Kids in Scotland got The Book of Blast Off in Bookbug Bags, and it's so cool to see comet science represented with Rosetta and Philae! ☄️🛰

The actual regime that these people are hankering after is Dubai: a small elite of citizens, most immigrants to be transient, insecure and all immigrants to be second-class. In reality they would hate the world they would create and would find ever-more ridiculous scapegoats for their failure.

It's a rotten day, at least where I'm sitting, so here's Jenny Agutter reading my story FOLLOW THE TRACK ALL THE WAY BACK, illustrated by @benmantle.bsky.social published in the UK and Ireland by Walker Picture Books. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

CBeebies Bedtime Stories - A-E: Jenny Agutter - Follow the Track, All the Way Back

All aboard for a Bedtime Story with Jenny Agutter about a little train who goes on his first big adventure all by himself.

bbc.co.uk

Well this is a turn up for the (picture) books. DINOSAURS IN THE SUPERMARKET by me and @sarahwarburton.bsky.social is being republished by @scholasticuk.bsky.social next January. Here’s a sneak peek of the eye-catching new cover. How many naughty dinosaurs will you spot?

Every READER counts in this new racing adventure! The brand new TEN WHIZZY RACERS book, by me & Richard Merritt hits bookshops TODAY! So take a pit stop and refuel with a copy as soon as you can. We’re COUNTING ON YOU!! TEN WHIZZY RACERS: FROSTY FALLS FRENZY published by @ladybirdbooks.bsky.social

Every READER counts in this new racing adventure! The brand new TEN WHIZZY RACERS book, by me & Richard Merritt hits bookshops TODAY! So take a pit stop and refuel with a copy as soon as you can. We’re COUNTING ON YOU!! TEN WHIZZY RACERS: FROSTY FALLS FRENZY published by @ladybirdbooks.bsky.social

Start your engines for a BRAND NEW countdown adventure! The sequel to the award winning TEN WHIZZY RACERS: CHAOS AT CRACKLING CREEK by me and Richard Merritt is out TOMORROW from Ladybird Books!

Amused - actually, no, revolted - to read Camilla Long, of all people, in the Sunday Times telling us that Angela Rayner isn’t an authentic working class hero. I mean, she’d know, wouldn’t she?

Reform UK, which has a grand total of four MPs, was just given an uninterrupted platform for an hour and a half on the BBC and Sky News channels, in order to talk about its plans for mass deportations When was the last time the Greens (with four MPs) or the Lib Dems (with 72) were given the same?

I'm delighted to announce that 10 Whizzy Racers: Chaos at Crackling Creek by me and Richard Merritt has been awarded the Bizziebaby Gold Award 2025! Available in all good bookshops from @ladybirdbooks.bsky.social bizziebaby.co.uk/product-revi...

Ten Whizzy Racers: Chaos at Crackling Creek From Penguin Books

Ten Whizzy Racers: Chaos at Crackling Creek by Timothy Knapman, Richard Merritt (Illustrator) We’re ready and waiting, the countdown's begun . . . join ten whizzy racers for super-fast fun! Zoom throu...

bizziebaby.co.uk

Watching the Peter Ustinov Death on the Nile. Script by Anthony Shaffer of Sleuth and Wicker Man fame. Apart from noting that most of the cast is now dead, I’m finding it hard to get past the fact that the murder victim - spoilers! - is called Mrs Doyle.

“Get the back-to-school giggles with this sweet tale. Imagination runs wild here – or does it? It’s a great first day read for littles.” Lovely review for the new US edition of OH NO! DINOSAURS IN MY SCHOOL by me and Sarah Warburton.

Silly Name for a Monster' by the brilliant @timothyknapman.bsky.social with illustrations by me was published 11 years ago today! I've always been really fond of this one! You can read more here - tinyurl.com/lupsrng #childrensbooks #illustration

www.achuka.co.uk/blog/ten-whi... Great review from the lovely folk at ACHUKA!

Ten Whizzy Racers: Chaos at Crackling Creek – Ten Whizzy Racers by Timothy Knapman ill. Richard Merritt

ACHUKA Book of the Day 31 July 2025 Waterstones Bookshop My wife returned from a trip to Bristol recently saying that our three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter could not get enough of this book. …

achuka.co.uk

Virgin Media's customer service is truly appalling. They were to replace a cable today. They did not arrive to do so. My wife has spent hours on futile calls to call centres staffed by people with no apparent ability to give a straight answer to a straight question or solve the problem. #Sludge

'None of the bands are being paid today ... because the whole event is for three charities: Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and – huge nostalgia rush on hearing this name after growing up in Solihull – Acorns Children’s Hospice.' www.theguardian.com/music/live/2...

Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s final gig – follow it live!

The influential Birmingham band are at Villa Park for a final concert – called Back to the Beginning – joined by the cream of heavy metal. After including Slayer, Guns ‘N Roses and more we’re looking ...

theguardian.com

Looking forward to this Friday

Lovely write-up of #WolfKing on CBR 🐺👑 www.cbr.com/netflix-flaw...

Netflix Just Released a Flawless Fantasy Series Based on Popular Books (& It's the Perfect Binge-Watch This Weekend)

The entire first season of Netflix's animated fantasy series, Wolf King, is available to watch now, and its short runtime makes it ideal for binging.

cbr.com

'A pioneering project to fill gaps in Irish history is making 175,000 more records and millions more words of searchable content freely available to researchers and members of the public.' 1/2

Pioneering project releases more lost Irish records spanning 700 years

Newly restored material from vast archive destroyed in civil war takes in Anglo-Norman conquest and 1798 rebellion

theguardian.com

I don't think I have to tell most people who follow me why libraries are important, or that they're under threat in the UK. But I want to make sure everyone knows Lambeth libraries are going on strike and there's a solidarity hardship fund HERE linktr.ee/savelambethl... #KidlitUK #SaveLibraries

This is cool! Author copies of TIME TRAVEL SLEEPOVER, Egypt and Knights & Castles, by me and Matt Robertson, IN GERMAN! UK editions published by Quarto Books.

I'm a great admirer of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Mayor of Casterbridge, but my favourite Thomas Hardy work was the way he'd roll up his sleeves and throw Stan and Ollie out of the saloon for non-payment of the bill.

Despite that huge special effects budget, Doctor Who can never make Cardiff look like London.

Thrilled to bits by these: Vietnamese editions of SOMETIMES I AM FURIOUS and SOMETIMES I JUST WON’T by me and the mighty Joe Berger. Available in the UK from @macmillankidsuk.bsky.social

At last, I'm delighted to share the film I wrote to accompany the excellent exhibition MI5: Official Secrets, which is currently on at The National Archives in Kew. Take a look at the film, and go and see the exhibition for yourselves. It's extraordinary. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPKv...

MI5: Official Secrets Exhibition film

YouTube video by The National Archives UK

youtube.com

Oh, @susiedent.com! Mispronouncing mischievous is now acceptable, says Susie Dent www.thetimes.com/article/247b...

Mispronouncing mischievous is now acceptable, says Susie Dent

Lexicographer says purists’ pet peeve is just a ‘fascinating snapshot’ of how language evolves — but don’t expect Richard Dawkins to agree

thetimes.com

Author copies of the US edition of OH NO! DINOSAURS IN MY SCHOOL by me and Sarah Warburton heading across the Atlantic from Scholastic to cause mischief and mayhem. Full of fun, laughs and games of Spot The Dinosaur. Enjoy!

Berlin friends! Still two more dates for the triumphant new Germany production of BEFORE AFTER (DAVOR DANACH) by the brilliant OFFstage Germany. Don't miss it, it's FANTASTIC! Everything you need to know is at the other end of this link: offstage-germany.de/davor-danach/

Benedict Cumberbatch has given many excellent performances but none I think as good as his comic tour de force in the Cabin Pressure episode Uskerty. “Lotta lotta bees!” @johnfinnemore.bsky.social

This is an incredible story when you read it and discover what actually happened was: - Lammy paid in advance - The driver tried to extort him for a massive tip - Drove off with his luggage - At somepoint clocked he was a VIP - Is now selling the story to The Sun.

Adam Payne@adampayne26.bsky.social · last yr.

Labour +12