NHS worker fulfils lifelong ambition by penning first children's book
An NHS worker has fulfilled a lifelong ambition by writing her first book.
Jacqui Theodosi, 29, a clinical photographer at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, has penned ‘When I Grow Up: Dinosaurs’, which is aimed at children aged four to eight.
A non-fiction book on facts about dinosaurs, it is written in a way that makes the book fun to read for children.
The book, which also features a fun colouring page at the back where children can colour in the characters and draw, features popular dinosaurs as babies, talking about what they will be like when they grow up into adult dinosaurs.
Facts are explained by describing and comparing objects or animals and are partnered with beautiful, bright illustrations.
Living in Burton on Trent with husband of six years Andreas, 34, and their two children, the inspiration to publish a children’s book came from her their five-year-old son Stavros’s interest in dinosaurs and the joy that reading to him brought.
“Since I was in high school, I had always taken an interest in creative writing,” said Jacqui, who wrote the book in nine months before giving birth to daughter Christalla, 10 months ago.
“The idea of publishing a book and seeing my name on the front cover felt like a dream.
“I remember the day it was released; I saw it on Amazon for the first time and I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I’ve been writing on a book for a few years, on and off, but it wasn’t until last year when the thought of writing a children’s picture book came to me.
“It was only when I left for maternity leave at the beginning of June 2021 that I was able to finally spend more time on getting it finished.
“I had around a month and a half before my daughter was born so it was the perfect opportunity to get it finished.”
The idea for the book crystalised from reading to Stavros over the years. But she wanted to take a different approach, so children felt more engaged.
“I chose dinosaurs not just because of my son’s love of them but also my own, as I loved them as a child,” added Jacqui.
“I wanted to publish a book that was educational which is what gave me the idea to base it on facts.
“But I’ve always found non-fiction books on dinosaurs overwhelmingly packed with text – I think too much information can be a challenge for children to fully take in.
“So I wrote it like a story to allow children to take in the facts easier. There isn’t so much writing and there are bright, colourful illustrations, which helps engage them.
“In the book, I have compared facts such as size and length with objects and vehicles to help children imagine the facts easier especially with the illustrations to help.”
Jacqui’s thrill at seeing her book published is matched by knowing children are so taken by it.
“Knowing my book brings joy and happiness to children and knowing they love reading it is such a fulfilling feeling," she said.
“I’ve also had the chance to do a few school visits and it still surprises me every time I walk into a classroom and I see my book in a child’s hands.”
Now she has the writing bug, Jacqui already has more books in the pipeline.
“I’m writing a few different ones at the moment but it’s finding the time to finish them,” she added. “I often use a note app on my phone to write down ideas that come to me while I’m out and about.”
Costing £6.99, the book is available on Amazon.
