New book by Longford author is ‘a tender, empowering story for young readers'
Sam McGarry, a fellow Longford woman, is the illustrator of ‘Bridget’s Bright’ which was written by Shelley Corcoran and published by Tiny Tree Books
‘Bridget’s Bright’, a new book by Longford author Shelley Corcoran which has been described as ‘a tender, empowering story for young readers’, will be released on Thursday, June 25.
The story of Bridget’s Bright was inspired by Shelley’s daughter Heidi, and her seemingly lack of fear towards anything.
Shelley began to wonder about fears and how irrational some fears can appear to other people, but can feel so real and threatening to the person that has them.
The narrative of Bridget’s Bright explores the fact that Bridget is afraid of the bright; daylight and what that may contain.
When Bridget’s imagination sparks a desire to change, Bridget begins to see The Bright in a whole new way. With courage, creativity and a little self-belief, she learns that fears can be faced, and that sometimes, being brave can open up whole new worlds.
Bridget’s Bright is a tender, empowering story for young readers. A wonderful conversation starter about fears, resilience, and the courage to embrace life in full colour.
Bridget’s Bright is for children aged 4 to 8 years. Children will love the friendships, transformations and conclusions contained within the story.
Sam McGarry, a fellow Longford woman, is the illustrator of Bridget’s Bright, who Shelley said was ‘a joy to partner with’.
After reading the story together, Shelley and Sam spoke about what the illustrations would look like. “Sam’s ability to visually create artwork from the words was fabulous,” according to Shelley.
Tiny Tree Books are the publishers of Bridget’s Bright. “It is fantastic to work with a publisher that is just as enthusiastic about your book as you are,” enthused Shelley
For Shelley, writing children’s books, and for Sam, illustrating children’s books, is a wonderful experience, because you get to go back to your childhood, to think like a child again.
“You get to be excited about the little things and let your imagination run free. You can delve into a world where anything is possible. And you can leave your worries to one side and jump right into the story,” said Shelley.
Bridget’s Bright will be released on Thursday, June 25. It can be purchased locally in Newsround and nationally in all good bookshops, as well as from the publisher’s website https://tinytreebooks.com/bridgets-bright/
You can follow Shelley’s Instagram account (Shelley Corcoran Author) for details of the launch, with book reading and signing.