Festive launch for Tom Fletcher's 'The Christmasaurus'

A brass band and pop stars were present for the launch of Tom Fletcher’s first novel, The Christmasaurus (Penguin Random House Children’s), at the Natural History Museum last night (Wednesday 5th October).

Fletcher celebrated the launch of the novel aimed at seven to 11 year-olds with his family and friends, including his McFly bandmates, and PRH staff including c.e.o. Tom Weldon. He also gave a speech with his editor Natalie Doherty, during which he thanked the team at PRH and his wife Giovanna Fletcher, who he said inspired him to write the novel with her own career as an author.

Tom Fletcher (centre) with his editor Natalie Doherty and PRH c.e.o. Tom Weldon

The Christmasaurus is set on Christmas Eve and it tells the story of a boy named William Trundle and his magical adventures with a dinosaur called the Christmasaurus. The book is published today (Thursday 6th October). The party was decorated with festive decorations including a Christmas tree and candy canes, as well as a large Christmasaurus model made from 2,500 crumpets (pictured below) and artwork from the book, which is illustrated by Shane Devries. There was also a brass band playing Christmas songs throughout the evening.

As well as being the frontman of pop band McFly, Fletcher co-authors the Dinosaur That Pooped picture book series with his bandmate Dougie Poynter, which is illustrated by Garry Parsons. The series has sold 753,233 copies since 2013 through Nielsen BookScan, with title The Dinosaur That Pooped Christmas selling 150,632 copies.