Ruby Bay’s Barbara Glass has conjured her third children’s literature charm with magical and mythical themes.
Her maiden book in the now trilogy was The Prince and the Dragon in 2019 followed by The Children of Dragonsneer three years later and the latest creation
The Spell-ing Witch was published in September.
Barbara says the first publication chronicles a short-sighted, bumbling and lonely prince who endeavours to rid his kingdom of a frightening, wingless dragon.
She says it had a good reception including from the harshest critics, school children, but they resented its ending.
“So, I wrote the second book, same sort of format, with lots of illustrations,” she says. “I was enjoying the process, so I thought I’d make it into three books.”
Barbara says the prince and the dragon in the second book set off to find the dragon’s home town of Dragonsneer, and the third book continues the story with the duo on a quest to find the witch that cast a spell on the dragon to deprive it of its wings.
“I’ve got a very vivid imagination, I dream up all these things, and once you start writing it down, it seems to flow along,” she says.
“The third book includes more than 5000 words and more than 50 watercolour illustrations… so it’s quite good for young children that can read it, and they can see all the pictures and understand the story.
“I’m meeting people now who bought the first two books and they report back how much their children enjoy it and how much it makes them laugh. It’s quite a funny, quirky and humorous tale because it’s got my English sense of humour, and it keeps the adults amused while they read it to children.”
Barbara says sales of the first two books were scarce, but the third should be a different story having identified the pre-Christmas period was booming. She plans to sell the book at the Motueka Sunday Market, Nelson Market and online.
“I feel that it’s the next step if I want to write a few more stories, and once I start getting my name out there, I can write a few more stories,” she says.
Purchase a copy of Barbara’s new book here.
