My children's story in print

Along with 16 other writers, journalists and bloggers I have contributed a bedtime story to a children's book in aid of Save the Children.   You can buy it from blurb here.

All the stories begin with the classic Once upon a time, but all take the reader to very different places.  The inspiration for my story was children's play and the idea of making something out of nothing, in this case a box.  I made the collage illustration, above, with my two children, which might give you a few clues to the story.

The collection is very varied, with a mixture of stories and poems.  In most cases the writer's children helped with the story ideas and the illustrations.  It's a really inspiring collection, for a great cause, written by people who know an awful lot about what makes children, and their grown up story readers, tick.

Once upon a time

Bedtime stories
i...

By Seventeen parent ...

Book Preview

Save the children pass it on

I have just been at Thinly Spread reading about Christine's experiences in Africa.  She followed a vaccine all the way there, to raise awareness of the funding shortfall for vaccinations in developing countries.  Her pictures are so inspiring. 


Seeing Christine and Save the Children deliver a vaccine to a young girl, at a health centre under a tree and seeing babies being weighed, immediately resonated with me as a mother.  It swiftly silenced my internal witterings, my frustrations with our suburban existence. I am so lucky to have a health centre full of vaccines just a two minute walk from my house.


My 4 yo drew this picture on the iPad.  It represents her excitement about going to school in September, about learning, and filling her head with thoughts for the future.  Its sad to think how many futures are wasted due to something as simple as a vaccination. 

Please Sign this petition before June 13th, it takes a minute if that.  And if you are a blogger reading this, consider yourself tagged, see below.


Here is some more explanation of the campaign by Josie from Sleep is for the Weak:

Save the Children’s most ambitious campaign to date [is to] bring into focus the fact that 8 million children a year are still dying from preventable diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.For the next few weeks the No Child Born to Die campaign  is shifting its focus on to vaccination programmes in developing countries and we need YOUR help to make some noise.

In June, David Cameron is hosting a hugely significant conference in London attended by world leaders. This meeting marks the chance to ensure the funding shortfall for vaccinations (4.7 billion) is met by all the donor countries – it might sound a lot but this easily achievable, even in the current economic climate. It just takes commitment from those in power and holds the potential to save the lives of millions of children.

I have been tagged by helloitsgemma and Kate Takes 5, I was ill and went on holiday so if you are reading this hurry up and sign the petition before June 13th.  I'm tagging 8 more bloggers to join in via Twitter. 

1) Get your child to either draw or craft a self-portrait of themselves now or in the future, perhaps imagining what they will look like or what they might do
2) Sign the Save the Children petition and share news of it with your friends.
3) Come back and join the linky on Josie’s Sleep is for the Weak blog or over at Red Ted Art.
4) Tag 8 bloggers to do the same.