This is a parallel story to “Eli Celli and Mario” which also exists on this website.
Both stories are available in English and Germnan.
Below is a copy of the introduction for “Eli Celli and Mario” which I hope will explain the background.
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“Eli Celli and Mario” was first written a few years ago when Eli Celli was about 4 years old. Eli Celli is now 7 years old and the story has been updated accordingly.
It is set in Switzerland where he lives with his parents Fiona and Haki and his little sister Nuria Melek who is 4 years old. They live near their grandparents Stef and Pia whose home is in the next village (Meierskappel in Canton Luzern). Fiona’s brother is Uncle Simon and he has a dog called Gwin.
Fiona provided the illustrations in outline and Stef added colour. I hope you will agree they are wonderfully quirky and ‘Swiss Perfect’!
There is also a German version of this story on this website. The translation and adaptation of this version was led by Renanta Bachmann, assisted by Stef and Pia.
When Nuria heard the story of “Eli Celli and Mario”, she wanted a story of her own.
This story is called “Nuria Melek and Mario”. It also exists in English and German on this website. I should add that the English and German tales are not identical.
The Hagmann and Bonthron families have been close friends since 1978 when Stef and Pia lived in Glasgow for a few years.
Click here to download the PDF.
This German version of the introduction has been translated by Google. The English text can be read at the English version on this website. My apologies for any errors.
“Eli Celli and Mario” wurde vor einigen Jahren zum ersten Mal geschrieben, als Eli Celli ungefähr 4 Jahre alt war. Eli Celli ist jetzt 7 Jahre alt und die Geschichte wurde entsprechend aktualisiert.
Es spielt in der Schweiz, wo er mit seinen Eltern Fiona und Haki und seiner kleinen Schwester Nuria Melek, die 4 Jahre alt ist, lebt. Sie wohnen in der Nähe ihrer Großeltern Stef und Pia, deren Heimat das nächste Dorf ist (Meierskappel im Kanton Luzern). Fionas Bruder ist Onkel Simon und er hat einen Hund namens Gwin.
Fiona lieferte die Illustrationen in Umrissen und Stef fügte Farbe hinzu. Ich hoffe, Sie werden mir zustimmen, dass sie wunderbar schrullig und “Swiss Perfect” sind!
Es gibt auch eine deutsche Version dieser Geschichte auf dieser Website. Die Übersetzung und Adaption dieser Version wurde von Renanta Bachmann geleitet, unterstützt von Stef und Pia.
Als Nuria die Geschichte von „Eli Celli und Mario” hörte, wollte sie eine eigene Geschichte.
Diese Geschichte heißt “Nuria Melek und Mario”. Es gibt es auch in Englisch und Deutsch auf dieser Website. Ich sollte hinzufügen, dass die englischen und deutschen Geschichten nicht identisch sind.
Die Familien Hagmann und Bonthron sind seit 1978 enge Freunde, als Stef und Pia einige Jahre in Glasgow lebten.
Click here to download the PDF.
“Eli Celli and Mario” was first written a few years ago when Eli Celli was about 4 years old. Eli Celli is now 7 years old and the story has been updated accordingly.
It is set in Switzerland where he lives with his parents Fiona and Haki and his little sister Nuria Melek who is 4 years old. They live near their grandparents Stef and Pia whose home is in the next village (Meierskappel in Canton Luzern). Fiona’s brother is Uncle Simon and he has a dog called Gwin.
Fiona provided the illustrations in outline and Stef added colour. I hope you will agree they are wonderfully quirky and ‘Swiss Perfect’!
There is also a German version of this story on this website. The translation and adaptation of this version was led by Renanta Bachmann, assisted by Stef and Pia.
When Nuria heard the story of “Eli Celli and Mario”, she wanted a story of her own.
This story is called “Nuria Melek and Mario”. It also exists in English and German on this website. I should add that the English and German tales are not identical.
The Hagmann and Bonthron families have been close friends since 1978 when Stef and Pia lived in Glasgow for a few years.
Click here to download the PDF.
In April 2020, during the third week of THE LOCKDOWN in Scotland, we were spending time on Zoom and WhatsApp keeping in touch with our grandsons Ethan (6) and Drew (4). At the time they were homing two borrowed tortoises from Auntie Sharon who keeps a small home zoo of waifs and strays.
Archie and Trixie were used to being handled and enjoyed ranging around the garden, digging into the flower beds and burying themselves, hiding. Archie was especially active and adventurous; Trixie more timid.
After a parallel reading session on Zoom with Grandma, Ethan and I engaged in a bit of fantasy time about the sort of thing Archie might get up to.
Read on, dear readers.
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a little tale about a boy who likes to play hide and seek.
One day, he found a very unusual hiding place which was a wee bit scary.
The illustration of Dorothy the Dragon is by their big cousin Matthew, who is 9.
The illustration of Sebastian the Scorpion is by Ethan, who is 6.
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a little Christmas tale for boys and girls of all ages.
It was written for Ethan (5) and Drew (3) who are busy making lists to send to Santa.
The story was prompted by a Writer’s Circus challenge “One Upon a Time”.
This version is revised to include more information about Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs.
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a wee tale prompted by a Writers’ Circus challenge - ‘the light switch’.
As I wrote I thought of it as a tale to be told to children, that is, as a ‘read to’ story. And, as usual, I wondered how to find a willing and affordable illustrator.
My writer friend Peter soon pointed out that this is in fact a story for adults, an archive story to remind us all what our wee ones are/were like at Ethan’s stage when questions come relentlessly.
Kareth Paterson my editor suggested that if it was to become a story for kids then it would need a lot of work to dramatise the language etc.
So, here it is, nearly as written. Many years from now Ethan as a bigger boy might read and enjoy it.
Perhaps one day, when Santa brings or sends me an willing and industrious illustrator, I will re-vamp it as a children’s story. Pigs might fly.
As you read you may detect that Ethan is keen on ice-cream and sweets, items he gets only very infrequently. Think healthy eating, think fruit!
This story was written for Euan, our neighbours’ son, then 9 years old.
It is a story about three boys who live at the Antonine Wall, near Bearsden.
The boys live on the safe side which is controlled by the Romans.
They have been told repeatedly never to go north of the wall to the lands where the savage Pictish people live.
However, the best fishing is in the Pictish lands, and the lure of Trottus Enormos proves too great.
Click here to download the PDF.
This story was written for a girl called Olivia Angelica who lives in Connecticut, USA.
Olivia always looks for opportunities to help people.
This is self-reader for children aged 8 to 11 or a “read to” for younger children.
Click here to download the PDF.
This is a story about a little donkey called Theo who lives in Italy.
Theo liked to run, even in his dreams.
One night he was taken on a long, long journey.
His friend Sheila wanted to know where he had been, what his “Big Secret” was.
This is a “read to” story for younger children or for 6 and 7 year-olds as a self-reader.
If you would like a print copy, get in touch through the website contact form.
Click here to download the PDF.
