It’s been a busy time in the run up to Christmas but not too busy to work with Colgrain Primary 2 to make a seasonal Christmas story. I called the story ‘Santa’s Tum” have a listen below and find out why.

We also had lots of dancing snowmen…which we captured in a wee film. Well done P2! Happy Christmas.

What a great time we had on Saturday at Mugdock Park doing JoJo Gnome’s Christmas Fun. This was the first time I have done a Christmas Show for the public and it was really enjoyable. Lots of kids. mums, grannies and a sprinkling of dads made for a great mix. Stories were enjoyed and Christmas was well and truly celebrated with sounds and smells (including Santa’s smelly sock!). The children made some very colourful snowmen and then we filmed them dancing. Have a look at their film below which should include all of the snowmen made on the day. Thanks to everyone who came along.

Imogen, JoJo Gnome & Jo

There’s nothing quite like when other people ‘get’ what you are trying to achieve. Al Fleming is one person who understands my GNOME WORK better than most as he is the fabulous musician who composes and plays my JoJo Gnome music for me. Al is an amazing blues singer and performer and plays gigs around Scotland. There’s many a person who would switch off their phone when they receive a text asking if he could help with music which snowmen could dance to….but not Al. He’s off up to his home studio …which is kind of like a man cave with lots of guitars and technical equipment. There he conjures up wonderful sound pictures. Last time round he made me some bright spring music complete with birds tweeting. This time it’s all about the snowmen.

As part of JoJo Gnome’s Christmas Story Fun (for 3-6 years) on 10th December at Mugdock Park, we will be making snowmen puppets and having them dance in a film with JoJo Gnome. Now I know what music they will be dancing to. Al you’re a star!

Click on Al’s Photo to hear him performing at Mugdock Theatre.

Photo copyright Mark Shields

JoJo Gnome didn’t wander too far from home on the latest leg of the Sound Machine book tour. Primary 1 joined myself and JoJo last week for some sound fun! Primary 1 had done some fantastic work before I came preparing some brilliant puppets and colourful backgrounds. Together we filmed the puppets dancing on ‘blue screen’. Later the digital magic was added and their whole project came together beautifully. Thanks to Al Fleming (a very talented local musician) who provided the music. We hope you enjoy our film – Dancing with JoJo Gnome.

Don’t forget there are tickets on sale now at Mugdock Park (0141-956-6100) for JoJo Gnome’s Christmas Story Fun…stories, quizzes and making a snowman film – great Christmas fun. Don’t miss out on the 10th December. Book soon as spaces are limited to 25.

This is Sugum the dinosaur a fantastic character created by the pupils of Cloverbank Nursery school in Glasgow in my latest twitter story.

Twitter stories are great fun (and hard work) both for myself and the schools involved. Over the course of a week prior to me visiting the school we create a story …one tweet at a time. I go first and then it’s the school and so on…so by the time I go to the school , usually on a Friday, we finish the story together. During our twitter week I never know what’s going to happen from tweet to tweet. Sometimes I imagine us off in one direction but the kids take off on a different journey from their wonderful imaginations. I draw the pictures on my iPad … and sometimes the pictures aren’t quite a ‘refined’ as I would like …but I can’t hold up the process.  Sugum was in fact the first dinosaur I have drawn!

The first tweet mentioned that Cloverbank Nursery School has a ‘Door to somewhere’ in the garden of their nursery…and this bit is true. They have a fantastic wee bridge and a door which takes the children off on all kinds of adventures. I really enjoyed my time in Cloverbank with the children and their enthusiastic teachers.

Have a listen to how their story sounds .

Also check out their dancing Halloween puppets which were done when their nursery was in full swing Halloween mode!

Christmas Storytelling

If you are  are looking something to enjoy in the run up to Christmas with your 2-6 year olds then JoJo Gnome’s Christmas Storytelling Fun is ideal. The event is being held at Mugdock Country Park just outside Glasgow. Tickets are £5.50 (adults/ children same price) and you can join in stories,smelling quizzes, make snowmen puppets and having them dance in a film with JoJo Gnome. Lots of seasonal fun to be had. The sessions are small (25 people max) …so cosy and fun. Would love to see you there. Tickets can be booked through Mugdock Park.

Christmas stocking fillers

JoJo Gnome & the Sound Machine is the perfect stocking filler for Christmas…order early to avoid Christmas post!

JoJo Gnome and his friends at P1 in Aitkenbar Primary School in Dumbarton and Cloverbank Nursery School in Glasgow have been doing some spooky dance moves for Halloween. We got up to our dancing fun in the latest bit of JoJo Gnome’s Sound Machine Book Tour. Clover bank nursery also did a fabulous twitter story which I will share with you in my next post soon. Till then have a fabulously spooky Halloween.

Aitkenbar Film

Cloverbank Film

You can buy JoJoGnome & the Sound Machine here.

Come and meet Jo and JoJo Gnome for a Christmas Storytelling session at Mugdock Country Park on 10th December.

Delighted to be able to share the news that JoJo Gnome & Jo Hall will be having a Christmas Storytelling session for 3-5 year olds at Mugdock Country Park just outside Glasgow on Saturday 10th December. Tickets are bookable from Mugdock Country Park (0141-956-6100) , places are limited so book early to avoid missing out! It’s a session of story, quizzes craft and a bit of film fun… good Christmas fun. More information on JoJo’s Events page.

Bellrock Nursery

I had a lovely time with the children at Bellrock Nursery in Glasgow recently on the latest part of the JoJo Gnome’s Sound Machine Tour, to celebrate the book JoJo Gnome & the Sound Machine. We listened to tales, made up stories and there was even a birthday party happening when we were there (Including a pretty yummy cake). Thanks so much for having us. You can see the Dancing JoJo film the children made below. They created their own backgrounds which included some lovely Halloween colours and some sparkly frost. See all the films so far on JoJo’s Sound Machine Book Tour page.

Bellrock Nursery Film

Photograph by Mark Shields
© Mark Shields

To celebrate the new JoJo Gnome book ‘JoJo Gnome & the Sound Machine’ I have been doing a series of storytelling sessions in Primary Schools and nurseries in Scotland. In different places this means different things but when I approached Cornton Nursery in Stirling they were keen that we made stories together. So over a week we tweeted back and forward every day and made not one story but two (one for the afternoon nursery class and the other for the afternoon class). They both started in the same place but ended up in very different places. Click on the pictures to hear and see their twitter stories.

Kids have amazing ideas as you will hear but really excitingly for me it was the boys who got behind this project and came up with lots of ideas… boys meet stories, fantastic!

The children also made a couple of short ‘been screen films’ with me too. The one I like best is film 2 with the backgrounds which they had painted themselves. I think we should now call them ‘Creative Cornton’. Click on the pictures to see their films.

So pleased to say that there is now a physical copy of JoJo Gnome and the Sound Machine to be able to buy as well as the ebook. So many people have asked me for a physical book that I thought it was time to bring Gnomework Books to life and get physical books out into the world. I am delighted with the result and have to thank Mary Brailey as “Queen of the Coma” who was on this very long journey with me. The book has 26 glossy colour pages and wee bonus sound hunt at the end.

The story is about JoJo Gnome’s sound adventure and it is a great one to snuggle up and read together. It is aimed at the 2-6 age group but I know one over 21 year old who loves JoJo too! The story leaves lots of space for joining in and making noises. The book costs £4.99 (+ p&p) and you can buy it here. I am happy to personalise the book for a child and put a wee message inside from JoJo & me.

Where better to launch the book than back at my old Primary School in Glasgow. Mosspark Primary 1’s were a very receptive audience and listened and joined in making stories too. We even got up to a bit of dancing with JoJo Gnome and they made some lovely films using ‘green screen’. Check out their films here. Dancing children & Dancing Gnomes. We had some lovely pictures appear in the Herald and Evening Times newspapers.

Fun times! More nursery and P1 storytelling sessions are planned later this autumn.