Details
AVAILABLE NOW FOR SCHOOL VISITS.
I love doing school visits! It's such a wonderful part of being an author and illustrator and you get to really interact with the children. I love talking about my debut book, how I created it, the process, and the illustrations!
I am an up and coming author and illustrator from Brighton, and have just published my debut children’s story The Mouse and the Mushroom Blooms. This is an educational, whimsical tale with the mushroom kingdom at its centre.
The 32-page rhyming story set in the fungi kingdom, follows a little lost mouse who doesn’t know her own magic, so she goes into the forest to find it! She speaks with mushrooms, mycelium and even tiny spores on her adventure and learns about the fungi kingdom along the way.
Assembly
20 minute interactive assembly about how I came to writing the book, the interest in creating a book about mushrooms, the creative process, development of the book and illustrations.
Creative Workshops
Sessions are 1hr long and include a storytelling and then a specific creative activity. This is completely bespoke dependant on the focus of the school. Either looking at the book making creative process, or engaging forest schools and looking at mushrooms themselves, the subject of the book.
I have self published the story and run workshops showing my process, including mock up books, iPad illustrations and then the original watercolour paintings.
I run workshops around poster creation, book creation and allowing the children to learn watercolour techniques and create their own watercolour paintings.
I also run workshops looking directly at mushrooms, fungi, including a game looking at mycelium and how it works underground.
About Me
I live in Brighton and have a plantable wildflower business, as well as being a children's author. I am passionate about the natural world and only use recycled materials in the creation of the plantable cards.
I love bright colours, and use a lot of colour in my illustrations. I also dress up like a fly agaric and wear a giant mushroom hat whilst reading the story, which the children absolutely love!
I have experience at festivals, schools and literary events and love the interactions with the children.
Testimonials
Clementine Todd, Year 3 Teacher, Edenbridge Primary School - Sophie was wonderful with the class! She kept the children engaged the whole session by sharing her process of writing her book. Sophie encouraged their curiosity and creativity well and all children left the session with their own front cover of a book.
Lauren Kention, Year 2 Teacher Edenbridge Primary School - I think it was a really good experience for the children to meet an author and learn about the process of creating a book. They were all so engaged and loved creating their own watercolour picture in the style of the book.
Shannon Wake, Assistant Head Teacher of Pre‑Prep, Sevenoaks Preparatory School - The children were thrilled to take part in this wonderful author visit by Sophie Bresnahan. They enjoyed listening to the story and thinking about their own magic inside of them. The craft activities were engaging and gave the children the opportunity to explore the beautiful original artwork for the book up close. A wonderful session. Thank you, Sophie!
Bonnie Oliver, Year 2 Teacher, Carlton Hill School - It was so lovely to meet you today. On behalf of all of us - thank you so much! It was lovely for the children to meet a real author illustrator and also to do some art work with you. Sophie was engaging and calm in her assembly and workshops with the children. They all really enjoyed listening to the lovely story and having a go at recreating some using watercolours. There was a real buzz around the school!
Lucy Macarthy, St Josephs - The Mouse and The Mushroom Blooms is an enchanting, beautifully illustrated story. Sophie was so bubbly, friendly and attentive with the children. The children loved the character cut-outs and Sophie's incredible mushroom hat! The colouring pages were a lovely addition, too! I would highly recommend her reading workshop, it went down a treat!
Rosie, St Lukes - We were absolutely delighted to have Sophie visit our Year 3 class and share her incredible picture book, The Mouse and the Mushroom Blooms. From the moment Sophie began reading aloud, the children were captivated. Her engaging storytelling, combined with her warm and expressive voice, brought the beautiful world of the story to life. The illustrations in the book are just stunning, and Sophie’s skillful reading helped the children notice all the intricate details in the artwork—details that sparked lively conversations and imagination.
After the reading, Sophie led a wonderfully interactive workshop that encouraged the children to explore their own creativity. The class had the opportunity to discuss the themes of growth, friendship, and wonder from the story, and then use those ideas in their own art and writing activities. It was so inspiring to see the children not only reflect on the story but also draw from it to create their own unique works.
Sophie’s visit was an unforgettable experience for the children. It sparked their imaginations, encouraged a love for storytelling, and left them with a lasting appreciation for the magic of picture books. We can’t thank Sophie enough for sharing her story with us and for offering such a thoughtful and engaging workshop. It was truly a day to remember!
