Children at Bedales Nursery & Pre-prep, Dunannie celebrated the publication of their teacher’s new children’s book on 15 November.
Reception class teacher Natalie Whitfield’s book The Wintertide Bear, which is described as “a delightful bedtime tale to read with your loved ones”, tells the story of a bear who dreams of being at one with the snow, ice and cold, and invites young readers to join him on his journey and help him complete his mission.
Children at Dunannie heard Natalie read The Wintertide Bear in a special assembly, to which they each brought a bear of their own from home. Natalie was presented with a celebratory Wintertide Bear themed cake and children baked and tucked into bear shaped biscuits to mark the occasion. With Christmas fast approaching, each of the children at Dunannie will also receive a copy of the book to enjoy at home.
Natalie said: “It was incredibly special to share The Wintertide Bear with the wonderful children of Dunannie, allowing them to help direct the bear’s path in the two-part story. I had always hoped to write and illustrate a children’s book that will help children believe in themselves, so this has been a real dream come true for me. Like the bear, we are often faced with difficult choices in life and, hopefully, this story will inspire a little self-belief and hope in our youngest children.”
Head of Dunannie Fiona Read added: “We are incredibly proud of Natalie’s achievements and were pleased to celebrate the publication of The Wintertide Bear with our very own Dunannie book launch. Listening to Natalie read the book at the event, the children and their bears were enthralled by the magical story and beautiful illustrations. Natalie is extremely talented and we are looking forward to many more Wintertide stories.”