The Discover Children’s Story Centre is holding an interactive trail exhibition themed around the hilarious book Colin’s Castle, written and Illustrated by our brilliant Plum Holly Swain!
The interactive trail includes original artwork from Holly herself, a super-fun photo-op with a cutout of everyone's favourite duo, Colin and Duck, and a whole host of fun things to discover as you walk through the world of Colin's Castle!
"Visit Colin’s Castle, nestled among the trees in our Story World. Full of friendly bats and colourful vegetables, it’s a home perfect for a vegetarian vampire like Colin who lives there with his friend Duck."
Discover Children’s Story Centre
Discover Children’s Story Centre, based in Stratford, London, is the UK’s first story centre. They host immersive exhibitions and author and illustrator events, and they have creative play spaces designed to help children with reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, and to support a love of language and stories.
Throughout the year the centre invites authors, illustrators and other artists to run exciting events, and the Story Builders lead interactive exhibition sessions and Storytelling session for 0-3 year-olds.
They also do work beyond the centre to bring a love of reading children, having worked in schools, libraries, community spaces, and festivals, engaging 100,000 children and adults with Discover last year.
The trail will be at Discover Children’s Story Centre until 11th November- get your tickets here!
"They’re expecting a visitor… Grandma! Grab a feather duster and help Colin and Duck make the castle spick and span for her arrival."
"Elsewhere, you’ll find out that ducks don’t only live in vampire castles… A flock of feathered friends have moved into hiding places all around our Story Worlds. Can you find them all as you continue on the trail?"
Discover Children’s Story Centre has won many awards, including the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance marque from Visit Britain and the Learning Outside the Classroom kitemark. Time Out voted Discover Children’s Story Centre as one of London’s top five family days out, and their bookshop was named one of the top five children’s bookshops in London!
About Colin’s Castle:
When a vegetarian vampire moves into his dream castle, he soon discovers he has an unwanted house guest …
Colin’s new castle is perfect in every way – apart from the DUCK. The duck pops up when Colin’s in the bath. When he’s watching telly. When he’s ON THE LOO.
QUACK!
But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Colin has a PLAN. Will he succeed in banishing Duck from his castle and leading the bird-free life that he dreams of?
QUACK!
The perfect book to share or gift during spooky season, Colin's Castle is a brilliantly funny read-aloud story that will have kids hooked with Hollu's fun-filled artwork, packed with detail and humour.
Colin's Castle is a winner of The English Association 4–11 Picture Book Award 2024, and the Oxfordshire Book Awards Best Picture Book 2025. It was also long listed for the UKLA Book Awards 3-6 Category 2026, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Illustration 2025!