Today is a rather exciting day in the World of Roo. After months of puddings, pumpkins, snuffling, snuggling and an alarming number of sausages, Roo’s Little Book of Nonsense Rhymes is officially out in the world!
This is a little book filled with big silliness. It is a collection of playful rhymes written especially for young children—and for the grown-ups who will inevitably be asked to read them again and again.
There are sleepy pups, twinkling stars, cooing doves, snuggle bugs and, of course, Roo herself. Some of the rhymes are gentle and cuddly, while others are gloriously daft. They are full of funny sounds, bouncy rhythms and words that are simply enjoyable to say aloud.
Where all the nonsense began
Like many much-loved dogs, Roo answers to far more names than the one she was given. Over the years, I have called her all sorts of silly things—Pudding Tum, Snuffle Pup, Snuggle Bug and many more. Those affectionate little names gradually began turning themselves into rhymes, and the idea for Roo’s Little Book of Nonsense Rhymes was born.
There was another very special reason for creating it too. We have a new arrival joining the family in October, and I wanted to write a first book for her. I wrote Bedtime for Roo for Olivia, and it felt lovely to create something equally personal to welcome her little sister into the family.
The result is a collection filled with Roo’s nicknames, playful rhythms and some of the wonderfully silly words that have become part of our everyday life together. After all, why merely sniff when you can go SNOOFLING?
Painting Roo’s nonsense world
I wanted the illustrations to feel as playful and handmade as the rhymes, so I created them using ink and watercolour. The pictures are loose, lively and full of little details, with Roo appearing among a rather unusual collection of characters and situations.
Bringing everything together was not always as effortless as the finished pages might suggest. Illustrations were painted, scanned, adjusted and occasionally painted all over again. The cover itself went through several versions before it finally felt right.
There were decisions about colours, characters, expressions and even where the moon ought to sit. Who knew a moon could cause so much trouble?
But that is part of making a book. Sometimes the image you can see clearly in your mind takes a little persuasion before it appears properly on the page.
The part nobody sees
Of course, writing and illustrating a book is only part of the job. Once the book is finished, there is still an enormous amount of work to do.
There are photographs to take, videos to make, captions to write, posts to schedule and countless other ways to let people know that the book exists. It all takes time, and I would much rather be tucked away writing stories or painting pictures with Roo beside me.
But marketing is a necessary part of being an independent author. However lovely a book may be, people cannot discover it unless they know it is there. So today I am putting down my paintbrush for a little while and very proudly telling you that Roo’s Little Book of Nonsense Rhymes is officially out in the world.
I may even make another video.
Possibly.
Something a little different for Roo
Readers who already know Roo from her garden stories and bigger adventures will find something rather different here. There is no mystery to solve, no faraway place to explore and no great danger to overcome.
Instead, this book celebrates imagination, language and the sheer joy of being silly together.
It is made for sharing aloud, snuggling up and enjoying a few wonderfully nonsensical minutes. It may also cause an unexpected desire for sausages, for which I accept no responsibility.
It’s officially here!
After all the writing, painting, scanning, rearranging and occasional muttering at the computer, Roo’s Little Book of Nonsense Rhymes is ready to meet its readers.
I hope it brings plenty of giggles, cuddles and nonsense into story time. Most of all, I hope children find a rhyme they want to hear over and over again.
You can find Roo’s Little Book of Nonsense Rhymes here:
or
If you read it, Roo and I would love to know which rhyme becomes your favourite. Will it be Pudding Tum, Snuffle Pup, Snuggle Bug, Sausages—or another one entirely?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to my paints.