Getting ideas for stories....2

Hi Everyone, it's me, Frog!
You know how everyone always wants to know how we get our ideas, and how long it takes to write a story?
Well, one thing we DO need to get ideas is QUIET TIME to sit and think.

Because I am a sheepdog and I like being REALLY BUSY all the time, it is hard for me to sit quietly and think about things!

But today when we went out for our walk, it was VERY QUIET down on the beach because the sea had gone out for the day to visit her Grandma, and the wind wasn't blowing at all, and it was REALLY QUIET.

The lake was REALLY QUIET too - there was a beautiful big white swan gliding about QUIETLY, and some little ducks bobbing about QUIETLY, and the water didn't look all water-ish, it looked like shiny glass! It looked REALLY QUIET like a mirror!

Everything was SO quiet, it made me sit down for a few minutes to think and about things.

It made me think that I have been SO BUSY rushing about helping to get my new books into lots of shops, and SO BUSY going to new schools, that I haven't had any new ideas to put in my letter to you.

So today when I was sitting quietly, I thought that it would be a GOOD IDEA to tell you that if you want to think of good ideas for stories, you have to give yourself some QUIET TIME to think about things.

Helen likes to have quiet times to think about things. She sits in the chair by the window and thinks. In the summer she sits in the garden and thinks.

Obi-Sven likes to be quiet with a good book about fish.

So I am going to be quiet now and do some colouring, because that helps me to think of ideas too.

Because I always try to be kind and helpful, I have put some new colouring on the wagiste for you! AND a new wordsearch and a new missing things - you can find them by going to the fun page, or take

my magic dog blanket to go straight to them!
I hope you enjoy me being quiet - because next week, all the Frog Ted puppies arrive, and I'm going to be VERY EXCITED!!!!
I have to go now because all this being quiet has made me VERY HUNGRY!!
Love, Frog X

PS from Helen: Children, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get a photo of Frog asleep! Even when he seems to be fast asleep, he jumps up when he hears me pick up the camera, or when he hears the quiet wqhirring noise of the lens opening - it's REALLY RIDICULOUS!

Time to help! Coco's first London Marathon!

Hi Everyone, I am Obi-Sven Kenobi, and this is Frog News!

Someone we know is doing something amazing, so we sent Frog, our Rover Reporter(!) to find out more. Over to you Frog!

Hello Everyone, yes, here I am, Frog the Dog, Rover Reporter bring you news just in that Coco, one of my Special Friends, will be running the London Marathon in April to raise funds for Sense, a charity that helps deafblind children and their families.

Running the marathon is a tough job.

Running the marathon does NOT mean that you are running up and down on a chocolate bar. (That's for older readers who remember when "Snickers" were called "Marathons" - sorry!)

Running the marathon takes AGES. That's because it's a long way! It's 26 miles! I often go to a town that is 25 miles away, and takes AGES in the car, so I KNOW that it is a VERY LONG WAY to run.
Here is Coco to tell us more: "Coco, tell us more! How do you know that you can run such a long way?


"Hello Frog! Running in the marathon is hard, so you have to have LOTS of practice! It is five months until the race, but I am running every morning to get ready."

"How far do you run each morning?"

"This week I am running nine miles every morning before I go to work. I have to get up VERY EARLY! I will have to run further and further until I know that I can run the whole 26 miles"

"NINE MILES BEFORE WORK?? YOUCHERS! coco, how can we help?"

"Do you want to run with me Frog, to keep me company?"

"Haha! erm, no not really! Can we help in another way??"

"I was only teasing! It would be REALLY helpful for lots of people to sponsor me, so that I know that all this running is helping Sense to help the deafblind children.

It's easy to make a donation by sponsoring me at Just Giving. Every bit helps, thank you!"

"Thank you Coco, good luck with your training and getting up REALLY EARLY - we shall report again on your progress when it gets a bit closer to the Marathon. Back to Obi-Sven in the studio"

"Thank you Frog! Frog's Special Friend Coco, running her first London Marathon in aid of Sense, good luck, Coco!"

Frog will be back next week for more of his news and silliness (though he has been QUITE SENSIBLE lately!). Perhaps he will be able to tell us more about what he's been doing to help Santa.

That's all the news for now, so goodbye from him, Frog, and goodbye from me, Obi-Sven!

Reading Hero!

Hi Everyone, it's me, Frog, Reading Hero!

Yes, it really is.

Have you ever seen a ship being launched on TV?? Well, I am now going to launch our FROGTASTIC new READING HERO Campaign, so stand back while I swing this bottle of champagne at the Reading Hero Blog!

Whoooooo!

I now declare the Reading Hero Campaign open!

I am a Reading Hero because I always read something EVERY DAY and always have a bedtime story. Isn't that easy??

But there are lots of children, TOO MANY children who do not have a bedtime story every night, and do not get to do any reading at home, so we want to help those children, by helping their grown ups.

We have written a leaflet with top tips for reading at bedtime, and a lovely booklet with pics of me, Obi-Sven and Jelly to help with every day reading. Anyone can get them from our Reading Hero website or from my fun wagsite.

They are great for schools to print off and give out to parents!

We know that parents who do not read to their children will probably not go to places where the help usually is, so we want to get the Reading Hero leaflet onto websites everywhere, so that the people we need to know, get to know.

It might be football club sites, or soapstar sites, popstar fan clubs sites.... and we want to ask anyone who really cares about reading and wants to help, to put it on THEIR website to help spread the word.

We have made it into a small PDF so it easy to put onto a website, and easy to print off.

We also want our friends to help us by sharing ideas for books they enjoy reading with their children, and by finding articles about reading and books that will help encourage parents to read with their children.

Love, Frog X

Bedtime Stories - 2

Hi Everyone, it's me, Obi-Sven!

Last week, Frog told you all how he liked to have a nice bedtime routine, especially his bedtime story.

Lots of our friends told us what THEY like to do at bedtime (see comments) and Spencer said he liked to have his hair brushed.

Now children, I KNOW that Frog has his hair brushed before he goes to bed, so I was surprised that he didn't mention it. So I told everyone it was because at bedtime, he has his big fine pointy ears in PLAITS!

Haha!

It's true, there are the pics to prove it.

You know that it hurts to brush if you have lots of tangles in your hair, and ears are just the same, especially fine big pointy ears like Frog's!

I took these pics of cartoon Frog and Frog Ted to show you all just how tidy Frog is, even when he is going to bed.

Frog is a very tidy sort of dog.

How do you keep YOUR hair and ears tidy?

Or do you just let them flop about all over the place?

Or do you think I am just being REALLY RIDICULOUS?

Love, Obi-Sven. XX

PS: from Frog: