A Mernda mother has turned her son and husband’s bond into a children’s book to spread warmth to young ones missing their fathers.
‘My Dad’s Heart’ follows a boy who has the key to his father’s heart, sharing the tale of the magical bond between a child and father to help children when a father might be at work, travelling or passed away.
First-time author Lisa Goodwin said she took inspiration from her own family.
“My husband and my son, they have a really good bond, special bond, and my son’s only two, but you know he does miss him when he goes, and I sort of wanted a book that could help when you’re in times when he misses his dad,” she said.
“Then I wanted to spread it, I guess, with other kids as well because I’m sure other kids that feel the same.”
Ms Goodwin wrote the story around eight months ago, feeling it was something ‘she had to do’ while running a business with her work partner and looking after her son.
“I pretty much woke up one day and I was thinking about sort of them two, [my husband and son] and it really just came to me, so I pretty much wrote it sort of on the spot,” she said.
“Just started illustrating it … it was really just sort of simple and easy, it came to me, it wasn’t like I had to really think hard about it.”
Chipping away at it for eight months, Ms Goodwin got started on its illustration straight away, learning techniques that differed from her passion and job in graphic design.
“I did graphic design and logo, so this was very different for me, I’m doing sort of illustrations in this sense,” she said.
“But when you put your mind to something, I guess you sort of learn on the job, watch a few videos online and obviously use the experience I had, but because it was a bit of a different technique than I was used to, I was obviously determined to do it myself.”
Ms Goodwin completed the book under her publishing name – Wondershell Books – combining ‘wonder’ from the book and ‘shell’ who she used to call her son turtle as a nickname.
Only recently published, Ms Goodwin said she would be reaching out to a few different stores, and keen on visiting primary schools to introduce the book.
She also said that she was keen to write more, especially a mum’s version of the book in the future.
