I can’t believe the holidays are almost over already! I really hope you’ve all had a fantastic summer. It’s been great to see that people have been downloading the activities and doing the adventure trails. I hope you have had fun with them.

The deadline for the Castle Illustration Competition passed on the 16th August and it has taken me a little while to get organised to look at the entries and announce a winner… Sorry to have made you wait!

There were two really great entries that I couldn’t chose between, so Rhoda H and Beth H, congratulations, you have earned joint first position!

I love the angle Rhoda took for her picture, of Caleb about to find the camper van. Looking over his shoulder like this, you really feel like you are part of the action. It is also really clever how she has suggested the gateway with just a little bit of the arch above. Having a strong foreground and background can really help make a picture realistic and powerful. Well done, Rhoda!

Beth was ambitious with her picture and managed to get the whole castle in! Isn’t it great how the camper van is swooping in past the tower, just about to rescue Ashley’s dad perhaps? I love the strong outlines and the bold colours. The little details add a lot of fun and interest too. Can you see the fish, the loopholes, and… is that Caleb’s smiling face I see?! Well done Beth.

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I’ll also take this chance to post a few other things I have been sent by other readers…

Here is a fantastic model of Uncle Bill’s land rover made by Johnny B and his dad (inspired by my illustration, so they tell me). It looks super-realistic and those rust marks are fantastic!

Rhoda H took up the challenge to make a fact sheet about an endangered animal (see post Endangered Species). Hasn’t she done a great job?! What a good idea to include a map and a fun fact. And the illustration is brilliant!