I really enjoyed making and tracking down props for this workshop and getting all the elements together which included making a short presentation of how I had come up with the idea of the book and putting together photos of my children, Annabelle and Harry and our dog Milly so the audience can see who the characters in the book are based on.

I made a shed using a Wendy house and fantastic wooden plank effect material, five dog beds, created posters of DNA profiles for the stolen dogs and the pet thief, took photos of the dogs in the workshop and wrote details about each of the dogs for the children to read out. I loved tracking down the props for the evidence including dog fur, a syringe, fake dog poo, cigarettes, dog toys, a bowl, brushes and bones!

I also found outfits for the pet thief and the policeman.  I really enjoyed finding props for the six locations used to inspire the children’s imaginations when they help me write a chapter and making the photos and recording music for each location to use with the story cube. I consulted several schools to track down the best thesaurus for the children to use and finally I practiced making electromagnets and had a run through with my children to make sure all the elements of the workshop came together.

I hope you enjoy looking at the photographs of my journey!