Award-winning children’s author Kate Claxton is back this week with her third picture book, hoping to make bedtimes a little calmer — and to give a literary hug to parents everywhere.
Kate, who rose to fame with her viral debut My Mum’s a Tiger, is launching her latest book, The Good Ship Bed, a gentle and humorous look at the nightly bedtime battles familiar to parents of young children.
Speaking at a launch celebration at The Wyvern Theatre this weekend, Kate said:
“Like many parents, bedtime with our daughter hasn’t always been smooth sailing! After years of trying every trick in the book, I wanted to write something that reminded parents to enjoy the cosy snuggles while they last. Our children won’t need us in bed forever.”
Beautifully illustrated by Angela Mayers, who also worked on My Mum’s a Tiger, The Good Ship Bed is a rhyming bedtime story for children under five — and their tired parents.
“Just like My Mum’s a Tiger, this is really a kids’ book for grown-ups,” Kate laughed. “It rhymes, it’s short, it’s sweet — but it’s also for all the weary parents who just want an easy bedtime.”
Early reviews have already been glowing, with The Little Literary Society calling it “a dreamy celebration of bedsharing”, and another reviewer describing it as “a superb book that resonates with parents as well as children.”
Kate, who is based in North Swindon, is also known locally for her storytelling work at the Enchanted Gardens Light Trail in Town Gardens.
The Good Ship Bed publishes on 12 November with Really Rather Wild Books, available online at www.reallyratherwild.com, at Bert’s Books in Old Town, Swindon, and from most UK bookstores.
