HUGELY popular children’s picture book author and illustrator Arthur Robins was a big draw at The Haslemere Bookshop’s second birthday party on Saturday last week.

Best known for his quirky animal illustrations for best-selling books such as Max The Flying Sausage Dog, he was kept busy throughout the day signing copies and doing drawings for his fans.

Customers were also entertained with live music by the Charley Farley Sunday Four, and the party coincided with the UK’s inaugural Bookshop Day, which was celebrated by thousands of booksellers across the country.

“Arthur did a roaring trade doing drawings of children’s descriptions of their pets, he even did a dragon and a unicorn,” said the bookshop’s joint manager Emily Adsett.

“The demand was huge and we sold out of his books. It was very busy all day. Clare’s Pantry made us a birthday cake decorated with our best sellers over the last two years and we also had story time sessions.

“We donated 10 per cent of our takings to Haslemere Alzheimer’s Society.

“Some people came specifically because it was the first National Bookshop Day and a celebration of all the big Christmas books that have just come out.”