The UK’s number one author grew up in Hampstead and wrote her first stories while at New End Primary School.
Today she’s a publishing phenomenon with the likes of The Gruffalo, Room on The Broom and Stick Man now outselling J.K Rowling – breaking the 50 million sales barrier in British bookshops.
Julia was joined by Norwegian illustrator Victoria Sandøy who flew over from Oslo to join her, and the pair enjoyed meeting families and signing books at the independent store in Fortis Green – supported by their brilliant team.
She said: “We had a great welcome at the Children’s Bookshop who joined the Paper Chase Tour.
“It was the first day of school for many of the children and lovely to see all their uniforms. One child even presented me with a special book they had made for my birthday next week!”
“We were delighted to welcome Julia Donaldson back to the bookshop to celebrate the publication of her new book, Paper Chase, along with her illustrator Victoria Sandoy who came specially from Norway for the signing,” she said.
“It’s always a joy to have Julia at the bookshop – generations of families have met her over the years, queuing down the road, clutching their copies of her latest book alongside battered favourites.
“Her books remain a staple of our weekly storytimes for pre-schoolers, and always sound fresh as the day they were published.”
Paper Chase is a rhyming story about friendship, nature, and the amazing journey of paper from a tree. Published by Scholastic on September 11, it tells the tale of two children who meet under a tree, become friends, then are parted.
When the tree is cut down to make paper, the story follows its incredible journey with a heart warming ending when the children are reunited by a paper plane.
Signed copies of Paper Chase are now available to buy from the Children’s Bookshop and Sanchita added: “September is a glorious month for children’s books — fans will also have the opportunity to met Loki author & illustrator Louie Stowell on 13th September at the bookshop, and picked up signed copies of the new Katherine Rundell.”
Julia Donaldson grew up in a house in Pilgrim’s Lane, Hampstead with her grandmother on the top floor, aunt in the middle, and her family on the ground floor.
She previously told the Ham&High she was a “bookish” child who would haunt Keats Library and the second hand bookshops in Perrin’s Lane.
“With books you enter into a different world and way of thinking for the time you are reading,” she said.
She recalled Miss Farndale the librarian who was “very keen and did puppet shows”.
“Once when I was ill in bed, mum went to the library and came back with a collection of books she’d helped choose.”
She loved to play on the Heath with her sister, and while a pupil at New End Primary School she was singled out to recite poetry and take part in plays.
After studying at Camden School for Girls she took French and Drama at Bristol University where she met husband Malcolm.
She married him at Hampstead Parish Church in 1972 and their wedding reception featured an operetta penned by the bride with parts for the groom, bridesmaids, and best man.
“The local rag and bone man took us from Hampstead Parish Church to Burgh House with everyone processing along,” she recalled.
In her early career Julia wrote and improvised plays to take around estates and schools before writing songs for BBC children’s programmes including Play Away.
It was one song – A Squash and a Squeeze – that 15 years later became her first storybook, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
Then in 1999, the duo collaborated on The Gruffalo which set Julia on a path to becoming a bestselling author and now national treasure.
