Hi and welcome! My name's Antoinette, but those who know me, and have seen the hundreds of books I have on my shelves, always smile and say, Ahh, Miss Brooks - indeed you love books! So I thought that was the perfect name.
I'm a storyteller, poet and illustrator, with a horde of nephews and nieces, and when they were growing up I always showered them with books - for birthdays, Christmas and every occasion inbetween.
Infact, I remember the day when my long-suffering sister-in-law phoned me and said, "Antoinette, I'm tidying up the children's room (I think she meant decluttering), and every time I take a book of the floor it has "with love from Auntie Antoinette" written inside!"
I started this blog because I love creating books and stories - especially children's books. I love stories that inspire and uplift, which show the importance of dreaming and overcoming obstacles and challenges.
I also love stories of real people too, who have displayed their brilliant resilience. I have found, that when I faced difficult circumstances in life, especially as a child, the stories of others really empowered me.
To me, stories and books are living things. To be discussed, laughed over, reminisced about and shared. I loved playing book games with my nieces and nephews, helping them craft stories of their own or hone their own responses to stories they have heard.
But stories aren't just vital for children. As adults they can help us face... or be used as a way to connect with senior adults who are experinecing memory loss.
So come and join me on this journey as I share mini-biographies, interesting life lessons from stories and a story or two of my own which I hope will help the magic of books and storytelling come alive for you too!
