That’s it! Entries are now closed for the Grand Drawing Competition. Thank you to everyone who entered! The winner will be announced very shortly (Monday 27th July) and pocket dog despatched as soon as possible. All entries will also be displayed on the website. I can’t wait to show you the spectacular imaginations and talents of everyone who entered. Stay tuned!
It’s on!
A competition to design some new rooms for The Grandest Hotel on Earth!
Here’s what you need to do. Think up an idea for a new room. Draw it. Write a few lines telling me all about the room. And then email it to me: lisa@lisanicol.com.au
Entries close 15 July 2020. Due to that old corona virus, the deadline for entries is being extended until 22 JULY. (There’s a lot of uncertainty when schools will be back and some teachers have requested a little more time)
All drawings will be displayed in a gallery on the website. And the winner of the BEST NEW ROOM drawing will receive their VERY OWN POCKET DOG!! ( It will not be living I’m afraid. It will be stuffed. But it WILL fit in your pocket!!). The winner will be announced on Friday the 17th of July.
If you need a refresher of what rooms already exist at The Grand, you’ll need to reread Chapter 6!
Can’t WAIT to see all your drawings and ideas for rooms! Happy imagining everyone!
I got a lovely surprise in the mail the other day. A beautiful letter and a magnificent drawing from a girl called Rosie. Rosie said it was OK for me to share her picture. It’s a family portrait of everyone at The Grand. I think her likenesses of Rupert and Zelda are particularly wonderful. And how cute is Min!
Rosie suggested I write a sequel to Vincent. I often think about it. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Rosie is a writer too. I’m looking forward to reading Rosie’s work one day.
Recently, I was sitting at my desk in a bit of a funk. I was having problems with a story.
Big problems.
I couldn’t seem to get it to work no matter what I tried. I hated everything I was writing. Maybe I don’t have any more stories, I worried. Fear curled up in the pit of my stomach like a sleeping snake. So I just kept on writing – anything! – trying not to disturb it.
Then one morning, early, while I was writing, writing, there was a scratchy kind of tapping noise at my office door.
I got up and opened it. And watched in disbelief as a strange bird walked in, climbed up onto my desk and plonked itself next to my keyboard.
I had never seen a bird like it.
It was as big as a duck with owlish eyes and mossy green feathers. And I don’t mean to be rude, but it was quite fat.
‘Well, since you seem to be all out of stories,’ said the strange bird, ‘how about you write one of mine?’
It can talk?
‘You better believe it,’ replied the bird. ‘And have I got a story for you.’
‘You do?’
‘I do.’
Well, I had to admit, I was intrigued. For a writer, that’s a good sign. So I inched towards my chair, trying not to go too close to the fat feathered creature, and sat down.
‘Ahem,’ I sorted of coughed, my hands hovering over the keyboard. ‘So..um.. what’s your name?’
‘Hector,’ said the bird, ‘And I am a kakapo. That’s K – A – K – A – P – O.’
Glorious photo of a Kakapo by Mike Bodie
I got a lovely email the other day. It was from a girl called Lila. I asked Lila if I could put it on my website because it’s like the best review ever. And she replied ‘That’s fine. I would love that. (smiley face)’
So here’s Lila’s lovely letter.
Dear Lisa,
As soon as I picked up your book (the grandest hotel on earth) I could not put it down. Your writing is amazingly emotional, if you would have seen me reading you would have seen tears running down my cheeks or me laughing hysterically. A real joy to read. I could read it every second of the day.
Your regards, Lila (age 10)
This week I received the grandest drawing. It’s by a nine-year-old girl called Taleea. After reading Vincent and The Grandest Hotel on Earth with her mum, she drew this magnificent picture of Florence and Vincent having breakfast (with a giraffe of course!). Florence looks SO incredibly grand and Taleea’s attention to detail is astounding. Note the musical emerald footwear, Vincent’s name above the top pocket of his uniform. And the gorgeous painting on the wall of the hotel itself, the snowcapped Mabombo Ranges soaring into the night sky behind it. Just breathtaking. Thank you so much Taleea for letting me exhibit your beautiful drawing on my website. Perhaps one day you might like to be a children’s book illustrator and you can officially illustrate my books! Wouldn’t that be grand!
Elephants and pianos keep appearing in my work.
There are pianos and elephants at The Grandest Hotel on Earth. And the new book I’m writing has them too!
Elephants are the most majestic creatures. They fill me with awe and wonder. When I came across Paul Barton and his piano playing for elephants, I was captivated. I have watched his clips on YouTube many times over.
I particularly love this one.
Peter the elephant’s love of music is undeniable. The music delights him. He has to move his body and he has to woop and holler. (His mate seems to be having a pretty good time too!) I think Peter feels exactly the same things I feel when I listen to music that I like.
Take a look and see if you can relate to how Peter the Elephant feels when he listens to music.
Vincent has finally hit the shelves! It’s been great criss-crossing the city visiting bookstores and hearing what people think of the book! We also had a launch party with smoking sodas and whatever-flavour-you-think-of-balls….Weirdly most people thought they tasted like cheese and bacon. It’s funny how our imaginations desert us at the most inopportune times. Anyway, here’s a few reviews and photos….I’ll be signing books this Saturday 20 July, 10am at Lindfield Learning Hub. Come along if you’re in that neck of the woods…
REVIEWS
“This is absolutely GRAND! I adored it. What a wonderful read!”
Karen Foxlee
Author, Lenny’s Book of Everything
“… so alive with magic and wonder … simply impossible to resist. This is a charming and surprisingly moving delight for readers aged eight and older seeking more of Nevermoor’s capriciousness, with all the sensitivity of Kate DiCamillo’s best. Four stars.”
Phil Lesnie, BOOKS+PUBLISHING
“Utterly beautiful, completely joyous, just stunning..”
Megan Daley, Children’s Books Daily
“This book is sure to win awards, including children’s choice book awards. It is highly recommended.”
Dianne Bates, Buzz Words
“..an epic and addictive adventure for junior readers. This is a book-world to fall into headfirst, dream about when you aren’t reading and fantasise about long after you’ve come to the end… This is a book that is destined to become a treasured favourite in so many homes and I predict lots of people are going to be talking about it.”
Shaye Wardrop, Kid’s Book Review
The moment I opened this book I was whisked away into this fantastical world and really did not want to come out. But of course I FLEW through the book because it is utterly unputdownable.”
“This is the type of book that will be loved by kids aged 8 to 11. It is full of all the best things that your dreams could imagine!”
Rob, Lamont Books
“This novel is so engaging it is difficult to stop reading it until the very end!”
Patricia Halsall, Magpies
“..an imaginative and hopeful read full of charming characters and an intrinsic sense of humanity…..that I liken to one of my favourite junior fiction novels, Withering-by-Sea.”
Better Read Than Dead Bookshop
“This is a delightful read for 8 plus readers that has heart and is smart. Quirky. Full of great imagery. Echoes of Dahl and the work of filmmaker Wes Anderson. Lisa Nicol is an Aussie writer to watch!”
Paul MacDonald, The Children’s Bookshop
“I give this book five out of five stars – yes it is THAT GOOD!”
‘Absolutely Grand….If your little reader enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, they will love this book.”
A smoking soda & the last bowl of whatever-flavour-you-think-of-balls
Laughing at my own jokes and posing with Vincent perched on my right shoulder like a parrot….
The Grandest Hotel on Earth has a new sign! Unfortunately it was erected after the book was written so it doesn’t feature on the cover. But it’s up now. Imagine at night when there’s nothing but the stars and the moon and the hotel sign floating in the night sky. Must look incredibly Grand!
Even without the sign I think the cover of Vincent looks beautiful. The hotel was drawn by the wonderfully talented Nancy Liang and the cover was designed by Rachel Lawston. Nancy also animates her illustrations. Here’s an animated version of The Grandest Hotel on Earth.
I was so excited after I read the first review of Vincent I started swearing like his potty-mouthed sister Rose.
I wanted to share it with the world!
But my Dad always told me there’s nothing worse than people who blow their own trumpet. Blowing your own trumpet means boasting about yourself. So I feel a bit conflicted sharing this review. Like I’m showing off (which clearly I am). But I’m just so thrilled that somebody liked the book!
So sorry Dad. Cover your ears and pass me that horn!
And many thanks to Phil Lesnie.