The second annual Hoo’s Kids Book Fest is gearing up for a jam-packed feast of family fun, with another stellar line-up. Some of the biggest names in children’s books will be discussing everything from dragons to dancing giraffes, all washed down with lashings of ginger beer.

You will be able to meet Sally Gardner, who was recently announced as the winner of the prestigious Costa Children’s Book Award, Guy Parker-Rees, official illustrator for World Book Day, and Cressida Cowell, author of the bestselling How to Train Your Dragon series, and Lauren Child, the author and illustrator of Charlie and Lola, will be in conversation with Jonathan Douglas, the director of the National Literacy Trust, about their forthcoming releases and roles as NLT ambassadors.

There will also be exciting interactive events planned around popular children’s series Famous Five, where Julian will be inviting children to enter a world of adventure and revealing secret Famous Five interrogation techniques along the way, while followers of Beast Quest can take part in code-breaking events and fairy fans can help celebrate the tenth anniversary of Magic Rainbow.

As well as all this, there will be a storytelling tent recreating the magic of Roald Dahl, face-painting, garden trails, wandering entertainers, a travelling library, and visits from a host of popular children’s characters. You can meet the authors, discover new books or try your hand at writing your own story.

Also featuring in the programme are local authors and illustrators, such as Helen Dennis, author of the Secret Breakers series, Nick Schon, Julia Rigby, James Mayhew and St Albans-based Nigel Baines, illustrator of the Yuck and Undead Ed series, who had a wonderful time at last year’s inaugural festival.

“To tie in with the Undead Ed books, I drew the kids as zombies,“ laughs the 50-year-old. “I had this queue going all around the marquee all day long. I took a flask of tea and a bag of sandwiches and I didn’t even get to open it.

“Kids really love seeing live drawing, they come up to you and ask for anything that comes into their heads. One asked me to do a zombie volcano cat – and I did it! Although another asked for a simple panda and I couldn’t remember which way round the black and white bits went so I had to do a sneaky Google search.“

Originally from the Midlands, Nigel had an “archetypal working class“ upbringing and, with no books in the house, read anything and everything he could get his hands on including comics and the football programmes from the matches of his beloved Grantham Town.

“It took me my whole life, from doodling and scribbling at school and getting told off by the teachers, to getting the Yuck books, until I thought ‘This is what I’d wanted to do when I was young – I’ve finally found it’,“ says Nigel, who moved to St Albans ten years ago.

Is there something about all the farting and bottoms and toilet humour of the titles that he illustrates that draws him to them. “Oh definitely,“ he laughs. “I’m still a nasty little boy myself!“

  • Hoo’s Kids’ Book Fest is at Luton Hoo Walled Garden, Luton Hoo Estate, Luton on Sunday, April 21 at various times. Details: www.hoobookfest.org.uk