Books
Bookshop reviews details of school visits
Books are signed and dedicated and I can add in a postcard with a gift message if needed.
They are also available from Bookshops. Please support your local bookshops and write a review if you like them, even on that big online place, it makes a massive difference to me. Thanks
The Joy Bringers published 23rd May 2024
Preorders from 15th april
The Lightbringers
My books and some cards are published by Graffeg.
details from them for wholesale orders of books and cards.
Click the button for teacher notes
sticker downloads, Bertram teddy pattern etc
reviews
If you haven’t yet found these beautiful little books, pick one up and have a look. We’ve never found a book so small that is so warm and so heartbreakingly profound. The creatures in this delightful little tribe have lives that revolve around the tiny pleasures that the world can offer – from having honey made by bees in the garden, to the joy of making a new friend and giving them the warm home that they need. With so many awful things in the world, and so much hate, these books are about the huge power of simple kindness. If the next generation grows up knowing these stories, then there is hope. But these are tales that we should all read – not just the children. These are stories about how it feels to be alone and displaced, what it means to be with friends who love you, the pleasure and pain of a beautiful memory, and the need for comfort after a facing a nightmare. They are utterly beautiful little stories – and the creatures that Karin Celestine makes are brimming with character. They are definitely completely real. The Warwickshire Tribe (that you see here with their books in the window) have little choklit parties at night in the bookshop when we have gone home. But they always tidy up after themselves and leave a few biscuits for us too."
— Kenilworth Books
"Karin Celestine’s wonderful, life-affirming books encourage us all to keep in touch with and to nurture the playfulness, exploration and hope of childhood. These are books that make the world a better place."
Wonderful Review from Playing by the Book“
— Playing by the book
“One series that Santa ought to know about is Celestine and the Hare by Karin Celestine (Graffeg £6.99), as any one of its little books would make a charming stocking-filler. The idea here is to tell a story and then, towards the end, offer simple instructions on how to make something. I was captivated by Catching Dreams in which King Norty, a roughly knitted weasel, reclines on a bed of chocolate coins, although I suppose not everyone will be equally amused by the name Baby Weasus, given to the weasel foundling discovered on Christmas Eve. The masterstroke is the instruction on how to make a dream catcher with wire and string – something in which to catch bad dreams as a moth trap catches moths. Read here
— Observer Guardian newspaper
Bertram Likes to Sew
'I wish I had someone to read this to me when I was small as it would have made sense and make me feel great. A really delightful read.'
- Mister Finch
'How I would have adored this book and all your work when I was little kid. It’s like a cross between the flower fairies books and tales of the river bank.
Not only charming and heartwarming but full of the compelling fascination of the tiny; minute tea cups and a world where blackberries are as big as your head.
I only wish these had been around when I was 6.'
Nicola Davies
'It’s so gentle, kind, deep, profound in such a light and accessible way. I think we all know as writers that the sparest of words are the hardest to find….but you have done it so beautifully.
I especially love the bit about learning how to ask questions…made me smile.
I think lots of littl’uns will find comfort knowing that you don’t have to like what everyone else is doing.
I want to shrink and live in Bertram’s world.’
Gill Lewis
'Totally charming, thoughtful story’
Julia Green
"I really love this quirky, gorgeous book. Gentle-but-firm story about determinedly being yourself. So beautiful you'll want to climb into the pages, and has a craft activity and natural history, too." Mimi Thebo
Bert's Garden
"Celestine makes her animal characters and props, poses them in natural surroundings and photographs them as illustrations for her stories. This instantly gives her books an endearing touch of Tales of The Riverbank – for those of us old enough to remember the TV show -- but with very much her own twist and her own special take on nature.
In BERT’S GARDEN, Bert, who is vole, “always makes sure there are extra wild strawberries for the circus mice who pass by in the summer.” In that one sentence and the accompanying picture, Celestine conjures up a whole world – a whole life – beyond the immediate story; the sign of a true storyteller. Bert’s story is a simple one, and he ends up making a bug house for some visitors to his garden. They return his kindness a thousand-fold. We are even given tips on making a bug house of our very own. But BERT’S GARDEN is about more than caring for our environment. It’s about caring for each other. And there’s no more important story than that. It is, quite simply, a delight."
Philip Ardagh
"Karin Celestine’s world may be soft and woolly, but it has all the challenges of our own. In this gorgeously illustrated story, Bert is annoyed by newcomers, but they help in his beautiful garden. Celestine’s stories are heart-breakingly honest, and her heroes are vulnerable as well as strong. You will want to crawl right into her photographs to live.’
Mimi Thebo
Helping Hedgehog Home
"Karin Celestine creates worlds full of curiosity, kindness and adventure that can happen in any back garden or window box. Her characters open our eyes to the small wonders around us, and open our hearts to the small creatures we share our lives with."
Gill Lewis
"The latest in this series of quietly exquisite little books, continues with the theme of kindness and empathy. But there’s a good dose of science and invention too and the excellent take home message that ‘A Good Idea’, delivered at the right moment has the power to change lives. Satisfying storyline that the littlest children can follow and bigger ones enjoy, and illustrations with a charm somewhere between ‘Flower Fairies’ and ’Tales Of The RiverBank. Perfect Easter reading!"
Nicola Davies
"...Adventurous, funny and clever, the clear and easy to read text make this book perfect for young readers and to share with the family or classroom. There is much room for both discussions about the natural world we share and for flights of the imagination. Each character has its' own unique personality, and as a community display a great gift for compassion and willingness to get along. They bring their own gifts to the situation and, because of that, the problem is easily solved. The illustrations are endlessly charming; made with felt creatures Celestine handcrafts herself, painstakingly places and photographs. The result is the creation of a marvellous, artistic, inventive and very real world...."
Read the full blog post review by Fallen Star Stories here
Author Events
I am only offering in person school visits for local area 20 mile radius of Monmouth but can do video link visits from the Shed. please contact Authors Aloud UK who take bookings for me.
Or contact me direct for book signings/festivals. My publishers are Graffeg
Virtual sessions
I offer skype/zoom sessions with schools. Pupils can see the Tribe and the Shed and who lives in there as well as me reading them a story and answering any questions they have. You can book me via authors aloud. There is a small fee for this. I usually charge £75 a session.
I can send signed and dedicated books to the children and send you a booking form template for book sales if you would like one. Happy to follow up the visit with a letter, or to read some stories etc.
Dates and times are subject to me being available.
Virtual school visits are a great way for me to read one of my books to school children and answer some of their questions without me having to spend any time travelling - and they have a lot less impact on my carbon footprint than a regular school trip! You need a good internet connection with a screen the children can see me on, sound system and a way I can see and hear them too.
Testimonials
We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to work with Karin as a prize for a writing competition we entered within our local authority. Prior to Karin's visit, she contacted me to find out as much as she could about the class and endeavoured to tailor her session to the needs and abilities of the children. (Year one and two mixed class) Karin's books are just perfect for children of this age. They reach out to the children in such a way that was a privilege to see. Before her visit, to get the children enthused, we read the story "Small finds a home." The children immediately identified with the messages of friendship and kindness and adored the characters in the book. The photos which accompany the stories bring the characters to life. The books also have the animals showing you how to make things from the story at the back.Karin arrived and the children were in awe. She introduced herself and the shed that she compiles her stories in. Then, the best part, the characters from the story! The children loved being able to meet the characters and ask questions about them. "Honey for tea" was the story we were treated to and the children were mesmerised from the off. After the story, we made alder cone honey bee's which delighted the children. We then all went outside with the simple instruction "to find things that your bees might like." The conversations and observations the children made were wonderful to observe. The delight as they found various flowers and colours that they had never noticed around the school grounds before, but we're now so obvious now they had their buzzy bee! The conversation from a group of boys about how bees make honey from the flowers and how we should plant more, all this from a simple yet such effective activity.After break, we planted seeds which the children took home. We completed the morning with Karin's third book "A paper boat for panda." The children were desperate to make the paper boats from the story so after Karin's visit, we followed the instructions from the back of the story and each made our own!I still have mine! :-) The children loved their morning with Karin, the children were engaged throughout and the messages through her stories cover so many important topics for children. The books have enthused my class and myself. We just can't wait for the next lot of books! Thank you!
Kirsty MacDougall-WilliamsClass teacher
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The children listened with rapt attention to the story reading – we take particular note of authors who are great at reading aloud their own work, as this is a skill quite different from being able to write! Karin reads aloud with great expression and sensitivity; she also involved one of the children in the reading, enlisting his help to turn the pages of a second copy as she read to ensure that all children could see the illustrations.
Both the activities involved paper-folding, all that was needed were simple things that could be found in most locations – A4 paper, scissors and pencils. She instructed the children clearly and with enormous patience, often folding and unfolding repeatedly so the children could see exactly how the shapes were changing. The emphasis was on them understanding the process well enough to be able to do it themselves; although help was always given to those who asked for it.
While the children were adding to their creations with little drawings that were important to them, Karin led a conversation about the content of the books: about how it makes someone feel when you do something kind for them; and about how everyone likes different books, but how all of those books, however different, will need a book mark.
The children in the sessions were visibly inspired and didn’t want to leave. Some stayed longer just to draw on paper left behind – which was also encouraged – and others had gained the confidence to try different ways of folding the paper, for example one boy found a way to add a fold that gave the animal fox ears.
We are already planning to invite Karin Celestine back to Warwickshire; where we’d like to arrange for her to do a longer session within a school environment. In the run up to this event Karin has been extremely helpful and interesting; supplying us with the information we need to be able to talk about the books and their underlying themes to the many teachers and parents who come in to the shop; in effect she has supplied us with very
valuable teaching notes
Tamsin Rosewell
For Kenilworth Books