A TWINBROOK man has published a new children's book for kids aged between three and nine.
'The Little Cherokee and the Wolf' is the second book from the pen of Gearóid Ó Lochlainn. His first book, 'Tóg go bog é ag foghlaim,' is aimed at people who are learning Irish.
Illustrated by Aoife Devlin, the book is about a young Native American girl called Kamama, who befriends a wolf pup named Kitchi, and explores themes of sustainability and respect for the environment. Ó Lochlainn said he has always had an interest in Native American culture.
"One of the first books I ever read was Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I was always fascinated by Native American culture.
"Kamama means Little Butterfly in the Cherokee language. She and Kitchi go on this lovely journey together, exploring the forest and teaching each other the ways of the forests.
"They teach each other about sustainability and not to take too much from the land."
Praising the illustrations, Gearóid said they helped to bring the characters to life.
"It's beautifully illustrated. Aoife illustrated my first book as well and she's done a fantastic job again.
"She is an inspiration for me as well. The talent that she has is incredible. I always keep her going and tell her I hope she remembers me when she's famous!"
The author drew on his own experiences as a grandfather when crafting his story and feels like he has found his niche when it comes to writing.
"I've really fallen in love with this project. I'm going to do a continuation of this book in the next year to 18 months.
"It's a really special feeling, knowing that you put pen to paper and when the project is finished you see it on the shelves."
Gearóid aims to get his book into schools to use as a learning resource, and has been working closely with some schools already.
"The work really starts now. I self-published the book, so I have to do all my own promotion. It can be difficult, but I learned a lot from my first book.
"I would encourage any young person who is thinking about writing a book to just do it. I never imagined that I would be able to write a book, it's a learning curve and a brilliant experience."
The Little Cherokee and the Wolf will be available to buy from An Ceathrú Poilí in the Cultúrlann and No Alibis in Belfast, and selected independent bookstores.
