After days of slogging through rain and fog, over extraordinary highlands, beautiful hills and rock coastlines of Scotland Nan Meriweather arrived by ferry from John O’Groats to the Orkney Islands. A retired school psychologist, she now resides part of the year in the Orkney Isles and devotes her time creating magical characters that populate her stories for children. ANDY FROM ORKNEY; A New Someone on Hoy, is Ms. Meriweather’s first children’s book in the series of ANDY FROM ORKNEY published by NG Boynton Pub. in collaboration with the Orcadian, Press, Hatson,Kirkwall Orkney. It is a beautiful hard cover book of 64 pages and 42 show stopping illustrations by award winning UK illustrator Sholto Walker.
Besides being a book that “will delight children and parents of all ages” Living Orkney, Jan,2015, Nan’s writing captures the beauty of the abundant natural wildlife and typography of the island of Hoy and brings to life the world famous, ancient sea stack The Old Man of Hoy. Andy, a young Scottish brown bear comes to live on the island with his best friend Emma which causes all amount of consternation among the indigenous creatures who have never seen a bear before. Meet Magnus the mighty short-eared owl, Ragnor the irascible ram, Finlay a brave little puffin and of course Kite, a creature who can fly without wings.
Nan’s love of nature and Orcadian lore and her insight into what makes people tick permeates the story. The accompanying teacher’s guide on the www.andyfromorkney.com website makes this the perfect book to introduce children to topics of friendship, being new, exploring and caring for the environment and adventure. The interactive map on both the Andy website and Facebook page www.facebook.com/andyfromorkney encourages readers from all over the world to log on and tell readers where they are and what their environment is like. Their general location is then marked on the map. “It is a hope of mine to bring children and parents even slightly in communication with one another and forge positive interactions especially regarding environments around the world.”
Andy is available through the Orcadian Bookshop, Oakleaf Books and Library Consultancy other independent bookshops listed on the website and soon will be available on www.barnesandnoble.com.
