Two dads have created a monster of a book for children.
Budding Holmfirth author Samuel Hughes has teamed up with Lindley-based illustrator Alex Krzesinski to publish Ogres – Confessions of an Aficionado.
Ogres is Samuel’s first children’s fantasy book, and it is aimed at eight to 13-year-olds. After being brought up on a strict diet of Roald Dahl stories and Jim Henson movies, he said he was keen to write his own monster-inspired tale.
“Since having kids, it’s made me think a lot about my own childhood and the books I used to love. I’ve always been interested in mythical beasts, so I guess this book is my take on the modern world of magical monsters,” he said.
“I love the idea that Ogres live amongst us but we don’t really notice them, and that they get obsessed with the items we throw away. Once I had the initial idea the book quickly came together.”
Samuel, who has a young daughter and son aged three and two respectively, approached best friend and local artist Alex to create pictures of the characters and help the story come to life.
Alex, father of two boys aged three and five months, shares Sam’s monster obsession and was delighted to contribute. He said: “Sam asked me to get involved after he saw the dinosaur mural I painted in my son’s bedroom. He said that my style would lend itself to his new book.
“As soon as I read the first chapter I was raring to go – drawing pictures of Ogres hoarding iPhones and tablets – what more do you want?”
Tristram Dicker, the hero of the story, is a seven-and-a-half-year-old boy who discovers an Ogre living in a wood behind his house. He’s surprised to notice that the huge beast is blathering to himself about what appears to be a broken mobile phone.
Intrigued by the mumbling monster, Tristram decides to befriend the Ogre and goes on to meet the rest of his tribe.
Later Tristram learns that all Ogres are Northerners with an unhealthy appetite for Marmite sandwiches. He finds himself helping his new friends to return to their long lost home town of Spattersley-on-the-Wold.
This proves to be more difficult than anticipated as a sacred sat nav, the only device that can get them there, has fallen into the wrong hands.
Ogres – Confessions of an Aficionado is available to download from Amazon and iTunes for around £5. Hard copies are available from Epubli.co.uk. For more information visit Sam’s website www.samuelhughes.co.uk
