It was a truly magical moment when year 5 Boutcher Primary finally saw the book they wrote with Jenny and me last November. I’m not surprised they look so pleased, illustrator Russell Olsen did an amazing job interpreting their words and the whole thing is so well-designed, colourful and full of loving detail!
The settings reflect the school’s location in Bermondsey SE1 and there’s even a glimpse of the Victorian school building through one of the windows.
It was an especially exciting afternoon because a photographer from the local paper came to see what they’d been up to- and many of the parents made it along too. It was great to have them there….
The best bit for us was seeing how the young authors took a pride in their work and enjoyed actually reading the book they had produced….
…It was an interesting project, tackling a big, serious subject in a thoughtful but lighthearted way. Their take on the details of history was entertainingly surreal but despite that, every page rings true, and I feel that in this project Jenny and I have actually captured their unique voices. I’m proud of it too!
If you want to, there’s a link to buy the book here.