Vale of Tales
Book cover for 'Rapunzel is a Lettuce' by Joseph Coelho. The title features the word 'Rapunzel' written in curling, vine-like green letters. The main illustration shows a large orange pumpkin carriage with spoked wooden wheels. Inside a window in the pumpkin, a girl with extremely long brown hair is dressed in green lettuce leaves, wearing a leafy crown. She is taking a bite of a green apple while holding a potted cactus. Her hair trails out of the window, forming a thorny border. Below the main image, text reads 'Poems to GROW with', 'ILLUSTRATED BY SHIRLEY HOTTIER', and at the very bottom on an orange band, 'with an introduction by MICHAEL ROSEN'.
Book cover for 'THE FLYING MACHINE OF DREAMS' by Kate Wakeling and Viviane Schwarz, with the tagline 'Come aboard for a magical poetry ride'. The whimsical, watercolor-style illustration features a fantastical, chaotic flying machine against a light blue, cloudy sky. The vessel is a patchwork of parts, including spoked wheels along the bottom, a red cabin structure with bare trees sprouting from the top, and a front section shaped like a large orange bird. A string of colorful bunting stretches across the top of the machine. Several tiny figures are scattered around, with one climbing the trees, one swinging from a rope underneath, one sitting on a large floating yellow horn in front, and others peeking out of windows or standing on the deck.

Evesham Vale of Tales

A free event for children and families

Saturday, 19 September 2026·11am - 2pm·
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·Free
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About the event

On Saturday 19th September we are hosting a free event for children and families as part of Evesham Veg Fest to entertain and inspire young readers.

Meet special guest Joseph Coelho, enjoy a fun interactive performance by poet Kate Wakeling and also find out more about Reading2Smile, an initiative founded by Sarah Tyson enabling children and parents to become published book reviewers.

Programme

Guests

A man with dark curly hair is captured mid-jump high in the air against a bright blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. He has a surprised, excited expression with his mouth open. His arms are thrown outwards dynamically, and his dark blue blazer is flying wide open, revealing a colorful patterned shirt underneath. He is also wearing bright pink trousers and tan high-top boots.

Joseph Coelho

Children's Author

Joseph Coelho, poet and playwright, is a leading figure in performance poetry. His plays have received special note from The Verity Bargate Award and The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition. Joseph has been a guest poet on Radio 4’s Front Row and performed poems for Channel 4 and CBeebies Radio.

thepoetryofjosephcoelho.com
A woman stands on stage, smiling enthusiastically as she reads from a small open yellow book. She is wearing a red patterned kimono-style jacket over a dark top and a headset microphone. Behind her, a screen displays a large, faint sketch of a wide-mouthed monster. In the blurred foreground to the right, a hand holds a digital pen, seemingly drawing the illustration projected on the screen behind her.

Kate Wakeling

Poet

Kate Wakeling is a poet who writes for children and for adults. She is the author of three children’s poetry collections: Moon Juice, Cloud Soup and A Dinosaur at the Bus Stop. Her work has been awarded the CLiPPA Prize, The Week Junior Book Award for Poetry and been nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

katewakeling.co.uk
Sarah Tyson

Sarah Tyson

Literary Consultant

Sarah Tyson, founder of Books Up North and Reading2Smile, is a reading ambassador and experienced literary consultant and events producer who has worked for over a decade promoting reading for pleasure in communities, public libraries, schools and bookshops.

reading2smile.com

Additional details

Evesham Library will also be attending the Veg Fest, offering stories and activities and a chance for children and families to join the library.