Pupils at New Row celebrate World Book Day

The children at New Row St. Patrick’s Primary School Castledawson were treated to a special visit from local author Tim Bailie.

The author gave an outstanding and expressive run through of his novel ‘The Six Legged Spider’.

The story follows a spider with only six legs and her journey to finding the perfect job. This is a heartwarming and funny story about embracing differences in others.

Tim’s talk was very informative, imaginative and entertaining for the pupils of St. Patrick’s. The speech was a highly humorous and interactive experience for the children.

Author Tim Bailie spoke to the County Derry Post about his background in writing and the inspiration behind his books.

The Larne-based author, who trained in Media at University of Ulster, Coleraine, has released three children’s books to date. The first book was published in 2018 and was met with astounding success.

The Larne author described how he always had a love of reading and writing as a child. He went on to complete a degree in Media Studies at University of Ulster Coleraine and subsequently had a successful career as a script writer for the BBC for programmes such as The Gerry Anderson Show and The Hole in the Wall Gang's comedy sketches.

Tim explained how the idea for the books all started when he was made redundant from his previous job.

“I was working at an estate agency and it was bought over and very quickly I was told I was no longer required. So I had to think of another job. My wife started working in a full time position so I stayed at home and looked after my children. My oldest boy Alex has Autism and is very routine based. I was very inspired by Alex to start writing stories. I had written ‘The Six Legged Spider’ as a poem to him as a way of explaining to him to focus on the things he could do rather than the things he couldn’t.

“So I thought to myself this would be great as a story book for other kids. I had the story there and just thought I’ll see where it goes. I used the money I did have to get it published and get a good illustrator to go with it. The first book did really well but the second one came out in 2019 and then Covid hit not long after so I struggled to promote that one in schools,” he said.

“Thankfully it all went well, which is amazing. The spider story is now into its third print and the others are into their second print. It isn’t a big money maker. I do it because I enjoy it and have a passion for it. I love getting to come into schools and see the kids interested and enjoying the books. You get to really experience the audience that the books are written for. The visit also helps you write your next book because you can see what works and what doesn’t. What bits the kids understand and what bits they might not understand. Also it is amazing to get the opportunity to engage the kids in writing and reading. I think it is important to encourage kids to be reading at home, outside of what they have to do for school. At home parents and kids reading together I think is vital for connection and strengthening the imagination.”

Each of Tim’s books has a different meaning and life lesson. Each book tackles big issues such as disability, racism, and asking for help when you need it. Of course these issues are handled sensitively in a way that children can understand.

“Each of my books focuses on a different theme. The Six Legged Spider focuses on disability and how we are all special in our own ways. Mouse and the Moon Rocket is about a Mouse struggling to feed his family. He decides to build a rocket to visit the moon and bring back cheese. When I speak about this book in school I talk a little bit about poverty and the fact that it is okay to ask for help if you are struggling. Finally The Proud Parakeet is about a bird who goes around the jungle saying that he is the best looking animal and he feels he is better than everyone else. During the story the king decides to hold a beauty contest to settle the matter but the Parakeet goes around pointing out everyone’s insecurities. For this book I highlight and talk to the kids about issues such as prejudice and racism. The theme usually comes first and helps me come up with a storyline for each book and what character would fit that best.”

On what’s to come and advice to budding authors Tim had this to say: “There definitely will be a new book coming soon enough. This will most likely be in a rural background, most likely following the life of a cow. It will probably deal with the theme of loneliness.

“My advice for wannabe authors is to read, read, read. Don’t do it for the money, you have to be passionate about what you do. You really have to love writing and don’t think of it as a business. The only way you will decide what type of stories you want to write is by reading others. By reading other people’s work you will start to think well this is how I want other people to feel when reading my work. You start to develop and see how one book is more engaging than the other also and take these tips to your own work. It is also very important to share drafts of your work with trusting people and get feedback. It may be nerve-wracking to let someone else see your work and critique it but this is the only way you can improve. When it comes to kids' books, it is a good idea to drop off a draft copy with a teacher and get them to provide the feedback from the kids. At the end of the day you will have to share it at one stage when you make the brave decision to send it to the printers.”

To celebrate World Book Day on March 6 the pupils of New Row St. Patrick’s Primary School shared their favourite book and why it means so much to them.

Name: Conn McCloskey
Favourite Book: The Proud Parakeet by Tim Bailie

"I think Tim writes really good books for children. The books are easy to read and entertaining. The parakeet has a big ego, he thinks he is the most handsome and beautiful and he is being rude to all the other animals. He sees a cocoon and says it is really ugly the next thing it turns into a butterfly. All the animals think the butterfly is really beautiful and it proves the parakeet wrong to not judge a book by its cover."

Name: Emmett Logan
Favourite Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling

"I love this book because it is very dramatic and exciting. I love all the funny moments and all the tricks. I have read all the Harry Potter books and love them all but this was my favourite one in the series. The films are great too but I really like the books. I have read the books 3 times, I love them that much."

Name: Cara O’Kane
Favourite Book: The Gruffalo's Child by Juila Donaldson

"I love this book because I like to joke around and there are a lot of funny moments in this book, especially when the mouse tricks the Gruffalo."

Name: Aidan Close
Favourite Book: The Six Legged Spider by Tim Bailie

"I absolutely love this book because it has a happy ending at the end when the spider becomes famous for her web and gets them on display."

Name: Seth Roden
Favourite Book: The Hundred Decker Bus by Mike Smith

"My granda bought this book for me and I love it! My daddy and Granda are both bus drivers and this reminds me of them. They drive buses for Logan’s Wedding Travel. I love how the bus in the book gets bigger and bigger and ends up with a level of a hundred. It is very exciting."

For more information on Tim Bailie and his books visit timbailiebooks.com

You can also visit newrowstpatricksps.com to keep up to date with their brilliant school.