Gracie's Got a Secret

                                 — Ellie Ewert photo

Gracie and I appeared on Sept. 30 at Vancouver’s Word on the Street festival, sponsored by Kidsbooks, the largest children’s bookstore in western Canada. I’ve attended Word on the Street for many years, but this was my first time as a featured author. It was a glorious sunny day and I had fun introducing Gracie’s Got a Secret to a broader audience.

Many thanks to all of the publishers and volunteers who make this annual event such a success. In this digital age, the printed word is still thriving.

What a fun time Gracie and I had last Saturday as the opening act for TV musical duo Bobs & Lolo. The kids of all ages were such good listeners . Some crept right up to the stage to watch my puppet show.

It was a beautiful sunny day with so many great activities organized by the parents’ advisory committee at West Sechelt Elementary. Balloon hats and face-painting were available, along with a bubbles machine and bouncy castle.

This event was an important fundraiser to create a new playground at West Sechelt Elementary. Thank you to everyone who gave generously and to the organizers for inviting Gracie and me. We had a hoot.

If you’ve read Gracie’s Got a Secret, you know that Gracie loves to travel. So far, she’s been to Australia, Cuba, and the United States. But there are many more places where she’d like to go.

I’d love to collect photos of Gracie taken all over the world. If you travel abroad with Gracie, please take a photo of yourself or your family reading the book and send it to me. Be sure to identify yourself and where the picture is taken. I will post the images on this website and on Gracie’s Facebook page.

I look forward to seeing your images.

Do you have a favourite goldfish story? Do you want to write about the goldfish in your life? I’d love to hear your stories. Please email them to me at hconn@dccnet.com. I will share the best ones on this site and perhaps on Gracie’s Facebook page.

Have fun.

Do you like to draw fish and other animals? Why not have fun drawing Gracie? You can draw her friends Mopey the alligator or Nellie the circus elephant.

Or draw Mopey with her brother Freddie, or with her parents.

If you have a copy of Gracie’s Got a Secret, you can use Lillian Lai’s wonderful illustrations as your guide. Or find inspiration from the images that appear on the Pictures page and A Peek Inside page on this website.

I’d love to share your drawings on this website. Email them to me at hconn@dccnet.com or mail them to me at Box 75, Roberts Creek, BC, Canada, V0N 2W0. I could also post your drawings on Gracie’s Facebook page.

Have fun!

Have fun coloring Gracie.

Print out this image of Gracie and her brother Freddie and color the page.