A Royal Adventure Giveaway

I'm giving a copy of A Royal Adventure to the first person who can tell me where Kate actually wore the dress pictured in the illustration below (*Hint*: it was on her royal tour in 2014) where Kate actually wore it. You can either email me your answer @dyw.seow@gmail.com  or comment in the section down below.

What will the Duchess Wear?

In our book A Day with the Duchess, illustrator Soefara Jafney faithfully recreated the outfits that the Duchess wore on the actual tour. 

So on the cover of the book she featured the Duchess in her Jenny Packham dress with the Orchid motif that HRH wore upon arrival in Singapore, the visit to the Orchid Garden and the arrival at Raffles Hotel.

For the tour of Gardens by the Bay, Soefara faithfully illustrated the Duchess in her broderie anglaise Alexander McQueen dress.

At Queenstown, the Duchess is accurately depicted in her Raoul dress.

And for the Duke and Duchess's last day in Singapore, she dressed Kate in same duck-egg blue Jenny Packham ensemble with 
matching jewelry.

It's needless to say that Soefara has an eye for detail. And the Duke and Duchess appeared on the steps of St Mary's with the little Princess Charlotte, Soefara sketched a quick commemorative illustration in which the Duchess is wearing her Jenny Packham shift dress.

So what outfits will be featured in A Royal Adventure? Stay tuned to find out.

A Royal Adventure

Coming April 2016

Emma's Elephant Story Telling

Book Launch for A Day with the Duchess

A week after we returned, Emma and I had back to back book launches at Books Kinokuniya. We were both very thrilled to say the least.

Erin, Sheri and Ilangoh with the help of our Kino friends promoted A Day with the Duchess via facebook and other social media, hoping to drum up some level of interest. Erin was in constant contact with me whilst I was in London, emailing ideas for activities for the children for the one hour launch.

As for goodies that the kids could take home with them, we had paper dolls of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a paper hamster on a stick and stickers, lots and lots of stickers!

I invited William, Vicky, Mikey and Alice Adeney whom I met when we were waiting for the Duke and Duchess at the Gardens by the Bay. Incidentally, the book is dedicated to Mikey and Alice and you can see their illustrated likenesses in the book.

At two a small group of children and parents had gathered and we started the reading session of the book kaunch. As Emma has a far nicer reading voice that I do, she graciously agreed to read the story for me.  And it's needless to say that she did a fantastic job!

After the reading we played a game with the kids. They had to guess the whereabouts of  Kate the Hamster and whoever found her would win a prize.

Quick thinking Alice, found her and for her efforts, she won a Kinokuniya voucher, a bespoke sketch of the Duchess of Cambridge signed by Soefara and the opportunity to be an illustrated character in the next Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di book.

Then Soefara did a drawing demonstration and she gave away two of her sketches before it was time for us to sign some books.

With that, our book launch was over and we had half and hour to get ready for Emma's book launch. Thanks to Emma, Soefara, Sheri, Ilangoh, Richelle and Erin for making this happen. Thanks to Mum, Auntie Susanna, Tilly, Kenneth, Simon, The Adeneys, Sarah, Linda, Tracy, Evelyn,  Dave, Jason, Jim, Edmund and everyone for coming out to support us.

Watch out for my next blog post on Emma's book launch. If you missed both our launches and you would like to attend  launches at the Asian Festival of Children's Content Just Click This Link to register.

Prince George's Christening

My concept sketch/caricature of HRH  Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

In  honour of Prince George's christening, I'm posting a concept sketch, a caricature I had in mind for A Day with the Duchess which will now be published as part of the Sam, Sebbie & Di-Di-Di series with Epigram and will hopefully be released by the first quarter of 2014. The concept sketch below is by the mega talented Soefara Jafney and it is amazing. 

Teaser: William & Kate Illustration by Soefara Jafney

From the Royal Mail

The Duchess in Singapore accepting a copy of my book Blow a Kiss. 

As you know, I have been working on my  book A Day with the Duchess for some time and now I've got some great news: it will be part  of the Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di series with Epigram Books.Yay! If you've been following my blog, you may remember that my Mum gave a copy of my limited edition book Blow a Kiss to the Duchess when she was in Singapore last year. That story got picked up by Hello Magazine and the London Evening Standard among others. What a thrill!  Speaking of the Duke and Duchess I mailed them copies of my books If I Were a Blue Kangaroo, Emma's Elephant, and At the Night Safari for Prince George Alexander Louis and I received a response from the palace. Sure, it was  a standard form response but it was nice to receive it, nevertheless, and it will make a nice royal keepsake.  Considering the amount of gifts they received I hope they keep the books and read them since I shamelessly signed them for the little prince and his parents.

Congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Welcome to the Baby Prince of Cambridge

Photos taken of the royal couple during their tour of Singapore last year.

       

Congratulations to Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son on 22/7/2013 at 4:24pm at the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital. Their son weighed in at 8lbs 6oz. They are expected to depart the hospital today and there is a live stream of the hospital on the link below.

LIVE STREAM FROM LINDO WING ST MARY'S HOSPITAL

A Day with the Duchess

Concept sketch of the Cover.

Hi as you all know by now I've just returned from London from the London Book Fair where I was plugging my books. Here's the latest book I'm working on which my long-time illustrator Enrico Sallustio, "A Day with the Duchess" .

After this book's publication, I have four Sam, Sebbie and Di-Di-Di books scheduled to be republished with Epigram. 

Cover design for A Day with the Duchess

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge depart Raffles Hotel and Singapore

HRH The Duchess of Cambridge chats with a fan

HRH The Duke of Cambridge with some young fans

OK, I couldn't resist one last glimpse of the royal couple, so I headed down to see if I could take some snapshots before they departed and I lucked out. Here they are. Hope you like them.

The Duchess  and Duke stop  to chat with  some young fans.

Sharing a laugh

With one last glance, the Duchess bids a goodbye to the Raffles.
Too bad that lady's head got in the way of a good shot!! Argh!

At the Gardens with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

The Duchess of Cambridge

Blow A Kiss, the book my mum gave the Duchess

So the Duchess thanked my mum for the books and chatted with me for a bit, I can't remember exactly what we talked about because I was in a state of shock that she actually accepted the books and was holding it!!! STARSTRUCK. She is stunning in person, I have to say. And then with a handshake and a smile she was off to meet the rest of the people who had turned up to see her. We all stood there in silence. Chantal had managed to pass her a bouquet of flowers, Ray managed to take some great shots and Mum managed not to faint! unlike some others. After the Duchess had left a reporter came to ask us some questions and my mum told him how I had given one of my previous books to Celine Dion and how she had a baby soon after. As it turns out the reporter thought it was the same book and reported about it in the London Evening Standard and in turn picked up by the following news outlets, click on the respective links to view:

London Evening Standard

The Express

The Mirror

 The Telegraph

Hello Magazine

At the Gardens with the Duke and Duchess of Cambride pt 2

I have to say...the wait for the Duke and Duchess seemed excruciatingly long because of the unbearable heat. I tried to limit my water intake because I didn't want to have to go on a bathroom break only to lose my space along the barriers.  My friends Ray and Chantal joined us, hoping they would get to see the royals too.  As the 10am approached arrived the crowds had swelled exponentially to over a thousand people. I'm grateful that those around me had good personal hygiene and remembered to use their deodorant.  Gardens by the Bay and British High Commission personnel started handing out GB and Singapore flags. I told the girls in front of me not to wave the flags while I was trying to take a picture. They agreed not to. My niece just sighed "Uncle Dave!" Then one of them put her hair up in a bun to beat the heat. Fearful that it would block my shot, I was about to say something but with one:tsk...tsk," and a withering glance from my niece prevented me from doing so.

My niece decided to hand the Duchess the photograph I had taken of the late Princess Diana and the sketch I had drawn of the Duchess, instead of the two bouquets of flowers I had bought. "Everybody gives her flowers," she said.  So my mum gave a small bouquet to a four year old girl named Alice, who was standing nearby with her mum and dad.


I could tell when the press core came streaming into the area that time was close. Then a few trams came down towards the Super Tree Grove. The fans screamed but ah...it was just more press. Then a few minutes later. The Duke and Duchess came into view on their tram. Will and Kate were here! Kids in the crowd were chanting "Will, You're Brill; Kate, You're Great!" Flags started waving all around me. Mum stood up from her chair and I fumbled to turn on my camera...

The Duke and  Duchcess arrive...(Photo: Ray Liw)

At the Gardens with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Princess Diana says she remembers me

It was with great excitement that I headed down to Gardens by the Bay with the hope of meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I've been a huge supporter of the royal family since I was a kid, well since I saw Princess Diana driving through the gates of Buckingham Palace right before her wedding.  Through the years I was fortunate enough to have met her several times and I even curtsied to her in my excitement- that is something I will never live down. By the way she remembered me the next time I met Her because she said "I remember you. You're so sweet you gave me flowers last Tuesday."

So for this visit, I bought two bouquets of flowers, a framed photo that I shot of the late Princess when I met her and one of my children's books that I intended to give the Duchess as a souvenir.  Having conducted a reconnaissance mission of the Gardens with my Mum who said she would go along to meet the Duchess, I was fairly confident that we stood a good chance of doing so. Well OK, I did get a hint as to where to stand because I asked one of the ladies in charge of the tree planting ceremony where I should stand. I explained that my mother was old and it would be nice if she had a chance to meet the royal couple. Without hesitation,  she told me the route that the couple would be taking and told me where we should stand if we hoped to meet them.

So with information in hand I headed home and set the alarm for 6am. Didn't really need it since I was up at 4am as was my mum. Dad agreed to pick my niece up and give us a lift to the Gardens.  So with a folding chair, packets of Ribena, water, and dried apricots we headed down to the venue. Big signs were posted along the route as to where we should go to meet the couple. We got to the Super Tree Grove at around 8am only to find that scores of other fans had gotten there earlier. Thankfully we managed to find a spot along the barricades behind some nice English folk. My niece positioned herself along the barricades and my mum set up her folding chair and sat down for the long wait. We had two hours to go before William and Catherine arrived or so we thought...