and Me, Uncategorized

In our latest #FlorisDesign interview we spoke to Spanish illustrator, Laura Aviñó, about illustrating children’s crime fiction in David MacPhail’s ne …

Peg and Uan, and other Kelpies pets

Posted on 04/10/17 in Alan Dapre, Isla & Pickle, Kate McLelland, Peg and Uan, Porridge the Tartan Cat, Ruby McCracken, Sandra Klaassen

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 …

#FlorisDesign meets Kasia Matyjaszek

Posted on 12/09/17 in Kasia Matyjazsek, The Fourth Bonniest Baby in Dundee

Kasia Matyjaszek is the illustrator of The Fourth Bonniest Baby in Dundee, which has just been shortlisted the Bookbug Picture Book Prize 2018! We lov …

Author Interview: Michelle Sloan

Posted on 01/09/17 in Author Interviews, Michelle Sloan, The Fourth Bonniest Baby in Dundee

Michelle Sloan was born and brought up in Edinburgh but now lives with her family in sunny Broughty Ferry near Dundee. She trained as a primary school …

The Fourth Bonniest Baby in… Scotland

Posted on 09/08/17 in Kasia Matyjazsek, Michelle Sloan, The Fourth Bonniest Baby in Dundee

We’re so delighted that The Fourth Bonniest Baby in Dundee has been shortlisted for this year’s Bookbug Picture Book Prize. Congratulations to author …

Ally Bally Bee #FlorisDesign Kathryn Selbert

#FlorisDesign meets Kathryn Selbert

Posted on 01/08/17 in Ally Bally Bee, Design and Illustration, Fun Stuff, Illustrators, Kathryn Selbert, Traditional Scottish Tunes

To many Scots, the Coulter’s Candy tune is often sung yet rarely seen. Floris Books is changing that with a new board book inspired by the quintessent …

Books to Bring History Alive!

Posted on 26/07/17 in Books, Fun Stuff

History is fascinating and visiting a museum or historical location is a great way to fill up a rainy day over the school holidays. Combining a trip w …

Author Interview: Alan Dapré

Posted on 20/07/17 in Alan Dapre, Porridge the Tartan Cat

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 …

Guest Post: Top-Secret Sidekicks by David MacPhail

Posted on 14/07/17 in Guest posts, Top-Secret Grandad and Me

Many great detectives have a sidekick, or work in a team. Think Mulder and Scully, Charlie’s Angels, Scooby Doo and his gang, and loads more! Read on …

Win a pet portrait by Kate McLelland!

Posted on 14/07/17 in Competitions, Isla & Pickle, 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 …

Loch Ness Mess Twitter competition

Posted on 13/07/17 in Alan Dapre, Competitions, Porridge the Tartan Cat

Enter our competition to celebrate the latest adventure in the Porridge the Tartan Cat series! We’re giving a lucky reader the chance to win a copy of …

Top-Secret Grandad and Me: Meet the Patels

Posted on 07/07/17 in Books, Top-Secret Grandad and Me

You’d think a ghost grandad would be a great sidekick for a wannabe detective. Unfortunately, if there was a ‘being a good ghost’ exam, Jay’s top-secr …

Author Interview: Lindsay Littleson

Posted on 04/07/17 in Kelpies Prize 2014, Lily McLean, 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 …

Singing Scottish songs to a new tune

Posted on 20/06/17 in Alberto Belli, Ally Bally Bee, Kathryn Selbert, My Luve is like a Red, Red Rose, Ruchi Mhasane, Speed Bonnie Boat

Some Scottish songs have been loved for generations. Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose” as a classic love song. “Coulter’s Candy” as a sweet rhyme passed down f …

Fan art competition: win the Spellchasers trilogy!

Posted on 26/05/17 in Authors, Competitions, Lari Don, Spellchasers

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 …

Guest post: Writing for girls and boys

Posted on 18/05/17 in Alan Dapre, Porridge the Tartan Cat

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 …

Would you trust this Spellchasers character?

Posted on 20/04/17 in Guest posts, Lari Don, Spellchasers

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. …

Porridge the Tartan Cat and the Brawsome Bagpipes

A Deadly Giant Clootie Dumpling: Top Secret Recipe

Posted on 11/04/17 in Alan Dapre, Fun Stuff, Porridge the Tartan Cat

We’ve got our hands on the SUPER-SECRET plans of Fergus McFungus, Gadget Grandad’s arch enemy! Rumour has it that these top-secret plans can make a ra …

The Spellchasers trilogy – what happens next?

Posted on 03/04/17 in Lari Don, Spellchasers

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 …

A sneak peek into Lily McLean’s diary

Posted on 23/03/17 in Extract, Lily McLean, 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. …

Meet the Spellchasers team!

Posted on 17/02/17 in Lari Don, Spellchasers

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 …

Superfans speculate on the Spellchasers trilogy

Posted on 01/02/17 in Lari Don, Spellchasers

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 …

Spellchasers competition: win a signed book!

Posted on 24/01/17 in Competitions, Lari Don, Spellchasers

Calling all Lari Don fans! To celebrate the launch of The Shapeshifter’s Guide to Running Away, Atacama the sphinx helped us to put together this tric …

Last Minute Christmas Gift Recommendations

Posted on 15/12/16 in Books

Tomorrow (Friday 16th December) is the last day for guaranteed Christmas delivery on orders from DiscoverKelpies.co.uk! But don’t panic – here are som …

Gangin on a Word Hunt: translating the sounds of a classic into Scots

Posted on 17/08/16 in Books, Guest posts

by Susan Rennie There are many magical things about Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s classic picture book, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: the hypnotic …

Sample the latest adventure in the Red Fever trilogy!

Posted on 16/06/16 in Black Tide, Caroline Clough, Red Fever, Silver Storm

Caroline Clough’s post-apocalyptic thrillers Red Fever and Black Tide have taken Toby, Tash and Snowy on a journey all over Scotland, but where will t …

Gaelic book reviews on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal

Posted on 21/04/16 in Books, Reviews

We were delighted to discover that five of our Kelpies books had been reviewed by keen Gaelic-speaking Kelpies readers for Aileag, BBC Radio nan Gaidh …

Odin Blew Up My TV! extract

Posted on 21/04/16 in Books, Extract

Can’t wait to get the book? Read an the first chapter of Odin Blew Up My TV! right here! Chapter 1 — An Unexpected Forest As the 95A bus pulle …

The Secret of the Kelpie in Scotland

Posted on 15/03/16 in Books

Every loch in Scotland, however beautiful, has its cold, dark depths. And every loch in Scotland has its kelpie. But it’s easy to forget those dangers …

The Nowhere Emporium wins Blue Peter Best Story Award and Scottish Children’s Book Award 2016

Posted on 03/03/16 in Awards, Books

The Kelpies team are all thrilled to announce that Ross MacKenzie’s dazzling novel The Nowhere Emporium has won Best Story in this year’s the Blue Pet …

The Myth of the Beast

Posted on 10/12/15 in An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures, 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 …

Wrestling with a reluctant reader?

Posted on 27/10/15 in Books, Young Kelpies

I’m Suzanne, I work at Floris Books, and I have a reluctant reader. There. Now you know. I’ve said it. Until recently my 7 year old would read . . . …

What is a Kelpie anyway?

Posted on 21/10/15 in Books

What is a Kelpie? Ask anybody in Scotland this question and they will most likely point you in the direction of Andy Scott’s impressive Kelpies sculpt …

Have a sneaky peek at one of our spookiest #SpookyReads!

Posted on 28/10/14 in Alex Nye, Authors, Books, Chill, 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 …

Are you #TeamThor or #TeamLoki? Vote today on Discover Kelpies!

Posted on 24/10/14 in Fun Stuff, Robert J Harris, Thor is Locked in my Garage

We do like a Norse god here at DiscoverKelpies Towers, which is why we LOVE Robert J. Harris’ hilarious adventures The Day The World Went Loki and Tho …

#FlorisDesign Illustrator Interview: Si Clark

Posted on 01/10/14 in Design and Illustration, E. B. Colin, Fun Stuff, Pyrate's Boy

Illustrator of… A few weeks ago, the team here at Discover Kelpies were thrilled to announce that three (yes, THREE!) of our lovely titles had been …

Clip clop CRASH! Yann and the Fabled Beasts gang are taking over DiscoverKelpies for a day!

Posted on 26/09/14 in First Aid for Fairies, 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 …

Yo ho, yo ho! A Pyrate’s Life for DiscoverKelpies

Posted on 19/09/13 in Books

Arrrrr, me scurvy Kelpies seadogs! Did ye ken that Thursday 19th September is International Talk Like A Pirate Day? Wha’ d’ye mean ‘NO’? Would ye like …

Demons, Dragons, Monsters and Mayhem!

Posted on 21/11/12 in Books

Are you a fan of exciting adventures? Do you enjoy reading books on your eReader? Then we’ve got just the thing for you: now you can try out four of o …

Soldier’s Game Shortlisted for a Scottish Children’s Book Award

Posted on 29/06/12 in James Killgore, Scottish Children's Book Awards, Soldier's Game

We’re thrilled to announce that Soldier’s Game by James Killgore has been shortlisted for the 8 – 11 category of the Scottish Children’s Book Award 20 …

The Wishcatchers Launch on YouTube

Posted on 21/09/11 in Carol Christie, Launches and Events, The Wishcatchers

Have you ever wondered what it is like at a Kelpies launch? Well now you can get a sneak peek by checking out this YouTube clip of The Wishcatcher’s l …

Lari Don — Storm Singing and Other Tangled Tasks — Author Interview

Posted on 18/08/11 in July 2011, Lari Don, Storm Singing

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 …

Carol Christie Author Interview

Posted on 21/06/11 in Carol Christie, The Wishcatchers

In case you missed it, here is the Book of the Month interview with debut author Carol Christie, who released her book, The Wishcatchers, earlier this …

Janis Mackay Author Interview

Posted on 13/04/11 in Janis Mackay, Magnus Fin Moonlight Mission

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 …

Another Red Fever Review

Posted on 22/03/11 in Caroline Clough, Red Fever, Reviews

Another wonderful review for our latest Kelpies Prize winner – Red Fever – from a real young reader! ‘I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love how the a …

Red Fever Review

Posted on 04/03/11 in Caroline Clough, Red Fever, Reviews

Caroline Clough, author of Red Fever, recently received this review of her book which I thought was so brilliant that I just had to blog about it. The …

Seals at Deep Sea World

Posted on 01/03/11 in Janis Mackay, Launches and Events, Magnus Fin Moonlight Mission

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 …

Caroline Clough Author Interview

Posted on 23/02/11 in Book of the Month, Caroline Clough, Red Fever

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 …

Lari Don – Updated Website

Posted on 08/02/11 in First Aid for Fairies, Lari Don, Rocking Horse War, Storm Singing, Wolf Notes

Lari Don, the brilliant author of the First Aid for Fairies series and Rocking Horse War, has updated her website with some fantastic new features. Sh …

New Kelpies for 2011

Posted on 01/12/10 in Anne Forbes, Carol Christie, Dragon Seeker, Janis Mackay, Lari Don, Magnus Fin Moonlight Mission, Storm Singing, The Wishcatchers

While the world is very cold and snowy (including Edinburgh), the Kelpies team are planning wonderful new books for you to read next spring and early …

Janey Louise Jones Interview

Posted on 30/11/10 in Cloudberry Castle, Janey Louise Jones

Just in case you missed the Janey Louise Jones author interview which was posted at the release of her new book Cloudberry Castle, here it is again. J …

Ushig Shortlisted for the Essex Book Awards

Posted on 29/10/10 in Annemarie Allan, Essex Book Awards, Ushig

We recently found out that Ushig by Annemarie Allan has been shortlisted for the wonderful Essex Book Award 2010! The award is run by the Essex School …

Heart of Hawick Book Award Shortlist

Posted on 01/10/10 in Douglas Bruton, Heart of Hawick Book Award, The Chess Piece Magician

We are very pleased to announce that The Chess Piece Magician by Douglas Bruton has been shortlisted for the Heart of Hawick Children’s Book Award 201 …

Cloudberry Castle Launch Party

Posted on 27/09/10 in Cloudberry Castle, Janey Louise Jones, Launches and Events

Yesterday we celebrated the launch of our newest Kelpie – Cloudberry Castle by Janey Louise Jones (the Princess Poppy author) with a MASSIVE party at …

Lari Don Interview

Posted on 22/09/10 in Book of the Month, Lari Don, Rocking Horse War

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 …