Children's author brings dress up lessons to life

Children's author brings dress up lessons to life

Raglan, New Zealand, 14 December 2015

Every child is extraordinary, and none more so than the delightfully unruly Abigail Knightly—pirate, queen or gypsy depending on the day—who teaches us that every moment is worth dressing up for in a new heart-warming story about the finery of being yourself.

Esther Tattersall and Latesha Randall with Abigail Knightly

Inspired by the real-life childhood dress-up box of author Latesha Randall, Abigail Knightly is her second children's book, but only the latest of her many efforts to encourage and support creativity in the community.

"The point of the story is for children to be explorative and creative and themselves, and not feel pressured to be in any kind of box," she says.

The message is equally applicable to adults, and a touching twist at the end of the book speaks to the pleasure of self-expression at any age.

Abigail Knightly's journey to publication has mirrored the storyline. After self-publishing her first children's book, The Button Thief, at the tender age of 19, Randall received several "very kind, encouraging nos" from publishers in New Zealand and overseas for Abigail Knightly, but always believed in her quirky story full of rhymes and warm-fuzzies.

"I had a feeling that somebody would like it if I just kept sending it", she says.

She was right. RSVP Publishing were won over by both the charm of the story and Randall's creative approach; along with her submission letter, she sent a dress-up box decorated with photos of her friends' children in various Abigail-style costumes.

Equally creative were the book launches in Auckland and Raglan when Abigail Knightly was released last month. Randall wore a wig of Abigail's red curls and a fairy-like tulle skirt for each occasion, invited book lovers large and small to explore a huge dress up chest, and had cakes made in the shape of amazing (and delicious!) hats.

Written to cherish the creative spark in all of us, and illustrated with Esther Tattersall's poignant watercolour depictions of Abigail's antics, Abigail Knightly is a joyful read and shining example for the young and young-at-heart alike.

As a grown-up Abigail Knightly, Latesha Randall has never quite outgrown her love of wearing many creative hats. She lives in Raglan with her fiancé Seb and, alongside her writing career, together they own and run The Good Agency, a digital marketing company that helps ethical businesses to thrive, and Raglan Coconut Yoghurt, winner of the 2015 Gourmet NZ Food Award.

Abigail Knightly is available now in all good New Zealand book stores.

ENDS

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