One night we lay in bed in the dark during loadshedding. With limited light and no TV, we were telling stories we had made up. The Rainbow Boat was my story.
South Africans understand what this means. For the rest of you: loadshedding is when the power is off. Areas of the country take turns to have their electricity switched off according to a national schedule. Yes, we live in strange and interesting times. Our childrens’ reality keep changing and we are their anchor. So there in the dark, with the telling of The Rainbow Boat, we were having a flight of fantasy. And with this, my aspiration of writing a children’s book became a reality.
The Story: The Rainbow Boat is an inclusive, fun-filled fantasy adventure. This is a picture book for early readers. The crew of girls in this little boat encounter an island of boys, where they learn to make friends and get along happily. Three boys join the crew in search of adventure. They sail from island to mythical island, enjoying great quests! In travel, as in life, sometimes danger can lurk in new places. Together, these intrepid children explore and face their challenges. They discover unexplored islands and meet interesting people. They learn little lessons and earn their stripes on the way to finding their happy place.
The Rainbow Boat is written in rhyme, like a song. My hope is that this book may help instill kindness, love, harmony and equality as everyday ordinary life. The Rainbow Boat is the first book in The Blanket Tree Books series.
May The Rainbow Boat light up the darkness as it did for us.
Follow the journey on Instagram here.
The Rainbow Boat, written by Hélène Ferreira is available in South African bookstores.
Print books also available online in South Africa from:
Loot
Takealot
Print books are internationally available from:
Amazon Kindle
Ebooks are available from:
Smashwords
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