I’m happy to be able to share an extract as part of today’s birthday blitz for ‘Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks.’ This looks like a wonderful picture book with a really important message for younger readers.
Cheerful text and whimsical illustrations bring alive this heart-warming story of kindness and inclusion featuring a character with Down syndrome.
When young Jana receives heaps of beautiful socks from her parents after learning how to put on socks all by herself, she can’t wait to show her friends at school. They are always kind and patient with Jana when they play together.
Jana decides to share a pair of her new socks with each and every
friend. This calls for a school sock parade! All of the children had so much fun showing off their colourful socks together that they gave a very special and huge gift for their kind and generous friend, Jana, a box of more socks!
Author Sally Fetouh was inspired to write this touching story by her own daughter who has Down syndrome, feeling it was important for her and other children like her to be able to see themselves in literature.
Two years ago, after reading a different story about a girl with Down syndrome to her daughter’s preschool class, Sally says, “The children were so engaged in the story and asked questions. They were very accepting and loving of their friend—my daughter. I left with a heart
overflowing with emotion and that inspired me to write my story.”
Purchase Links
http://www.sallyfetouh.com/books
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Janas-Brightly-Coloured-Socks-Fetouh/dp/0645421901/
Author Bio –
Writing is very much a part of who author Sally Fetouh is as a human being. As a child, writing was a way for her to express herself and all of the stories and ideas she had in her head. Now, as an adult, she has been inspired to write a beautiful story of kindness and friendship,
Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks, a heart-warming picture book loosely based on her daughter who has Down syndrome.
It was important to Sally that her daughter and other children like her were able to see themselves represented in literature. The idea came to Sally when she visited her daughter’s preschool to read a story about a girl with Down syndrome. The loving, accepting, and inquisitive responses from her daughter’s classmates inspired her to write a story reflecting these caring friendships.
Sally believes a great book is one that has impactful characters and a story that provides a new experience or perspective to the reader that stays with them long after the book is closed. She hopes that her young readers with disabilities or those who are different in some way will be able to relate to the main character and see a little bit of themselves, while also aiming for other readers to gain insight into the world of Down syndrome and the importance and impact of kindness and friendship.
When she isn’t writing thought-provoking children’s books, Sally works as a lawyer and a photographer. She enjoys being in nature, hiking, and horse riding. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.
Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks is her debut picture book.
Social Media Links –
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallyfetouh/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089048475502
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/sallyfetou
‘Jana’s Brightly Coloured Socks’ is a story aimed at ages 4 to 8. It stars a
character with Down syndrome although the condition is not explicitly
mentioned anywhere in the story. When young Jana learns how to wear her socks all by herself, her parents celebrate this new milestone by gifting her a drawer full of brightly coloured socks. When she shows her favourite pair to her friends at school, everyone wants a pair too. Jana gets an idea of sharing a pair with one of her friends every day until she has none left. This calls for a sock parade at school, that culminates with a beautiful surprise of a big box filled with balloons and socks just for Jana, gifted to her by her school friends. The
festive feel at the end when all the children have fun on a jumping castle enjoying balloons, confetti and all things fun, gives a joyful sense of acceptance with the message, that it is okay to be different. Just like the socks, each had a different colourful design, but they were all still the same thing – socks! The book features beautiful watercolour illustrations and celebrates friendship, differences, true inclusivity, acceptance, and kindness.
With thanks to the author and Rachel at Random Resources for the opportunity to participate in today’s blitz.
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 