Pupils at Netherfield Primary School get sneak peak of new book celebrating diversity

Members of a day care group in Netherfield have given pupils in the town a sneak peak of their new children’s book which aims to help reduce bullying and social isolation.

Netherfield’s Gedling Day Centre cares for people with learning difficulties and staff there helped users of the service put pen to paper to produce the new children’s book, Rod The Frog, which is available now.

The book features animal characters who struggle to fit in with their communities such as a red frog, a multi-coloured elephant, Siamese twin cats, a hippopotamus, a bear and a chicken.

The adventure story celebrates the characters’ differences and aims to help children understand that people who are different in some way should not be singled out or bullied by their peers.

Nottinghamshire County Council day service staff assisted the group of 19 service users to write up the book, which features illustrations drafted by the group. Some of the characters are based on day service workers, and the council bus that transports members to the day service is also featured in the book.

Yesterday members of the group were invited to Netherfield Primary School to give local children a preview of their new publication and it went down a storm.

Julie Hampson, who works at the day service, helped the group put the book together and says she is delighted by the results.

She said: “Through the use of puppets, I worked with the group to come up with the basis for the book, which is a real adventure story with colourful characters that will hopefully inspire and capture the imagination of children.

“Many of the service users have faced discrimination during their life so they are keen to share their experiences through this story to help children embrace people who are different in some way, whether by disability, sexuality or race.”

Peter Hardern, headteacher at Netherfield Primary School, said: “Our children gain so much from working alongside a wide variety of people within our community and what better way than to share a special story together.”