Last week we were very lucky to receive a visit from a very special puffin. Before anyone in the RSPB media department gets too excited it was only a fleeting visit and breeding has not been confirmed! In actual fact it was a special reading of the new books in the Puffin Pal series by local authors Lucy and Chris from Island Friends.
The Island Friends stories, part of the Swansea based company We Are Lucky, are a series of short stories aimed at 2-7 year olds each with a positive environmental message whilst demonstrating to children how to get on in life and 'make their own luck'
Lucy and Chris, authors of the Island Friends series, in the Ramsey farmhouse garden
Loosely based on the Pembrokeshire Islands (you will see bits of Skomer, Skokholm, Ramsey and Grassholm) the stories follow a puffin named Pal (the Welsh word for Puffin) and his various seabird and other animal friends on a series of exciting adventures.
We have been selling the books in our Ramsey shop since last year and they have proved very popular. We were therefore delighted to welcome Lucy and Chris to the island last week to carry out a special reading of the new titles in the series. Complete with a Pal puppet and lots of interaction from the audience, Lucy and Chris entertained both children and adults alike outside the farmhouse overlooking Ramsey Sound. After the storytelling sessions there was the chance for the children to get involved with some of the Island Friends interactive material and learn more about the messages contained within the stories (free educational resources and activities can be downloaded here)
Lucy setting up the story telling area
Lucy, Chris and Pal entertaining a group of visiting children at one of the storytelling sessions
The adults 'pretending' not to listen to the stories!
There is lots more information about the Island Friends series here and in the long run Lucy and Chris hope to see their books and materials used in the schools system. Books are available to buy on the island or in the Thousand Islands shop in St Davids or can be ordered online.
We would like to say a huge thank you for the effort Lucy and Chris put in to preparing for the day and delivering such an entertaining afternoon - not to mention the amazing dinner they cooked for us the previous evening!
Watch this space for more appearances by Pal on Ramsey soon!