Waitara, New South Wales: Up late breastfeeding her newborn son, North Shore mum-of-one Clare Flory mentally drafted what would become her debut children?s book, Samson C. Turtle.
It was going to be about anxiety, she decided, as the worst-ever bushfires ravaged her state.
Little did she know, though, that a few short months later, anxiety would be a feature of everyday life for most Sydney mums and their children:
?I decided to write Samson during the bushfires, as anxiety about the climate was at an all-time high . Now it?s been seriously augmented with the near-constant anxiety of COVID.?
Clare, a special education teacher, was particularly inspired to write a children?s book about anxiety after seeing first-hand how it could affect disabled children. Using the rhyming skills obtained earlier in her career as a singer, Clare?s mesmerizing story was signed by Ethicool Books, a publisher focused on creating books about the world?s big issues, and inspiring kids to create change.
Teigan Margetts, Co-Founder of Ethicool, says she wasn?t surprised that Clare?s story, which explores the topic of anxiety through the eyes of Samson, a wise sea turtle, was an instant hit:
?Signing a story about anxiety was always going to be important to us, considering one in ten children experience it (and with the pandemic, now one in three do). But having a story about anxiety that immerses us in a calming underwater world, with a seriously lovable character, is a real bonus.
We released Samson just a few weeks ago and in less than an hour we?d sold 100 copies.?
Clare Flory?s debut children?s picture story book, Samson C. Turtle and the Deep Breath, is available now via ethicool Books.
Check out the competition where you can win a copy of this book – https://northernbeachesmums.com.au/win-2-childrens-books-from-ethicool/