Children's Story

I wrote and illustrated this story a while ago. My son sent me the link to a nifty website that publishes all sorts of documents in all sorts of formats. You should really check it out.

Get your own - Open publication

I thought I'd try and see how it works. And, I must say, very well. I'll definitely consider using issuu in the future.

P.S. You have to click on the story to go to a screen where you can actually read it.

Tornado Anna

Anna woke up this morning in a very bad mood. She remembers a big brown caterpillar, three small spiders, and a monkey scrubbing her face with a smelly old cloth. “That was a bad dream,” says Anna.

Her stomach is grumbling. “My tummy is saying, I’m hungry!” says Anna.

Anna opens the door to her parents’ bedroom. She pulls herself up onto the bed. “Daddy!” she cries, “I’m hungry!” She climbs up onto his back. “I want something to eat!”

Daddy mumbles “Good morning” to his pillow. “I’ll be right there,” he tells Anna. “Let’s let Mommy sleep in this morning.”

Mommy mumbles “Good morning” to her pillow, and adds, “Mmmm. Thanks, dear.”

If you wish to read more of this story that I wrote and illustrated, click here.

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 7 of 7)

Oh, no! The pajamas, diaper, towels and toys are all floating in the water!

(Background story: The dog is in bathtub, with bone in mouth, with the pajamas, diaper, towels and toys all floating in the water.)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 6 of 7)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, fun and laughtime!

(Background story: The mom and dad stand in the doorway. Their son and daughter stand on their toes looking over the rim of the bathtub.)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 5 of 7)

"Here are all your bathtime toys", says mommy.

(Background story: The mom gives her daughter and son toys: tugboat, yellow duck, colorful ladle and turtle shaped sponge. Their dog carries a plastic bone in his mouth. They are all running down the corridor together.)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 4 of 7)

Daddy takes two clean towels out of the linen closet. "Bring these into the bathroom, pumpkin", he says.

(Background story: The little girl runs off towards the bathroom dragging her favourite towel behind her. One sock is on her foot, the other off. Their dad picks up her pyjamas off the floor of the bedroom and follows her to the bathroom.)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 3 of 7)

Mommy fetches the pajamas, a diaper and an undershirt. "Here, bring these into the bathroom, dear", she says.

(Background story: The mom undresses the boy. He trots off carrying his pyjamas and undershirt and clean diaper. The mom puts the dirty diaper into the diaper pail. Their dog follows the boy out of the room.)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 2 of 7)

Mommy puts on the bathtime music.

(Background story: Their son stretches up and tries (but fails) to reach the cassette recorder. He takes his stuffed animal and pushes the button with the tiger’s ear. But, the tiger’s ear is too soft. His mom comes over and puts the music on.)

Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime! (Page 1 of 7)

Daddy turns on the water in the bathtub.

(Background story: The dad leans over the bathtub sprout testing the water temperature. His daughter peeks over the bathtub rim.)

New Project

I'm reworking a children story I wrote years ago called, Bathtime! Bathtime! Water, Fun and Laughtime!

Charlotte of Charlotte's Web has kindly agreed to make up the story as a podcast. If all goes well, the podcast will be accompanied by a slideshow of my collages.

Over the next week, I am hoping to post a page of the story with a collage each day.

Ideally, I'd love for someone to illustrate the story, so if any one knows someone who might be interested, please contact me.

Hope you enjoy the story.

Work, Work, Work

It's been a very productive week. Lots of phone calls and interviews... I'm looking for a new job. Actually, I'm looking for a new field of work. Friends and colleagues offering me helpful information and emotional support. Nice to be cushioned.

Otherwise, I am reworking my Elroy children's story again. Last round of editing produced some very good suggestions from some readers. Four more readers (that's you Fee) are going to receive the story on this next round.

First Draft

Weeks ago, I started doing a layout for one of my children’s stories. Mixing up the text with some collages. I’ll be finished with the first draft tomorrow. If anyone would like to read and edit the story, I would be ever so thankful. Just send me off an email with your address and I will send you a printed copy.

P.S. Fee, you’ll be getting your copy next week.

One Brick After Another

Here is a slideshow of the collages I've made so far in my Elroy children's story. These are still just first drafts and they have to be joined somehow. Originally, I thought I'd make five to ten and they would, hopefully, magically, find some cohesive lacing, which I could use to create the other ones. That hasn’t happened as yet. I feel very drawn to continue on, even though they are all very different and work (or don’t) on different levels.

P.S. I've finished the series now and will let things rest for a while.

Elroy’s Story X

This is a collage of Elroy's world Nancy and Bill's home.

Marylou goes to visit Nancy on Elroy's first day in their home. Marylou goes in part to see how Elroy was doing, part to see how Nancy and Bill were coping.

On the return journey to Hei-apshi, Marylou thinks about her impressions of the Ordinary's house. She is a bit uneasy about their conversation, though she cannot pinpoint what disturbed her about Nancy's words. Maybe, it is nothing more than the fact Nancy seems a bit smug about her marriage and how happy and stable it is. Or maybe it is just envy because she, Marylou, who is over fifty years old, has never been married, nor has she had the chance to be mother to a special child like Elroy.

Elroy’s Story IX

Friday morning arrives at last. A rainy day. One of those days which looks as though the skies will never clear. The milkman arrives a little later than usual. This surprises Bill tremendously. In the ten years the milkman has been delivering milk to the Ordinary's house, he has never ever been two minutes off schedule. A half hour goes by before the milkman rattles the milk bottles; announcing the milk is here. Bill has already showered shaved and changed into his business suit by then and so he goes downstairs to take in the milk.

Bill is met with a surprising sight. He stands in the doorway with the door open letting the rain pour in onto the hallway carpet. Elroy is sitting in a large crate on the top doorstep. The crate is filled with milk bottle tops (it is the only packaging material the fellows down at the dairy were able to find on such a short notice). A makeshift umbrella of cardboard is suspended over his head. On the side of the crate is a sign, which is colourfully painted with flowers, hearts, moons and stars and in the middle are the words, "Happy Birth Day! To you, Nancy and Bill Ordinary. Here is your special special child, Elroy. Your wish come true!"

A great uproar suddenly starts in the kitchen. Elroy has found the cupboard with the pots and pans and has started on the task of emptying all of its contents onto the floor. Nancy and Bill run down the hallway. Elroy is standing in the middle of the floor with the pots and pans scattered all around him. He has a big smile of satisfaction on his face, as if to say, "Well, that's a job well done!"

Elroy’s Story VIII

Hocpoi is given the news that a special child has been found for Bill and Nancy Ordinary. He must arrange for means of delivery. Hocpoi knows enough about these matters to realise that the normal sequence of pregnancy, baby shower, flight to hospital, birth, and flower bouquets will not do in this case - for Elroy is almost two years old and it would be impossible to hide him inside Nancy's stomach without someone suspecting. He therefore decides after some deliberation on the milkman, He remembers hearing somewhere, years back, that milkmen offer such a service for their customers. It seems the simplest of solutions.

Elroy’s Story VII

Marylou goes with him afterwards into the playroom to his favourite corner and sits him on her knee and reads him all his favourite books. In between each book she gives this special child a special hug and tells him how happy he is going to be in his new home - with a real set of parents. Once or twice she gave him an extra hug just for herself.

Elroy’s Story VI

The texts I place under the collages are just bits and pieces of the whole. They are there to portray a setting or feeling. One I get the text edited, I will make the story up into an ebook.

A large envelope arrives from Hocpoi in Hei-apshi a few days later. Hei-apshi is a village that is completely in keeping with the meaning of its aboriginal name - a friendly, jolly turmoil of a place. The main part of the village is built at the bottom of a small valley. A mixture of white-brick cottages, ornamental pagodas, straw-roofed chalets and buffalo skin T-pees create a colourful confused atmosphere to the village. The people who reside in town and its surrounding area are also like a jar of mixed-pickles. There is a large colony of garden gnomes, pink flamingos, orphans and senior citizens, which represent the crux of the population. There is also the seasonal fluctuation of lumberjacks in the winter and a large group of swans in the summer.

The area Hocpoi comes from is the fairy and garden-gnome neighbourhood, which is found at the far end of the valley on the border of a large pine forest.

Elroy’s Story V

"There are a hundred and one forms to fill out and in each of these forms there are another hundred and one questions to be answered. Detailed questions. What happens is, when it comes around to specifying exactly what characteristics and attributes the adopted child should possess, Hocpoi quickly becomes repetitive and then he gets a writer's cramp and then he simply leaves many of the questions blank."

Elroy’s Story IV

"One particular spring evening, Hocpoi stood amongst the snow bells, crocuses and dahlias, listening with half an ear to what is being said inside the kitchen. He is suddenly startled out of a reverie by a new tone in Nancy's voice; one of longing. She is saying, "It really would be so wonderful to be able to change the den into a children's room; for our child. I wish so much for a child, Bill. A special, special child. Don't you?"