For Bath-based mum and school teacher, Sadie Miller, writing a children’s book had been a lifelong dream. Then by using the time offered by the first lockdown, Sadie, was finally able to make the dream come true, with her new book, Just Like You, now available to buy on Amazon.
The book, which is illustrated by Sally Finning, tells the story a black panther who is feeling unhappy with her jungle life and who comes up with an idea to make things more interesting.
“Being able to write a book has always been a dream of mine, and it was during the first lockdown that I decided to use an idea that was both real and close to my heart, and base it around my pet black cat,” explained Sadie. “This idea developed into the story of Jingles who wanted to change the way she looked and have colourful patterns like her jungle animal friends. She then sets about painting herself in the colours of different animals, although with not much luck as her friends still recognise her as Jingles.
“For me, the story captures the inner feelings of self-doubt that we can all have, including children, as well as how important it is to celebrate who we are. It’s also a story that celebrates diversity and recognises that we are all special and unique.
“Being a single mother definitely had some influence in terms of the importance of having a passion for something alongside the perseverance to make it happen. What’s more, as a teacher with 23 years experience, particularly working within early years, it has given me the chance to read so many genres of books to children and be inspired to create a style that will be engaging to those children, including repetitive phases, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration and an element of surprise!”
“The book is aimed at children aged four to seven years, and so far the response has been wonderful, with people telling me how much they enjoy the story, as well as Sally’s wonderful illustrations which really bring it to life. For me, there’s also a wonderful satisfaction from having written a book, and particularly because it was done when the world was going through such a difficult time.”
Just Like You is now available on Amazon for £5.99.