Super Fabios is fantastic Danny’s tales precocious!

A much-loved Hitchin ice cream parlour is set to hold a colouring competition to promote literacy – after the huge success of a similar event last year.

The popular Fabios Gelato on Hermitage Road has joined forces with a successful author from the town who works for Stevenage-based Badger Learning – a well-respected publisher which has provided teaching and learning resources to schools for more than two decades.

Fabios, run by Fabio Vincenti and his wife Hannah Vincenti aim to encourage youngsters to visit their shop during next week’s half term for a fun time drawing and colouring characters from Danny’s new Strange Town books.

The fantastic set of stories consists of eight titles written specifically for reluctant readers – which will captivate and engage nine to 12-year-olds.

The series follows the bizarre adventures of Logan, Eva and Otis, Logan’s dog – who together form the Strange Town Squad – as they investigate weird and unusual events. Unexplained events for the Strange Town Squad include residents being hypnotised into buying junk from a local shop, aliens in rubbish bins and a football match where the crowd and players are frozen in time.

Badger Publishing senior editor Danny told the Comet: “I am thrilled to be working with Fabios Gelato again.

“I hope the series sparks off the imagination of everyone who gets to cast their eyes over the new series.

“If they look close enough they may even see a few people and places from our town.

“The aim of this series is to encourage pupils who, for whatever reason, have switched off from reading.

“The creative storylines coupled with superb colourful illustrations from Steve Beckett, guarantee to attract reluctant readers’ attention and reward them for their efforts.”

There will also be a ‘like and share’ competition on social media – with the winners of both events set to receive a full set of the Strange Town series of books and vouchers for some of the fantastic ice cream Fabios ice cream produces on a daily basis. If that wasn’t enough Fabio will also be naming an ice cream flavour after one of the main characters.

Fabio added: “It’s great to help encourage kids to read more through this competition.

“Danny’s a good friend of mine and it’s nice to help support him in a small way as he’s the author of the book. I’m really pleased he’s doing so well in his career – and in something which helps children improving their reading skills too.”

Fabios has big plans after recently buying a special portable ice cream making machine which allows spellbound children to watch his mouth-watering flavours being made.

Good-natured Fabio added: “Hannah and I saw the machine during a holiday to Thailand – we then spent the rest of our trip working and researching it!”

Both competitions run between Monday and Sunday, February 19.