In November, two Abingdon students – Felix and Anthony – launched a children’s book – The Magic Tooth.
The project began with a genuine desire to create a story which promotes the ideals of empathy, happiness and diversity. Felix and Anthony researched various children’s books to learn as much as they could about storytelling. They then transferred this knowledge into creating their own story line, characters and mood board which they presented to some very energetic and honest (sometimes brutally so!) young pupils at Carswell School. Taking on board the feedback, Felix and Anthony set to work drafting and re-drafting both the text and the storyline until they were satisfied with the result. This is a story about a young crocodile who discovers the loneliness of being unable to communicate, the wonder of speaking many different languages and the benefits of creating a happy and diverse community.
On the artistic side, they explored various illustration techniques to find a look which they were happy with as well as re-thinking the central character as a crocodile with wobbly teeth, rather than a child! Both Anthony and Felix showed a large amount of grit and determination and the result is a beautiful little book which they hope will raise much needed funds for Arch, the reading charity which supports young children who struggle with reading.
