Parents create book to help children starting school cope with being apart from friends
TWO parents have joined forces to create a book aiming to help children starting school in separate classes to their friends.
Locks Heath author and stay-at-home mum Clair Maskell has written her third book, Gossie and Doris Go To School, about two friends who start at the same school but are separated into different classes.
The idea came about when Clair thought about how different the school situation will be for Reception classes this year - and she roped in help from illustrator Phil Claydon, whose children attend St John the Baptist Primary School in Titchfield Common with Clair’s children.
Clair, whose five-year-old daughter Caitlin is going into Year One, said: ‘For this lot going in, with Covid a lot of them probably hadn’t had any of the settling in part so this is the first time they’re seeing school..
‘It’s hard for children anyway and they do tend to have a friend that they know that they go with and sometimes they can be split up.
‘I just wanted to write something that would help the children understand it’s different but it’s fun.’
Proceeds from the book, which is available on Amazon, will go to the school’s PTA which has struggled with fundraising this year.
The two main characters, Gossie and Doris, are based on class mascots from the school, who were drawn up by 44-year-old Phil.
Phil, whose son Phoenix was in Caitlin’s class, said: ‘It was a fun project to do, it’s a great story. It’s such a difficult time and I liked the idea it was raising money for the school because they have been brilliant.
‘It’s an awesome school and they did brilliantly during the Covid situation. I can’t compliment them enough for what they have done, this is a small gesture to say thank you.’
Clair is very proud of the book, which follows her 2017 story The Loudest Roar: A book about selective mutism.
The 39-year-old said: ‘I’m really proud of what we have done and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
‘All the books that I write, I try to write to explain situations at their level. I try and make a difficult situation easier.’