Parents • Schools • Bookshops • Events
For Grown-Ups
Everything practical, all in one place.
The Grumblers is made for children to enjoy and for grown-ups to feel comfortable exploring with them. This is the place for school visits, bookshop enquiries, events and the practical bits.
Parents & Carers
The child-facing parts of the site are designed around characters, stories and simple creative activities. Children do not need an account to explore the site or use the free activities we add.
The stories themselves are built around adventure, friendship, kindness, helping others, sticking together and looking out for your crew, with motorbikes, food and plenty of silliness along the way.
Schools & Author Visits
Meet an author. Explore your imagination. Create something together.
A visit goes beyond hearing a story. Richie shares the creative process behind The Grumblers and invites children to explore their own ideas through words, pictures and storytelling.
Meet the author
Richie shares his journey to becoming an author: where his ideas come from, how he develops them and what it takes to turn an idea into a book. Children can ask their own questions.
How the Grumblers began
Discover how Richie created Rumble, Grub, Biscuit and Milly, and how their personalities, world and adventures developed. A reading from The Great Ingredient Quest brings the characters to life.
Explore words & pictures
Explore creativity through writing and drawing. How can descriptive words help us picture a place or a character? How can a drawing spark an idea for a story? Children consider how words and pictures work together.
Create a mini story together
Using the descriptive words and creative process they have explored, children help choose a setting, characters, a problem and a way forward. Richie guides the group as their ideas become a mini story.
Keep going when it gets tricky
Richie talks honestly about the frustrating moments: words that will not come and illustrations that do not match the idea in his head. Children hear how revisiting an idea, making changes and trying again are part of creating a book.
Take the next creative step
The message is simple: an idea does not have to be perfect first time. Children are encouraged to experiment, share ideas and keep developing their own writing or drawings, with curiosity and confidence.
Sessions are designed to be fun and participatory, with opportunities to practise speaking and listening, descriptive vocabulary, collaboration and storytelling. Richie’s experiences also open up a conversation about resilience: managing frustration, learning through revision and sticking with an idea.
The interactive mini-story activity is usually around 15 minutes and forms part of the wider author visit. Please share the children’s age group and what you would like the session to focus on when enquiring.
During the launch period, selected local school visits are being offered free while the programme develops.
Bookshops, Events & Groups
Richie is available for book signings, family events, festivals, motorcycle and community events, and other suitable appearances connected with The Grumblers.
If you run a bookshop, school, library, motorcycle group or event and would like to discuss an appearance, head to the Contact page and tell Richie what you have in mind.
Practical Information
- All school and children’s-event arrangements are made through a responsible adult or host organisation.
- Any safeguarding, photography, accessibility and venue arrangements are agreed with the host organisation in advance.
- The website does not require children to create an account to explore child-facing content or free activities.
- Please include the proposed date, location, age group and approximate audience size when enquiring about a visit.
Get in Touch
Planning a school visit, bookshop signing, community event or something else suitable? Head to the Contact page and tell Richie what you have in mind.
Enquiries should be sent by an adult.
