MyZebra Book - The Talent Book

In the winter of 2014 I translated and adapted an illustrated children's book from French into English.

It was a tough task because the seventy-odd poems (at least two for every letter of the alphabet) had to both rhyme and scan, meaning a literal translation was not enough. But it was a wonderful challenge and something I'd like to repeat. The author, Marie Thibaut de Maisières, is keen to get me on-board for the next book produced by her company, MyZebra Book, in 2016.

The Talent Book tells the story of the child's birth, when fairies gathered around the crib to offer the new-born baby a range of talents. The book talks about professions and the talents needed for them - with an aim to make parents laugh and also teach their children some positive lessons. While reading (or being read) the book, the child becomes the main character and will feel persuasive as a lawyer, thorough as a librarian, passionate as a cook...

The poems are wonderfully illustrated and ordered according to the name of the child in question, so that each page helps to spell their name before the end. Needless to say, when the book was published in December 2014 it helped me out with my Christmas shopping (I have two nephews, a niece and a godson). You can order a tailor-made copy of The Talent Book here.