‘Believe in yourself, for you are unique!’
In this ever-changing world our children are bombarded with ‘image’ driven ideals of what is accepted as normal, or what we should aspire to be.
The reality is we are all unique and should be proud of it.
Stripey Enid has no colour or creed, she is just a friend. Using simple verse and interactive tasks, she aims to help your child understand that it is good to be unique, and that being yourself is all you need to be.
Although simple in presentation, it is a little gem of a book, with a special and important message for it’s readers.
Review
I would like to thank author Natasha Lea and publisher Beercott Books for the ARC in return for an honest review.
In an age when children’s publishers are producing visually stunning books, Stripey Enid with it’s simple cover might be passed by when choosing a book and that would be a shame.
Although simple in presentation, it is a little gem of a book, with a special message for it’s readers. That each child is unique! Reading it will encourage them to understand that it’s okay to be different. It’s what I most loved about Stripey Enid, this powerful, but simple message.
The other thing I adored is that it encourages the reader to interact with the story as they read. There is a page they can attach a picture of themselves to compare with Enid, to show difference is positive. There is also a page where they can list their good points, encouraging them to look at the things they most like about themselves. Maybe doing this with a parent, who could reinforce the things that make their child second to none.
Stripey Enid is not really about Enid, but each individual reader. For each the story will be different. As they take the journey with this wonderful character, it is their story they are recording as they read.
Without doubt this book is a wonderful, simple and empowering read for young reader’s and their parents.
You can purchase Stripey End from Amazon.
About the author
It was over 10 years ago, during a marketing exercise to promote a new theatre company whilst studying Performing Arts, that the idea of Stripey Enid came to Natasha.
Even back then, Stripey was seen to be different, something to challenge the norm, ask questions of people.
The idea of writing a book was never the intention but a natural progression on from the poems Natasha used to create for friends and family for birthdays & special occasions.
At the time Natasha was also working with a local Brownie pack and it was this interaction that made her realise that she was an adult in these children’s lives that wasn’t a parent or a teacher but a friend, a unique friendship that benefitted both parties.
Stripey came into being by the pure belief that Natasha had about peer pressure & social demands creating barriers between people, stopping people from seeing others as they truly are.
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