Skipping to Sammy’s Beat by Coral Vass
ill. Blithe Fielden
New Frontier Publishing
Coral Vass speaks to Paperbark Words blog about her life, career and Skipping to Sammy’s Beat, her new picture book for children aged 3-6 years.
I’m Coral. I love writing for children. I also love books, chocolate, good coffee, the theatre and the beach. When I’m not writing books, you’ll find me producing or directing theatre for young people. I was born in Sydney, but I spent the first six years of my life in Bangladesh, which is one reason I love curry and rice. I also love travelling, trying different foods and experiencing new cultures. As well as Bangladesh, I’ve lived in Indonesia and Japan. And I currently live by the beach in Melbourne, with my husband, my four children and a dog called Audrey.
I always loved telling and writing stories, for as long as I can remember. But I started writing for children when my own children were very young. Initially I began writing for myself; as a creative outlet; for mental stimulation from the day-to-day grind. But that quickly turned into a passion, a love for children’s books and a desire to inspire young people with a love for literature.
My biggest influence in writing has probably been other writers. I love reading the varied work of children’s authors in Australia in particular. It’s also a very supportive creative community where we all champion each other and support each other.
Writing Skipping to Sammy’s Beat
Children experience the world with open hearts and unfiltered joy. But as we grow older, that freedom often fades. We become more aware of how we are perceived, more prone to comparing ourselves to others, and slowly, that natural joy can be replaced by self-doubt and hesitation.
I wanted to write a book for children, to encourage them to hold on to that magic for as long as possible. I wanted to remind children to love who they are, to embrace their uniqueness, and to celebrate the qualities that make them wonderfully themselves. Most of all, I want them to know that it’s okay to move through life to their own rhythm, to skip to their own beat, and to let their light shine without fear or comparison.
My hope for Skipping to Sammy’s Beat
I hope that children reading this book would be encouraged to celebrate their uniqueness, each other’s differences, and be content with being themselves.
Advice for kids who may be aspiring writers
I would encourage aspiring writers to read, read and read some more.
Visit libraries, book shops and read as many children’s books as you can
Learn to love books
Learn as many different ways of using the English language as possible
Build a massive bank of different words in your head that you can choose from at any time.
Get an exercise book and write in it every day; write down story ideas and practise writing as much as you can.
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