Every child attending this performance will receive a FREE copy of The Teacup to take home and keep!
Autumn performances 2026 › Exeter
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros performance
Come and see author and illustrator Chris Naylor-Ballesteros for a morning of stories and illustration. In this funny and engaging event Chris will be telling us about his work as a picture book creator, reading his books, and drawing live too. He'll be giving tips to the children on how to create characters and draw expressions, and there'll be the chance to ask questions. Join us and inspire your children to read, write and draw!
- Venue:
- Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QB
- Date:
- Tuesday 10th November
- Time:
- 10:30 am
- Duration:
- Approx. 1 hour
- Age range:
- Years 1 and 2
- Tickets:
- £7.50
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
Chris Naylor-Ballesteros is originally from Bradford and studied illustration and graphic design at Bradford College of Art. When his children were small he realised he loved the picture books he read to them, and decided to make his own. Chris’s most recent book Party Animal was published in 2025 and a companion to his celebrated picture book The Suitcase is due to be published this year by Nosy Crow. It is called The Teacup. He lives in France.
Praise for The Suitcase
This beautifully illustrated and wise, gentle tale of tolerance and kindness for fellow humans resonates deeply. I hope all parents share The Suitcase with their children.
Watch:
Book tickets for an event and receive two free books for your classroom
Free Workshops!
The Children’s Bookshow will allocate four free in-classroom workshops to schools attending this performance with 30 or more children. Book tickets for this event to have a chance of being chosen to receive this fantastic opportunity!
Research by the National Literacy Trust has shown that author visits to schools boost children's reading. Children who have had an author visit in the last academic year are more likely to enjoy reading and are twice as likely to read above the expected level for their age.
Thank you for one of our best trips ever. The staff are still talking about it, and the kids too - they were really inspired by Chris!! One boy told our Deputy Head that the trip was 'awesome'.
The details
- Please arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes before the start of the performance, so that you have enough time to find your seats and and use the bathroom. Our start times are strictly governed by the theatres that we work with and by the start and end times of the school day. If you are unavoidably delayed, please get in touch with your Children’s Bookshow contact as soon as possible.
- Depending on the time of the performance, you may want your children to bring a packed lunch. (Please contact the theatre directly to check if there is a suitable space.)
- Parking facilities vary from theatre to theatre; please check the theatre website for details.
- Please contact the theatre directly for risk assessment information.
- Please ensure your children have visited the bathroom before the show starts, or ask them to wait until after the performance ends. A constant stream of children getting up to go to the toilet is very distracting for our performers and other members of the audience.
Still have questions? You can find our FAQs here.
Have any questions? Get in touch
Your contact for this performance is Natalie McKie, she will be happy to answer any queries you have:
- natalie@thechildrensbookshow.com
- Phone
- 07827 444399