Boswell’s Children’s Festival will take place on May 5-6 in the Engineering Centre at Dumfries House.

The book festival gets underway Friday, May 4 but here we can take a look at the events happening for the kids.

Time travel for all!

Travel with the Boswell Book Festival from the Big Bang to our planet today, through prehistoric times meeting a gang of tinyteeny dinosaurs, encountering Julius Zebra and his gladiator friends, a spooky sorceress, nail-biting heroes and more. This journey of spellbinding facts and glorious fantasy explodes in a showboat programme of funny, compelling and inspirational tales from leading children’s authors.

New - Book Trail Display

Also on show will be a display of the new ‘Book Trail’ created by primary pupils in Auchinleck and Ochiltree which is planned to run from Auchinleck Library to Dumfries House with the Trail’s mascot, Boswell’s greyhound, in the lead.

At the heart of the Children’s Festival:

Nicola Davies, prize winning author, zoologist and former presenter of BBC’s The Really Wild Show who chooses ‘Poo’ as one of her subjects - probably the most useful stuff on Earth! If that wasn’t scary enough then wait until you meet Anthony Horowitz, creator of the number one bestselling Alex Rider novels, who wrote his first book at the age of 10 and has gone on to thrill his young readerswith great plots and wickedly funny tales such as Granny and Groosham Grange which he’ll be talking about at the Festival. Comic book genius Gary Northfield, has space travelling ladybirds, Ninja hedgehogs and an insect orchestra ready to strike and all to keep wee ones highly entertained!

Meanwhile Christopher Lloyd unfolds history and science in a truly spectacular way that has never been seen before, with his giant vibrant visual timelines.

And of course, Boswell Book Festival is delighted to welcome back Vivian French MBE and very recently acclaimed WINNER of the Scottish Book Trust Outstanding Achievement Award 2018. Vivian who is already well known to many in Cumnock and the surrounding area definitely needs help with her next adventure for reluctant hero Alfie Onion. So come along and see how you too can be part of it!

During the weekend there will be lots of free interactive activities too: exploding bombs – of a sort – with the Dumfries House gardeners, composting with yucky worms, become an inventor by transforming old scrap into treasure and lots more.

Finally to round off the Boswell Children’s Festival Chae Strathie and illustrator-in-residence Eilidh Muldoon, join Vivian for a Festival Finale of Story Consequences With Waterstones Children’s Bookshop, author signings, nearby Café and FREE inter-active activities also including Owl Magic, Don’t miss out on a fun-packed weekend.

Tickets: Main Author Talks: £9 £67 (c) Children’s/Families: £2 (Under twos who do not need a seat are free) Some free events for all ages of child Online at: www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk Box Office: 01563 554 900 Sponsors: Boswell Book Festival 2018