‘Mrs Nettlebed’s Year’

With Cover Illustration by Tim Stampton
ISBN 978-1-908448-91-0

A new book for children

Publication date 1st December 2014

In this richly vibrant collection of stories for children (and not a few parents!) you will meet among others Mr Dodder the Postman, Mr Tappit the Boot Maker, Mrs Goat and Brother Snail, Sister Swallow who is on a visit from Africa – and many more.

The distant Town, the Pond, the Green Road, the Garden Hospital and above all the Woods come alive as real places of the imagination.

At the core of this magical world, you will find Mrs Nettlebed, the strange and mysterious woman with the ever-expanding carpet bag who has come to live in the Woods.

Follow her as she moves through her year, from Easter to Mid-Summer Solstice to Christmas.

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In the Beginning

Mrs Nettlebed’s Year started life many years ago as a set of bedtime stories about Brer Rabbit told to three children called John, Kate and Sarah. More recently, these stories transmogrified themselves into new versions, written down (for they live far away, around and about the wide world) for another generation of children, called Matthew, Aimee, Ben, Sophie and Jack. These stories are meant to be read by children, but also to children. Sharing with an audience, even if it is an audience of only one or two, especially across the generations, has always been important in the realm of storytelling. So has the sense of theatre – of being there in the moment, together with others, communing and growing and exploring in the world of the imagination.

Samuel Burnside, founder and former first director of the Verbal Arts Centre in Derry~Londonderry, is well known for his award-winning poetry, prose and editing. His latest venture, however, has taken him into the realm of children’s writing, as he prepares to launch his new book, Mrs Nettlebed’s Year.

Set in the Woods, where the animals live, Mrs Nettlebed’s Year is steeped in nature and includes 20 short stories based around the seasons. The reader can therefore follow the mysterious and magical Mrs Nettledbed throughout spring, summer, autumn and winter, as she heals sick animals and gives advice to those in need.

‘Mrs Nettlebed’s Year was originally written for our five grandchildren,’ says Burnside. ‘I used to tell our own children bedtime stories and these kind of morphed into stories for the grandchildren. Two of them are in western Australia and three are in Bath, so it’s not easy to tell them bedtime stories!’

Aimed at five to 10 year-olds, Mrs Nettlebed’s Year is infused with little nuggets of wisdom, in a similar way to the old Brer Rabbit stories. ‘They’re supposed to inspire and celebrate life,’ Burnside explains. ‘Mrs Nettlebed is a life-force – she comes when she’s needed. There’s an element of the old wisdom stories in them, although not intentionally so.’

Having been influenced by books like Kenneth Grahame’s seminal novel The Wind in the Willows as a boy, and grown up ‘surrounded by nature’, Burnside hopes that his benevolent new character will inspire young readers to adventure in the outdoors and fall in love with nature in turn.

‘When I was a child, I would go out in the mornings and come home late at night,’ Burnside recalls. ‘I was surrounded by nature, but today a lot of children live in cities. They don’t get out and touch and feel nature, and their parents are frightened to let them out. I think it’s really important that children should feel comfortable and feel engaged with the natural world, to feel an affinity with it.’

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Extract from the story “The Spider who thought she was a Bird”

Snail came to Mrs Nettlebed’s door one day in mid-summer when the sun shone and the pond was balmy and abuzz with insects and the world was full of bees and the air seemed heavy with honey smells and the scent of flowers.
“I have a problem I want to share with you,” he said, rather spoiling the day for Mrs Nettlebed.
“What is that?” Mrs Nettlebed replied. She was rather afraid that Snail might be in some kind of serious trouble.
“It’s Spider,” Snail said. “She thinks she is a bird!”
“Oh, dear,” Mrs Nettlebed replied. “How does this affect her?”
“She keeps climbing up into my tree, well the tree I live under. She jumps off a branch and tries to fly and she always falls onto my shell. She has done it so many times she has put a dent in my back! It’s very annoying!”

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“This joyful collection of stories for younger children will carry them away to the world where Mrs Nettlebed and her many animal friends live. Meet them all in these wonderful short stories.”
Children’s Author Jack Scoltock

“Magical and mysterious, kindly and wise, Mrs Nettlebed tramps the woods in her stout boots with her big, big bag, healing sick animals, solving problems and dispensing comfort and reassurance wherever she goes. Meeting her makes everyone kinder and more considerate.
In these thought-provoking stories (children) will enjoy travelling through the changing seasons with Mrs Nettlebed, learning useful lessons about helping others and living in harmony with nature and with each other.”
Anita Robinson, Teacher, Writer and Broadcaster

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You can order your advance copy of Mrs Nettlebed’s Year either online or by post.
How to Buy: Online or by Post.

Special pre-publication offer:

- First copy £7.50
- Two copies for £11.50
- Three copies for £16.99
  (all prices include P&P)

CLOSING DATE – To Avail of this Special Offer – reply to Burnside Books by Monday 24th November.

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