Post Six: There's a Tiger on the Train

April 20th 2024

The second Redruth Book Feast took place in mid-April. This year they had increased the number of activities for children. Saturday morning in the library, illustrator Rebecca Cobb was reading from There's a Tiger on the Train written by Mariesa Dulak and illustrated by Rebecca, published by Faber. A very funny story about a dad and his son on a day out to the seaside. The dad is so engrossed on his phone that he doesn't notice all the extraordinary activities and antics on the train. When I opened the book I was bowled over by the similarity between the drawing of the station and Redruth hence I thought this a fitting subject for the blog. The destination also looks like St Ives which can, of course, be reached by train from Redruth. Though I have just realised that the train is travelling in the the wrong direction; compared with the goings on in the story, that seems a minor detail!

I was at the event with the team from Chat, Play Read, part of the National Literacy Trust, who run a great literacy project for pre-school children and families in the Camborne, Pool, Redruth area. They were encouraging children to make tiger faces before the reading. It was a fantastic session and Rebecca Cobb had us all drawing tigers; the children's were by far the best. Events where children get to meet writers and illustrators are so memorable and joyful. Well done to the Book Feast Team, Redruth Library and Chat, Play, Read for making it happen.