Natalia and Lauren O'Hara Performance

The Children's Bookshow was thrilled to be back at the very handsome Stafford Gatehouse to welcome seven primary schools to the O'Hara's event. Sisters Lauren and Natalia O'Hara create their picture books together - with Lauren illustrating and Natalia writing, to create a magical atmospheric world for their stories.

The sisters shared photographs of themselves as children growing up in Manchester and described to us how they now, from different homes in different countries, create their wonderful picture books. They read together to us from The Bandit Queen, Hortense and The Shadow and their brand new, yet to be announced (shhh...) fairy tale book.

To the enormous delight of the children, Lauren demonstrated some of her illustration techniques talking us through the different effects that she uses - sometimes a watery brush, or paint drops or even a washing up sponge, with a little bit of collage added in too. Then ... loud oohs and aahs from the children as the sample techniques formed into a curious colourful caterpillar looking out from the paper, as Lauren painted eyes and feet onto the oval shapes.

Time for some interesting questions from the attending schools before leaving the theatre with a free copy of The Bandit Queen and a Frindleswylde postcard for each child.