My first self-publishing adventure begins. It’s been 12 years since my first book The Hoppleplop was published. Being a first book by an unknown writer, it quickly sank without a trace, despite some excellent reviews by librarians and teachers. Or at least I thought it had sunk without a trace. But over the last dozen years I’ve been amazed and thrilled by the number of kids who have told me it’s their favourite book and the number of parents who have contacted me wondering where they might replace their read-to-death copy. I’ve even had several kids turning up as Hoppleplops at school Book Week Dress Up days.

Over the years, the wonderful illustrator, Deb Hinde (who has shared similar experiences of The Hoppleplop’s enduring legacy), and I have often chatted about re-publishing it ourselves… one day. Until finally, last year, we decided to take the plunge. But we didn’t want to simply re-print the original story. We wanted an improved, revised and extended Creators’ Edition which we could both be proud of. And it’s finally here!

We’ve completely re-designed the book with a brand new cover plus a “behind-the-scenes” look at the story’s creation. The Hoppleplop is now available in two formats – Hardcover (complete with newly designed endpapers) and Softcover (with flaps to help protect and enhance the book). You can pick up a copy at any good bookshop or order a signed copy directly from me. Just follow this link to The Hoppleplop page.