CHILDREN’S author Steve Cole gave children at Headington’s Rye St Antony School a crash-course in creative writing.

The creator of Astrosaurs and Cows in Action taught pupils they could create their own stories and characters by “mashing” ideas together.

Mr Cole, 43, who lives in Haddenham, near Thame, said: “One easy trick is you take astronauts, you take dinosaurs and stick them together.

“You take poodles and goldfish and you’ve got poofish, which are obviously a bit stinky.

“It’s trying to cultivate a different way to look at the everyday and transform the universe with your imagination.

“The kids at Rye St Antony were great, they were really up for it and good listeners.”

He said he livened up the workshop on Tuesday morning by jumping around, playing the ukulele, and inviting the pupils to join in.

Mr Cole, who lives with wife Jill, said their children Tobey, 10, and Amy, six, were good for testing out new ideas on.

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