Man’s debut rhyming tale delights school children in Lowestoft
Julian Shreeve from Carlton Colville has written and illustrated a childrens book about Montgomery Frog. PHOTO: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
A humorous rhyming tale about a frog called Montgomery and his friend Tiberius Toad has been delighting school children in Lowestoft.
The book, entitled Montgomery Frog's Fierce Fish Adventure, is the work of debut author Julian Shreeve from Carlton Colville.
Mr Shreeve, an engineer at the Sizewell B power station, decided to write and illustrate a children's book after speaking to a colleague.
His work has been used during lessons at Oulton Primary School, resulting in rave reviews from staff and pupils.
He said: 'I started to write about two years ago now.
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'I was originally inspired by a work colleague who had written a children's book but had never tried to get it published.
'I got to think that was something I would like to have a crack at.
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'I started writing rhyming children's stories and trying them out on the children of work colleagues.
'The feedback I was getting from the kids was that they loved the stories but they would like to have pictures to get their imagination going.
'I thought, what have I got to lose, and had a go at illustrating the book myself.'
Mr Shreeve, 52, used a tablet computer to create Montgomery and his friends.
His first self-published book, aimed at five to nine year olds, is now on sale at Beccles Books, Jarrolds in Cromer, The Holt Bookshop and online at Amazon.co.uk.
Mr Shreeve added: 'It feels really great to have done this. I never really had the confidence when I was young to go ahead with it.
'My mum always said I was good at art, I always got good marks at English and people always said I had a good imagination.
'But my dad was always strong on apprenticeships. That was the way it was back then.
'I was led, I think, towards going into engineering and getting an apprenticeship.
'So now to be able to do stories and illustration and get the feedback I am getting feels really good and is reward in itself.'
Mr Shreeve is now working on his next book - Montgomery Frog and the hungry heron.