On World Mental Health, Eva Le Bon the author of 'What a Little Star' takes a light hearted look at how the simple idea of combining storybook time with storybook crochet time might catch some fun memory making moments that are good for the soul.
It’s never a one size fits all but as the reflections are shared there might be something in your story - it might be ‘a just waiting to be discovered’ thing that’s going to help you hugely in the switching off process from your working day - something that will absorb some time, some focus, some energy and push stresses from your working time a bit further away.
After years of bringing up a family, and working as a therapist in a Child and Family Service with children, their families and stories, I am now enjoying being a fully-fledged nana and writing again for children.
‘What a Little Star’ has been recycled from one of my earlier stories and it’s now traditionally published and spinning with the renamed characters-: Splish Splash and Puddles, and the return of fun loving, always there MOON. Indeed MOON appears in all my writing.
Children are unique and their ways of thinking about things of mixing the real and unreal can teach us grownups such a lot. They easily capture the magic of flying blankets or accept castles made from jelly, or even a poo that dances! They quickly abandon one thought to pick up something else.
Isn’t it good for us all to take a breather - just for a moment, to put down our tablets, turn off our phones and pick up a book, a hook - try something different that helps us unravel, unwind from our day? What will your thing be?
‘WHAT A LITTLE STAR’ is a story written for children and the very young at heart, in which a fun loving MOON follows in the steps of the duck family as they waddle along through their ups and downs.
The story sprinkles some little life messages with captured moments for personalising the story and celebration. At times hilarious and quirky MOON and the ducks engage little ones offering teachable moments in a story and jumping off points for discussion.
It was during the lengthy process of the book being published that I started to wonder about Splish, Splash and Puddles about to go on their travels into homes, schools and libraries.
How might children get to know the ducks even better?
How might Splish Splash and Puddles help them have more fun reading?
I thought of the stories told by my grandmothers. I remembered their scent, their embroidery and crochet. I remembered the day I started to learn the beginnings of crochet. It was one very wet day in Glasgow when with little money, no television, a rug making hook and a length of pulled back wool - I followed an introduction to crochet in a magazine. I learned how to make a chain and soon my first double crochet stitch was born. It felt as momentous as learning to read - just a different language.
Might Wee Woolly Wonderfuls design the delightful characters from the illustrations in the story so they could be crocheted and pop from the story for children to hold and play with?
In Lisa’s story it was the wonderful news of her son’s arrival that had brought about her decision to work from home on a new career path – she would create her own family business working from home, far away from her role as a Mortgage Adviser, and she would enter the land of the Wee Woolly Wonderfuls - they had probably been waiting for her for a while, she just didn’t know it then!
For those of you that don’t know Lisa - she has a menagerie of colourful crochet kits that she has designed to make the most eclectic set of animals you have ever seen. Small wonder she has such a big following.
And so it was agreed Splish, Splash, Puddles, MOON and Star would be created as Storybook Crochet characters and be available to make from kits.
It was a dream come true.
The Story time kits of all 5 characters provide you with everything you need - in materials and patterns. Every detail has been thought of and it’s as if each Wee Woolly Wonderful bag arrives with a dollop of excitement at no extra charge. Put together especially for you - you can’t wait to get started on making a character.
The kit spells fun, with the result of bringing the magical characters to life from the pages of the book. The oversized dungarees and apron come off - perfect for children's playtime!
It goes without saying that the rhythm of crocheting seems to work well with the rhyming enjoyed in the story.
As you spend time making each character the crocheting helps us feel we know them better, and even though we follow patterns there’ll never be two identical Splish’s - our crocheting hands will always create him with a unique personality all of his own!
So Splish is a bit of an Eric Clapton folk singer with glasses to match and he also has a keen ear for whistling that gets on Splash’s nerves sometimes.
Splash is more of a Lesley Garrett - opera singer- that’s on a good day. Otherwise, when she worries, she loses confidence and then her singing reaches new highs of awfulness.
Baby Puddles is adorable but becomes agitated when he makes a complete mess of things. He finds this upsetting as he loves to make everyone happy.
The book is spinning and we are hoping lots of little stars will be reading the story again and again - I have a feeling it won’t be the last you’ll be hearing from Splish, Splash, Puddles and their friends.
But let’s have the last word from MOON. Puddles is cheeky and adorable just the way he is - he has listened to MOON ‘There’ll always be a little star somewhere to find’ .
Puddles so wants to turn into a STAR but - all of the time? Seriously?
‘That might be a whole lot too stressful’ Puddles says!
‘So is it OK to be a Little Star SOMETIMES?’
‘Sounds OK to me, Puddles, ‘my SOMETIMES little star’ said MOON smiling.
If you'd love your own copy of the children's book 'What a Little Star' by Eva Le Bon, you can find it online, and in selected bookstores. The crochet kit to make your own Splish, Splash, Puddles, MOON and Star can be found here.