Pop-Up festival and cake

This weekend my Fellow Reviewers went on a road trip/pilgrimage-to-eat-cake at Grandma and Grandad's house. There was much fevered speculation about exactly what types of cake would be on offer before they went. As it turns out the answer was pretty much ALL types of cake, presented below for your own delectation (I'm assuming you're as interested in the answer as I was).

'AND there were ham sandwiches and buns' sighed Eddie with huge satisfaction, on his return. I had to let out his trousers a button this morning. Mary Plain would approve.

 I did some cake eating of my own in their absence; meeting up with some most honoured and honourable names in the world of UK children's book bloggers to enjoy a strawberry tart and a gossip about the penchant of slugs for secret night time library forays and the joys of French stationery.

I also, undaunted by not having my children with me, (that's the kind of kid's book nerd I am) took myself along to the utterly wonderful Pop-Up children's book festival at Kings Cross. Hurray for the calibre of treats on offer there and hurray for the immense amount of work, thought, love and to be frank- FUNDING that had gone into making books, comics and stories a truly exciting day out.
James Mayhew, Clara Vulliamy and Vanessa Stone's Picture Pavillion was a beaut of a thing; full of industrious small people creating inspired fun. I didn't take a photo of the baby who was joyfully working with pastels on the recreation of Van Gogh's starry night below but it was a lovely sight to pocket away.

a huge piece of paper lined the floor which got covered with friends for Muffin and Martha

I may not have had my children with me but I did bump into several friends' children there and got to hear all about World Wise Storytellers, including Usifu from Sierra Leone who encouraged all to contemplate whether it was better to be a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean when the water of life get's hot. Think on.

I also got to hear about Discover's Cultural Olympiad project; http://www.storycloud.co.uk/#

12 new stories by some of the best authors in town accompanied by an interactive illustration from some of the best illustrators in town are being published online weekly over the summer. They can be downloaded as pdf's and used as a springboard for creative writing projects which will then also be published in an online gallery. More FREE brilliance; aren't we all the luckiest eggs?- don't miss them.

The whole festival was decorated in the jolliest way by Herve Tullet's interactive sculptures.

I didn't go to the festival completely alone of course. Knowing a Rousseau-esque display was planned I took Eddie's toucan hat along to keep me company and enjoy a grand day out. He immediately made a new friend and found a new perch. It was extremely hard dragging him back home at the end of the day and I can only apologise for the number of fruit he pilfered...

Because we went on the Sunday we missed the Phoenix-powered Comic tent experience of the Saturday which sounds a complete blast. Bill would be furious if he knew. Still he got to have his cake and eat it. 

And so did I.