Me.

by David Lavery

Zara has settled in well to her new Reception Class at school and she has made lots of friends. Her teacher; Mrs Toast, asked the children to think about “ What they would like to be when they are older?” Zara’s classmates shout out numerous different dream jobs, but one very prim and proper child (named Melissa) says that those jobs are silly! Wondering what she is going to be when she is older, Zara goes into a daydream and thinks about all the things she enjoys. She is your usual 5 year old who loves everything. Ballet, football, pirates, dressing up, playing doctors, dolls and changes what she loves from minute to minute. However, ALL the things she enjoys she has been shouted at for doing, told she is not very good at it, told it will never happen. This daydream fills Zara with doubt at what she can achieve and makes her sad and makes her doubt herself and her abilities. She then goes outside to play with her friends and ends up jumping into a puddle that takes her to a magical world. She is welcomed by the most incredible creatures – such as a fire breathing penguin called Peter! She speaks to all these incredible creatures and they motivate her and show her that with hard work she can still be whatever she wants to be when she is older and not to let negative thoughts stop her. Zara then rushes back to school to tell her teacher with new excitement and vigour. She tells her class that she can be anything; she can be anything she wants to be. (Children are so self aware of their limitations nowadays. Especially young girls. This book addresses the fact that now in the 21 st Century you will have people that doubt you and say you can’t do certain things (still!) but if you never give up and keep trying hard then anything is possible. A real feel good book for children and parents alike)

24 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2021