A grand Booky outing to Blackwells Oxford, to celebrate the launch of "Very Little Cinderella" by Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap (Random House)

We got very excited when we heard that two of our favourite booky folk, Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap, were popping into one of the most awesome bookshops (Blackwells in Oxford) for a very special very little book launch. 

Blog followers will know that Heapy and Heap's "Very Little Red Riding Hood" was joint Book of the Year last year on the blog. A beautifully tweaked re-telling of a classic fairy tale, told with such an expert eye on toddler observation (and such wonderful illustrations too), we just couldn't get enough of it (and still can't). 

We arrived early and with typical Daddy observation skills I managed to walk right past that beautiful pink cake and the books. DOH!

Thankfully Mummy was on hand to steer me right, and I recognised Teresa proudly hovering near the cake. Couldn't resist cheekily introducing ourselves, and settling in for a reading of "Very Little Cinderella", Hooray!

Sue started off by drawing Very Little Cinderella herself, a spirited little toddler with her own wonderful sense of style (and the same hilarious way of talking in the story that completely won us over in "Very Little Red Riding Hood"). 

Sue gamely managed to draw a perfect pic (despite having to kneel on the floor, owch!) so then it was Teresa's turn to tell the story itself. 

Very Little Cinderella is busy cleaning the house when the Ugly Sisters crash in and inform her that they're off to a party, and The Fairy Godmother will be babysitting for the evening. Very Little Cinderella isn't too happy at being left at home while her sisters are gadding about, so with a little help from the Fairy Godmother, and a blue dress, big blue scooter and a touch of magic she makes it to the party too. But they must be home at midnight!

There is dancing, there are friends to be made  but all too soon the clock strikes 12 and it's time to go home. 

Unfortunately, in Very Little Cinderella's rush to run home to bed, she loses her beloved yellow (LELLO, daddy, LELLO!) boot and is completely beside herself. Nothing can console her, but wait a moment, who's that at the (very little) door?

We had a great time - Charlotte really loved helping Sue and all the other kids drawing a Very Little Prince Charming