They say that history’s greatest authors draw inspiration from the unlikeliest of places. For Özgen Halil, Henrietta Hen – the star of her new children’s book – takes her cues from Özgen’s own mother!
What started as a series of stories Özgen made up to read to her children at bedtime has since morphed into ‘Henrietta Hen In Trouble Again’, a unique and uplifting new series of books.
Henrietta Hen and Dotty Donkey are best friends. They love going on adventures together! On this particular day, Dotty Donkey suggests they go berry picking but they run into some trouble on the way...will their friends come to their rescue?This book uses personality and wit to explore friendships and kindness to others. It also promotes sharing.
“There’s a whole host of characters that immerse children deep into the story, so they can learn and play,” explains the author. “Just to mention some of them, there’s the firefly-loving Frog, Stinky Pinky Pig who is looking for her wig and Mousey Mouse, who lives at the Well House. And we can’t forget Fakey Fox, Henrietta’s always-hungry arch nemesis. This project is also deeply personal for me, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to Demelza – an amazing local charity who provide vital support to terminally ill children and their families. There’s no better fundraising vehicle than a book that’s just plain old good fun. I hope to make a difference to the great work they do.”
‘Henrietta Hen In Trouble Again’ is available now:
Paperback – https://etsy.me/2m2IT5d
Ebook - https://www.ozgen-halil.com.
About the author, in her own words:
I was born and raised in London most of my life and I was lucky enough to have spent a small part of my childhood in Sydney Australia in the 1970's where me and my brother had such wonderful childhood experiences and adventures together.
My love for books started from as early on as I can remember. I used to love going to the library next door to my primary school to borrow books such as The Adventures Of Tin Tin, The Cat In The Hat by Dr Suess, and the Astrix series which were just some of my childhood favourites. As a teenager, I loved reading Stephen King books.
My mother played a big part in feeding our imagination when we were young children. She often encouraged us to write stories when we were at home. She also taught us to read and write in Turkish and we often wrote letters to our cousins abroad. My mother kept us entertained by telling us stories (mostly stories about her village where she came from in Cyprus!) and they were all ever so funny! Just like my mother!
As an adult, I worked in the City of London first at a broking company and then as a Legal PA for International law firms for over 25 years. I was a single working mum for most of that time. Eventually, I left corporate life to help my husband run and expand his business. Last year, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to put things into action and finally do something that I really love. It's been a dream come true for me to write my first book Henrietta Hen In Trouble Again. I have since written further stories, which are currently being illustrated. The next children's story I will be publishing is Chi Chi And The Birthday Surprise which is a funny story about a hot air balloon ride that goes wrong with some very cute characters. I am hoping to publish this in early 2020.
I am also very excited about The Evil Eye quartet, starting off with White Wings, which is suitable for young adults and I will be giving more information about those books nearer to the time of release, hopefully in 2020.
My love for books started from as early on as I can remember. I used to love going to the library next door to my primary school to borrow books such as The Adventures Of Tin Tin, The Cat In The Hat by Dr Suess, and the Astrix series which were just some of my childhood favourites. As a teenager, I loved reading Stephen King books.
My mother played a big part in feeding our imagination when we were young children. She often encouraged us to write stories when we were at home. She also taught us to read and write in Turkish and we often wrote letters to our cousins abroad. My mother kept us entertained by telling us stories (mostly stories about her village where she came from in Cyprus!) and they were all ever so funny! Just like my mother!
As an adult, I worked in the City of London first at a broking company and then as a Legal PA for International law firms for over 25 years. I was a single working mum for most of that time. Eventually, I left corporate life to help my husband run and expand his business. Last year, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to put things into action and finally do something that I really love. It's been a dream come true for me to write my first book Henrietta Hen In Trouble Again. I have since written further stories, which are currently being illustrated. The next children's story I will be publishing is Chi Chi And The Birthday Surprise which is a funny story about a hot air balloon ride that goes wrong with some very cute characters. I am hoping to publish this in early 2020.
I am also very excited about The Evil Eye quartet, starting off with White Wings, which is suitable for young adults and I will be giving more information about those books nearer to the time of release, hopefully in 2020.
No comments:
Post a Comment