Suzy Davies's Blog: Book News - Posts Tagged "autumn-reads"
Celebrating the warmth of friendship, the river of life, the magic of adventure and scrumptiousness of Cheese, especially delightful when it is shared!
So, I have just launched my middle grade adventure book, “Housie Mousie and The BIG Cheese.” What gave me the idea for this new escapade?
I was inspired of course by the literary great, Kenneth Grahame, and the gorgeous hardback, with a dust cover, of “The Wind in The Willows,” that my dad gave me when I was young. I spent hours as a child pouring over the pages. Of course, the river and the animals seemed very real to me because dad and I loved to spend afternoons fishing and messing about in boats. It was all so enchanting whatever the season, with the music of the water, and sometimes, cool sunlight casting rainbows that rippled to the water’s edge. Nature offered its bounty to me.
The children’s TV programme, “Tales of The Riverbank,” also inspired my book. Especially the music that introduced the programme - I can still hear it now - so enchanting, and comforting.
More recently, I read E. B White’s tale - “Stuart Little.” So, I decided to make the lead characters in my book a mouse and a rat, and, of course, adopted the sailing theme that echoes White’s original story.
There are echoes of that fabulous cheese series - “Wallace and Gromit,” especially the humor of the characters and the way that they get in and out of a few scrapes on their fabulous journey to Half- Moon End and beyond to The Big Cheese Hill.
Housie, of course, has an obsession for cheese - just like Wallace:
Wallace: “No cheese Gromit - not a bit in the house!”
Housie: “I can’t stop thinking about cheese!”
However, Housie learns from the wise and serious Ratty in my tale, that the moon is probably NOT made of cheese after all, whereas, of course, for Wallace and Gromit, the moon was most definitely made of their Yorkshire favorite - Wensleydale - which, incidentally, is mentioned in “Housie Mousie and The Big Cheese” as one of the most FAMOUS cheeses in the whole wide world.
My own life most probably answers the question - why this story - set in one of the prettiest areas in my native Great Britain.
About The Author
Suzy Davies was born in Reading, England. Brought up in a dual-language family, she was fascinated by language and wrote from an early age.
Her early childhood was spent in Aber in rural Wales, where she went fishing with her dad along the river, and went walking along country lanes with her grandmother. When the family relocated, they often went on holiday to Aberystwyth, Wales or to Longlevens, Gloucestershire, where Suzy’s paternal grandad lived. Suzy visited Stroud, Cheltenham and the surrounding area.
Suzy lived in Cheltenham for a year or so in her adulthood, and she revisited the picture postcard beauty of The Cotswolds - animals and nature - which she celebrates in this book.
Suzy is a former certified teacher, and she specializes in teaching literacy. She is also a certified life coach, with counseling skills. She understands the importance of engaging characters to inspire kids and she likes to make her stories emotionally satisfying - warm, positive and encouraging, with a happy ending.
Book Blurb
Housie Mousie and Ratty Rat, two adventurous rodents, living in a barn boot, embark on a thrilling journey to participate in THE BIG CHEESE RACE, a prestigious event in The Cotswolds. Along the way, they befriend a cast of animal characters, including beavers and a mischievous dog, while uncovering a plot to steal the coveted BIG CHEESE. With courage and teamwork, they thwart the thieves and share their winnings with new found friends, ensuring a happy ending filled with friendship and cheese.
I was inspired of course by the literary great, Kenneth Grahame, and the gorgeous hardback, with a dust cover, of “The Wind in The Willows,” that my dad gave me when I was young. I spent hours as a child pouring over the pages. Of course, the river and the animals seemed very real to me because dad and I loved to spend afternoons fishing and messing about in boats. It was all so enchanting whatever the season, with the music of the water, and sometimes, cool sunlight casting rainbows that rippled to the water’s edge. Nature offered its bounty to me.
The children’s TV programme, “Tales of The Riverbank,” also inspired my book. Especially the music that introduced the programme - I can still hear it now - so enchanting, and comforting.
More recently, I read E. B White’s tale - “Stuart Little.” So, I decided to make the lead characters in my book a mouse and a rat, and, of course, adopted the sailing theme that echoes White’s original story.
There are echoes of that fabulous cheese series - “Wallace and Gromit,” especially the humor of the characters and the way that they get in and out of a few scrapes on their fabulous journey to Half- Moon End and beyond to The Big Cheese Hill.
Housie, of course, has an obsession for cheese - just like Wallace:
Wallace: “No cheese Gromit - not a bit in the house!”
Housie: “I can’t stop thinking about cheese!”
However, Housie learns from the wise and serious Ratty in my tale, that the moon is probably NOT made of cheese after all, whereas, of course, for Wallace and Gromit, the moon was most definitely made of their Yorkshire favorite - Wensleydale - which, incidentally, is mentioned in “Housie Mousie and The Big Cheese” as one of the most FAMOUS cheeses in the whole wide world.
My own life most probably answers the question - why this story - set in one of the prettiest areas in my native Great Britain.
About The Author
Suzy Davies was born in Reading, England. Brought up in a dual-language family, she was fascinated by language and wrote from an early age.
Her early childhood was spent in Aber in rural Wales, where she went fishing with her dad along the river, and went walking along country lanes with her grandmother. When the family relocated, they often went on holiday to Aberystwyth, Wales or to Longlevens, Gloucestershire, where Suzy’s paternal grandad lived. Suzy visited Stroud, Cheltenham and the surrounding area.
Suzy lived in Cheltenham for a year or so in her adulthood, and she revisited the picture postcard beauty of The Cotswolds - animals and nature - which she celebrates in this book.
Suzy is a former certified teacher, and she specializes in teaching literacy. She is also a certified life coach, with counseling skills. She understands the importance of engaging characters to inspire kids and she likes to make her stories emotionally satisfying - warm, positive and encouraging, with a happy ending.
Book Blurb
Housie Mousie and Ratty Rat, two adventurous rodents, living in a barn boot, embark on a thrilling journey to participate in THE BIG CHEESE RACE, a prestigious event in The Cotswolds. Along the way, they befriend a cast of animal characters, including beavers and a mischievous dog, while uncovering a plot to steal the coveted BIG CHEESE. With courage and teamwork, they thwart the thieves and share their winnings with new found friends, ensuring a happy ending filled with friendship and cheese.
Book News
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