I decided to do a treasure hunt for Netty, Harry and their friends.  I placed 10 clues written on bits of paper around the beach, hoping that the children would have fun finding them.  Once they began, I could see that my clues were not where I had placed them with Scampi!  They had gone missing!

All the children were running around the beach puzzled shouting “Where’s the next clue?” “Where’s the next clue?”
What a disaster! I thought.  After they ran around for 20 minutes I decided to tell them where the last clue was which they found and which led them to the treasure of fruit and smoothies gobbled down by all the hungry youngsters.

I immediately thought it was the seagulls who took the clues, but on this one occasion I was wrong.  It was passersby walking along the beach mistaking them as rubbish and throwing them in the bin.  That will teach me to litter the beach!

Netty and Harry were bored because their pocket money had been cut, so I suggested that we all search for treasure using a metal detector. 

“Yay!!”  Cheered Netty “If we find lots of money we can buy all the ice cream in all the world!”

Harry held the detector with the headphones on his head while the rest of us followed.  Nothing for a while and then it beeped, in excitement we started digging, even Stephen and Molly helped out, ploughing with their beaks in the sand and then suddenly Netty fished out a silver spoon. 

“Oh no!” she replied.

“At least you have something to eat your ice cream with.”  Chirped in Stephen.

And then we all carried on searching.

Sonny the Sea Tractor

On Halloween last week, we all decided to dress up.  Netty was a big juicy orange pumpkin.  Harry was dressed as a bony skeleton.  The seagulls were flying ghosts and Scampi was a witch’s cat after being blackened by my exhaust fumes (poor Scampi!)  That left only one more costume, the wicked witch and guess who got the pleasure of wearing it?  Me!

Sonny the Sea Tractor

Harry, Netty and all their friends from school decided to build a huge sandcastle on Koob Beach.  They were enjoying themselves so much that they didn’t realise a lot of time had passed and a huge sandcastle was being made.  In fact Netty who was on the top of the tower didn’t realise until it was too late that she was stuck and couldn’t get down.”Help”  She cried!

“We’re coming, we’re coming!”  Shouts Harry and the others.

Stephen Seagull and Molly were nearby, as always.  Stephen said to Molly “Looks like we’re going to have to get Sonny the Sea Tractor to rescue us again!”

It was a blazing hot afternoon and it was time to start school.  Everyone was excited, especially Netty.  She was about to start year 1 and was bubbling with excitement.  When she got to school she met some of her friends Leah and Mia.  Harry was a little more nervous and was quiet until all his mates ran up to him and started play fighting with him. 

The day flew by so quickly, in fact there were hardly any lessons and Harry and Netty were keen to stay with their friends even when school had finished for the day.  In the end, Harry and Netty headed off to the beach with all their friends and joined Sonny, Scampi and the seagulls and played Rounders, “It”, Piggy in the middle and few more other games followed by ice creams all around. Again!

It was an early morning; Harry, Netty and the others were playing pirates.  Sonny the sea tractor was the pirate ship and Molly was the parrot.  As they were playing they heard a huge squawk!  It was Stephen Seagull; he was trying to catch fish in his enormous beak, but was sinking in the sand.  Sonny, Harry Netty and Molly had to save him but before they did they all said

“What will you give us if we help you?” 
“Scampi can have my two fish that I have caught.”

Scampi jumps off Sonny’s roof and says licking his lips.

“Hand the fish over.”  Stephen surrenders and does as he is told before his head sinks into the sand.  In the end Harry declared,

“I will get ice creams all round.”  And everyone cheered including Stephen Seagull.

Loretta spent some time in Upper Norwood library last week and read the story to all the lovely children. As a treat the children were encouraged to make hanging seagulls.  There were so many brightly-coloured Stephen Seagulls and Mollies flying everywhere!!  Loretta agreed that the session was fun and the children enjoyed making those pesky birds!.

I’m not quite sure If Scampi and I could cope if we had that many Stephen and Molies on Koob beach! 

(Psssst! – I never said that of course!!) - Sonny the Sea Tractor

It’s been a wonderful week, Loretta was on her book tour in Cornwall and Devon with Team Maverick and they all came to visit us at Koob Beach!  We had so much fun.  There were sandcastle competitions of me and even Scampi.  Everyone who joined including Netty and Harry was in good spirits and built some super Sonnies!  Loretta then engaged the children with the story of Sonny the Sea Tractor for all to hear.  Even the seagulls were on their best behavior circling around with all their other friends. 

I asked Loretta what was the highlight of the week and she said;

“Knowing that kids love all the characters especially Sonny!”

Hi everyone,

Loretta’s reading went really well.  The kids listened excitedly as she read the story and after wards they enjoyed colouring in the Sonny the Sea Tractor colouring in sheets.  There were so many bright Sonny’s to choose from.  I may have to paint myself another bright colour.

Well done to the two classes at Drayton Park School!

We’re getting even more excited because Loretta is going on tour on Monday 26 July and it starts at the Eden project!

We’ll be in touch soon to tell you more

Sonny and Co

Me, Scampi, Harry, Netty and the gullies are very excited, Loretta is going to read Sonny the Sea Tractor to the children at Drayton primary school in Waterstones Islington on 2 July 2010 from 10.am.  We’re sure that the children will love the story and will want to hear it over and over again…Find out next week what the children thought!

Sonny the Sea Tractor and Co