From Hilary Lawrence
Growing up, children’s author Hilary Lawrence would visit St Andrews every year for summer vacation.
She spent hours watching the pigeons chattering on the trees around the town and loved visiting the aquarium with her parents and hopping on a boat from Anstruther to the May Island to see the puffins and seals.
Now a mother of three girls, many of her family vacations still have a strong animal focus: “When my girls were younger, they would read books before bed and they particularly loved rhyming picture books about animals, which always held their attention. We had a lotof fun inventing silly rhymes to go with our favourite morals and proverbs.”
One day, Lawrence wrote a few of her ideas down and thought they would make fun picture books for children. This year, she published her first three books aimed at readers aged from three to seven years.
Her daughters had strong ties with their grandparents; both sets “loved proverbs and old sayings” and she used them as the starting point for her books.
“In our fast-paced world, a firm moral compass is more crucial than ever. Lessons learned early, both at home and in school, provide a foundation that guides children not just in their youth, but throughout their lives.”
The books all draw on timeless proverbs that have been woven into British culture for centuries. They bring valuable lessons to life through beautifully illustrated rhyming stories that resonate with young readers.
Lawrence’s mission is twofold: to revive these wise sayings for future generations and to provide parents
with engaging tools to share important life lessons with their children.
The first book she completed is titled The Grass May Not be Greener. This is a charming tale about a rabbit who learns to accept himself as he is and to enjoy it! Lawrence teaches the important life lesson that even if other people’s circumstances seem better than your own, in reality this is often not the case at all! The rabbit in the story has had enough of his boring life. Good fortune is bestowed upon him when he bumps into a mischievous fairy who helps him transform into a bee, an elephant,
a snake and a fish for a day.
Oh, Fairy, I have had enough!
Being a bunny is frightfully tough!
I’d love to change just for one day.
To see the world in a different way.
All of Lawrence’s books have similar bouncy rhymes. They are uplifting, full of surprise and have bright illustrations that captivate young readers.
A Leopard Never Changes its Spots is a cautionary tale about a lonely leopard without any friends. He decides to make amends and invites all the jungle animals to a fabulous party. This book reminds us not to be too trusting, to listen to our instincts and make good choices.
Loose Lips Sink Ships takes us back in time to when pigeons used to deliver the post. But they had to beware of spies! When the King’s prized messenger pigeon gossips, his top-secret message is overheard. Read this book to find out what happens when the news is discovered by a fierce pirate captain! This tale reminds us about the consequences of our actions and the power of making good decisions.
100% of profits from Lawrence’s books are split between two children’s charities: The Reading Clinic, which
helps children with dyslexia and learning differences, and KidsOR, which is a Scottish charity started in 2018 by Garreth and Nicola Wood from Edinburgh. Their aim is to make safe surgery accessible to every child that needs it by installing paediatric operating rooms in low-income countries.
Lawrence has had a lot of support locally from Waterstones on Market Street, who currently stock
all three of her books.
“The team at Waterstones have been fabulous in promoting and encouraging sales by hosting book readings. It is great to see local companies supporting local projects.”
The books are now being used by Tutor ABC, which is Asia’s largest online teaching platform for teaching English. They are available to buy from Waterstones, Amazon and all good retailers.
You can buy Lawrence's books online by clicking on the titles below, which will take you directly to each of their product pages on amazon.co.uk
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