Kids into books: The Illustrated Mum

Author: Jacqueline Wilson

Illustrator: Nick Sharratt

Publisher Randon House, $14.95

Age Group: 8-11 years


Marigold started going weird again on her birthday. Star remembered that birthdays were often bad times so we'd tried really hard. Star made her a beautiful big card cut into the shape of a marigold. She used up all the ink in the orange felt-tip colouring it in.

Then she did two sparkly silver threes with her special glitter pen and added `Happy Birthday' in her best italic wright. They do Calligraphy in Year Eight and she's very good at it. I'm still in the juniors and I'm useless at any kind of writing so I just drew on my card.

As it was Marigold's thirty-third birthday I decided I'd draw her thirty-three most favourite things. I drew Micky (I'd never seen him but Marigold had described him enough times) and Star and me. Then I drew the Rainbow Tattoo Studio and the Victoria Arms and the Nightbirds club.

I did them in the middle all clumped together and then round the edges I drew London and the seaside and the stars at night.