The Leeds and Liverpool Canal at night can be no place for the faint-hearted, but Reggie the cockapoo jumps into an adventure he won’t forget, writes volunteer community journalist, Carla Krenzke.
The author, Lesley Johnson, is a Bishop Auckland resident, and her second children’s book, “Reggie’s Moonlight Adventure”, has just been put onto the market. Her interaction with children has come a long way, as she has been a primary school teacher in Bishop Auckland for 13 years after she stepped back from teaching, to spend more time with her family in 2023. But she likes to keep in touch with this passion of hers: “I decided to attempt to publish some of my writing and share my book with children in school. I really enjoyed the process and decided to continue with writing and publishing as a hobby.”
When you read a book, you often ask yourself how the author has come up with this idea. Lesley explains that authors often draw upon their own experiences and interests. Therefore, her second book is about a special family member of hers, her “granddog” Reggie. The five-year-old cockapoo belongs to her daughter Rachel, and they like to take long walks along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which inspired her story. “Reggie is such a loveable character; I felt he would be perfect as a main character of a story. His home environment and favourite walks seemed like a perfect setting for the story.” In there, Lesley and her talented illustrator Frances Coles make the family dog come to life: “Reggie in the story is just like the real Reggie. He is friendly, fun-loving and always ready for an adventure!”
Cockapoos are intelligent, affectionate and lively. So is Reggie, as his family describes him as bouncy and full of energy.
This personality is exactly what the fur friend of the family needs for his exciting feat. His adventure begins during the night, as the cockapoo can’t seem to sleep. In the story, Reggie is still a puppy and therefore not really experienced and gets a bit overwhelmed by the outside world. The book has a definite beginning, middle and end, as well as a conflict and resolution, but there is something special as her passion for teaching shows: The book is a practical tool for creative writing, as Johnson wants the children to engage with the book and discover their skills and talents: “I want children to enjoy reading and writing. I want them to reach for the stars and be inspired to follow their dreams and be the best they can be.”
The aim is that younger children could sequence the events and rewrite the story. More confident or older children could build their own story with the same structure but choose different characters or events. But as the story is lovely itself, the book can also just be read normally.
What makes her such a special author is that she is not just publishing – she actively goes into schools and talks to the students about Reggie and his adventure. The enthusiasm the children show and all the questions they ask are her favourite part.
Reggie explores the Leeds and Liverpool canal, which celebrates his home. Johnson wants to achieve exactly that; by recognising familiar places in a story, it becomes more exciting and makes it more personal to readers. With Leeds, she brings Reggie’s faraway home closer to Bishop Auckland.
After being asked what success will look like for her, she again comes back to the children: “I would love to see some of the children’s pictures or writing inspired by reading the book. That would be amazing!”
Reggie’s Moonlight Adventure is now available in bookshops such as TG Jones and Waterstones and on Amazon. And Reggie might already be looking for his next adventure, but we’ll have to see how he manages his moonlight walk.
Story written by a volunteer community journalist for SWDN. If you would like to contribute, including writing articles, attending events on our behalf and/or taking photos, email volunteer[@]swd[.]news to get started or register interest for next workshop here.
Carla Krenzke
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
