The Adventures of the Parsley Family and the Dancing Snails

Grandfather-turned-author Michael Read’s debut children’s book is a garden of delights

How many kiddos can tell their friends, “Did you know, my grandpa wrote a book about me and my sisters“? We’re guessing the answer is: not many. Except the grandkids of Michael Read, of course – the retired headteacher from Cambridge, England, has published his first children’s book inspired by his granddaughters in The Adventures of the Parsley Family and the Dancing Snails, the first of an upcoming trilogy that hopes to bring back a forgotten era of light-hearted storytelling and tickles the funny bones of both children and adults.

Based in Whittlesea, a town in the Fen Land area of Cambridgeshire, UK, The Adventures of the Parsley Family and the Dancing Snails invites you to join 9-year-old Trixie, her sisters Ella and Lizzy, and their parents as they embark on an adventure of history, geography, food and lots of dancing – all simply in their garden! The Parsley family members become Snail Guardians to the Essex Snails, the Beach Snails, the Norfolks and the Thunder Snails, who are always ready to come to the rescue (and are the author’s personal favourite!).

Despite gearing the book towards children 7 years and up, The Adventures of the Parsley Family and the Dancing Snails contains humour that even adults can appreciate, taking the focus of children’s fiction away from the overload of good vs. evil and less innocent plots present in storybooks today. Michael Read began working on the book to craft stories that would encourage his granddaughters (all of whom make up the three girls in the story and have names that they chose) to believe in what they wish and continue their amazing imaginations. He even did the illustrations!

We reckon it’s a story you can enjoy reading to the bubbas over and over, and even inspire the littles to explore the outdoors a little more! Also make sure you keep a lookout for Book 2 at the end of the year mama, which will be bringing the stories up to date with gadgets like iPads and other modern Internet influences like YouTube and Facebook – we’re already prepared to have a hearty laugh!

The Adventures of the Parsley Family and the Dancing Snails is available on Amazon for £7.99 (Kindle) and £14.10 (paperback).

www.snailguardians.co.uk