blackbird behaviour – Caroline Greville

‘Can you write me a story?’ asked a little girl we were fostering.

And so I did, though she wasn’t around long enough to witness it. Writing the story was a kind of therapy for me after she moved on.

When living here, bedtime stories were a new thing for her, and she’d listen well, her wide-eyed wonder reminding me of what storytelling is really about. I hope she gets to hear this story soon and she’ll sense the love that went into it.

But this book isn’t just for her, or indeed for foster children. Every child has to step out of comfortable nests of so many kinds, feeling fear, sensing disaster, believing themselves to be completely alone. This book is about bravery, facing life’s challenges and learning to trust.

I have enjoyed crafting a story from a natural metaphor – did you know that blackbirds often care for fledglings who are unrelated to them? (You’ll find my source for this at the end of the book).

I’ve also enjoyed opening up my paint palette again, and I’m beginning to find my way in illustration… I have a young person to thank for that.

Below are a few of my paintings…