A FORMER Stewartstown woman has penned a children's book set in a forest but there's also a serious message in her work.
Jean Kelly MBE, founder of the Speedwell Trust, has written ‘Charlie Crow Sorts It!’ which is published by Tall Tale Books of Belfast.
And she is launching her book today (Thursday, November 26) in Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast, a fitting setting f
or the story which features a wooded area as its backdrop.
The book is filled with charismatic characters such as Charlie Crow, Marie-Claire who is a snooty hedgehog, and Lexi Lightpaw, a very vain fox.
However, despite its fun aspect, this story also encourages children to think, both of others and of the environment.
Jean founded the Speedwell Trust at Parkanaur Forest with the aim of uniting Catholic and Protestant children to work on environmental projects.
She told the MAIL that having spent most of her adult life bringing children together and teaching them to respect themselves, each other and the world, it was inevitable her book would reflect this.
Set in a forest, the action begins with concern among the immigrant grey squirrels that traps have been spotted. But they then learn that the native red squirrels want to return. And Charlie Crow thinks he can help.
“In a world coping with the results of man’s selfishness, greed, prejudice and disregard for the environment, a children’s book encouraging us all to make a world that we can live in seems timely indeed,” she said.
The former Stewartstown woman left mainstream teaching after 14 years to become involved in community relations work in Northern Ireland. In 2001 she was awarded an MBE for her services to community relations in the Province, and in 2004 she received the inaugural Harry McKillop Irish Spirit Award, in recognition of her extraordinary humanitarianism. Jean retired as Director of the Speedwell Trust in 2006.
‘Charlie Crow Sorts It!’ is published by Tall Tale Books of Belfast and illustrated by Emma Colbert of Pitter Patter Portraits.
