Winklespruit author hops to her third book release
Following the success of her venture into children's book writing and illustrating, a Winklespruit author has published her third entry.
HOT off the success of her first two forays into children’s writing, Winklespruit author, illustrator and publisher, Jennifer Carrol, launched her third book titled Just One Hop at a Time: Caden the Wallaby on October 3 at The Duncan Centre for Life Skills Development.
The story is inspired by a child, Caden Nel, and Carrol explained that for her, it is the most personal and meaningful story she’s written so far.
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Caden’s experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder and some of the thoughts and behaviours that can be difficult for other people to understand became the inspiration for this story. I didn’t want to write a book simply about OCD. I wanted to write a book about Caden. Caden the Wallaby goes through experiences that may seem unusual to others, but the story is really about so much more than that. It is about courage, confidence, believing in yourself and understanding that being different does not make you less,” said Carrol.
She explained that she wants children who read the story to feel less alone if they see themselves in the character, and if they do not experience what he experiences, to understand their friends and classmates a little better.
Her other stories, Sleepover at Grandma: Gabriel the Giraffe and Busy Day with Daddy, take real experiences from the children in Carrol’s life and turn them into stories that other children could relate to. All three books now form part of the author’s “Colourful Minds” series.
“The books deal with subjects and experiences that can sometimes be complicated or difficult to explain to children. My challenge as a writer is to take those complicated emotions and experiences and condense them into a story that a young child can understand without making them feel like they are being taught a lesson or being defined by a diagnosis,” said Carrol.
For more information, contact Jennifer Carrol on 083 304 5970.
Why hold it at The Duncan Centre?
Carrol’s choice of launch venue for her third book was a thought out one, as the centre, which is a non-profit organisation (NPO) and learning centre for neuro-divergent young adults and children, fits closely with the message behind the author’s book.
“They support children and young people with different learning and developmental needs. I wanted the launch to give it some attention because as an NPO, it relies on community support.
If you would like to support the centre, contact 062 002 1896.
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