Having always had a way with words; often writing short poems when she found the time, Gemma struck gold when she started stringing together silly and satirical rhymes about her frustration with her partner Ben’s lack of initiative when it came to housework.
Gemma says: “It all started as a joke to be honest. My eldest, Alfie, really likes getting involved. After showing the ideas of Messy Dad to some close friends, I gained the confidence, but I needed to decide to share it with an audience.”
Messy Dad is a cheeky and brassy short rhyming story, with silly anecdotes. Illustrator Matt Prewett successfully heaps on the comedy, matching each verse to an equally wacky cartoon, tying the book together as dessert for your eyes. The story follows our leading man Messy Dad who happens to have some rather questionable hygiene habits and struggles to hold down the fort whilst his wife is at work.
Gemma continues: “Having such a close bundle of kids in my life; with my three nephews, two nieces and of course my own two boys, I became inspired to create something that they could read and enjoy whilst at the same time pushing me out of my comfort zone. Although the idea came from a real life scenario, I was experiencing with my partner, he knows it’s quite exaggerated and has been really supportive throughout the process.”
Gemma is already working on new material that continues to shine light on her lovable, funny family and hopes to have two new Messy Dad books out next year. Messy Dad will surely face challenges far trickier than just juggling the kids and the broken dishwasher. Will he succeed and become ‘Super Dad’ full-time, or will ‘Messy Dad’ prevail?
If you like to publish a picture book with us and take control visit www.jellybeanselfpublishing.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment