Taupō author and illustrator Donovan Bixley visits Palmerston North schools

Taupō author and illustrator Donovan Bixley talks to Winchester School students in Palmerston North last Friday. Photo / Judith Lacy

Winchester School students celebrated completing the Book Buds reading programme with a visit from Taupō author and illustrator Donovan Bixley.

He told the Palmerston North students last Friday he was very good at getting into trouble when he was little. He broke his nose twice, his legs twice and his ribs once.

If your teacher tells you not to run around the corner, then don’t, Bixley said. He knocked his teeth out doing this. “I caused a lot of damage to myself.”

But the worst thing that happened to him was on the playground.

Young Bixley was hanging upside-down swinging back and forth on the monkey bars. He felt his knees losing grip on the bar, so he decided to fly through the air. Splat - amazingly, he landed on his feet.

Other students saw this feat and encouraged him to do it again.

So there he was, flying through the air like an Olympic gymnast. Crack - he hit the concrete underneath the monkey bars and broke both his arms. He was in plaster casts for eight weeks.

Bixley said other than causing mischief to himself, as a child he loved drawing pictures and writing stories and used to make comics about teachers.

He makes his living as a children’s book author and illustrator, and finished his 130th book this year. His books have been published in 30 countries and in 20 languages.

Bixley told the students how his Flying Furballs book series came about; he dreamed about a cat flying a plane in Paris.

He read his book Tales of Aotearoa: How Māui Slowed The Sun to the children.

The father of three was impressed to see Winchester School’s library has more than 60 of his titles.

Palmerston North City Library children’s programmes co-ordinator Rhonda Chenery says Book Buds is a fun programme that connects young readers with their local library and encourages reading for pleasure.

It aims to increase confidence and independence in reading and runs for six weeks. Each child reads books and completes activities about the books they have read.

Bixley also visited West End School in Palmerston North.