Local author launches ‘Pond Friends’ children’s book

Local children’s author and artist Genevieve Vitale launched her kid’s book Pond Friends at a function in Wellington Front on Tuesday.

The book was ten years in the making and would not be made possible had it not been for her daughter who loved the stories her mother made up when she was younger.

“It was something I started a long time ago. I have always written songs, poems, nursery rhymes and stories for my daughter and I found I had a lot of material I could use and I decided to go a step further with his one and share it with other children” said Ms Vitale.

Her daughter she states is very proud of her mother and this delights Ms Vitale as “she is the reason I have done it.”

The book is divided into five stories and is about animals that live around a pond. The Commonwealth Park pond did not exist when Ms Vitale wrote the book but said you could situation is similar.

“What I wanted to do is give message to children as well as parents, so I wrote five stories. One is about support, another one about help, one about trying new food, another one about losing something and finally one about change. I know that a lot of people go through changes, so I put it in a perspective that is ok to face it and to wait for better times to come.”

There is a variety of animals in the book, including, a rabbit, a swallow, a bee, a ladybird, a goldfish, frog and hedgehog. The book is aims at two to seven year olds.

Book Launch Pond Friends 11-12-18 (Photo John ) by Genevieve Vitale

Book Launch Pond Friends 11-12-18 (Photo John ) by Genevieve Vitale

Ms Vitale also did the illustration for the book, “for me drawing and painting has always been a hobby. I wanted to portray what I was seeing in my mind in the book. It’s not the same as how someone else may be thinking it is, so it took me a few years to pluck up the courage and do the illustrations myself.”

One reason why Ms Vitale decided to write the book was because of the importance in reading a bed time story, “even if it’s just ten minutes, one story will suffice, it is quality time a child needs with a parent.”

In addition, “it puts the brakes on, slow down and it allows the child to go to sleep with good thoughts in their mind.”

In the near future, Ms Vitale will be doing a live reading in a local school.

Contact Ms Vitale on Facebook if you wish to buy the book and will also be available in SFA Home.

Pics by Johnny Bugeja