Ozzie The Osprey

Author Mike Church Illustrator Dominic Twigg

Sea View Primary School Parents Jelena Maliseva Andrew Blank Donna Blank Sara Jones Carly Evans Kayla Walsh Emma McNamara Tracey Parvin Stacey Dodman Sally Walters Jay Verallo Sharleen Furber

Children Ksenija Maliseva Aimee Blank Ashlea Blank Ben Blank Corey-Lee Barker Cameron Barker Kascie Evans Levi Walsh Mason Masurier Chloe Conway Scarlett Dodman Max Barratt Jayden Hayward

This book is dedicated to:

Osvaldo the osprey was called Ozzie for short.

He never knew why his Mum and Dad gave him such an odd name. He thought he was just made to be odd and would never fit in anywhere.

Ozzie didn’t get a lot of things his Mum and Dad did.

His Dad loved football and wanted Ozzie to be the mascot for his favourite team, Manchester United.

‘Dad!’ said Ozzie one day when he was going on about it, ‘Why on earth would I be a mascot for Manchester United when I live in Swansea. You should support your local team and anyway you know I don’t like football!’

His dad went quiet about it then, but it didn’t stop him buying Ozzie their new kit and leaving it on his bed as a surprise.

One fine day Ozzie flew down to the river to go fishing.

He spotted a lovely trout and dived down to catch it but just as he got to the water he bumped straight into a swan.

“Ow!” said Ozzie, “What are you doing that was my breakfast?”

“Oh I’m so sorry” said the swan, “I just wondered what they taste like.”

“Really” said Ozzie, “they’re delicious but I’m not going to have one now. I didn’t know swans ate trout.”

“No we don’t really” said the swan, “but I’m thinking of going vegetarian and, before I do, I just wanted to know what they tasted like. I like grass and worms the best.”

“Well” said Ozzie “you won’t be a vegetarian if you eat worms will you?

“I don’t know I haven’t really thought about that’” said the swan, “but look at your wing that just doesn’t look right.”

Ozzie noticed his wing wasn’t straight and realised he couldn’t fly after bumping into the swan.

‘You need to get to the hospital’ said the swan, ‘and hurry there’s been lots of cats and foxes round here trying to eat everything that isn’t quick enough. Last week they caught three frogs, two blackbirds and a pigeon. ’ ‘But how can I get the hospital?’ asked Ozzie, ‘I can’t fly!’

“Oh dear!” said the swan, “You’re in big trouble now. Listen I can hear something coming through the bushes, I think it’s the fox.”

Ozzie heard the noise too and it was getting closer and closer. Something big was moving through the bushes towards them making a painful grunting noise. Ozzie thought his time was up and then...

Bursting through the bushes appeared a huge red dragon breathing fire.

“Ok I give in, I surrender.” said Ozzie, “Just make it quick and tell my Mum and Dad I tried my best to be a good osprey.”

Don’t be silly” said the swan “It’s only Dewi the Dragon, he’s the mascot for the Scarletts. Some call hime Cochion.

He won’t hurt you.”

“Oh Cyril” said the dragon, “I’ve got bad heartburn again and I need to get to the hospital quickly but I don’t know the way.”

“Right, follow me” said Cyril, “but can you help this little Osprey and carry him there too? He’s hurt his wing.”

“My pleasure” said Dewi the dragon and he put Ozzie on his back and off they went.

On the way there he told Ozzie all about his job as a mascot for the Scarletts rugby team.

Ozzie thought rugby sound like a great game of strength and skill.

He liked the sound of it more than football.

At the hospital a rugby player was also in the waiting room. He knew Dewi the dragon and they all got chatting. He said he’d been bitten bitten by a lion and they all laughed at his story. Ozzie loved hearing the tales he told and then the player asked what he wanted to do with his life...

“Well” said Ozzie, “My Dad wants me to be a mascot for Manchester United but

football’s not really my thing. I think I’m just too odd to do anything.”

“We need a mascot” said the rugby player, “why don’t you come for a trial?”

When his wing had healed Ozzie went for a trial at the Liberty Stadium. He was nervous flying in front of lots of people but they loved his strength and skill.

They said Ozzie was exactly what they had been looking for and he got the job.

Now Ozzie is famous as the mascot for the Ospreys and if you ever go to watch rugby at the Liberty Stadium you might get to meet him.

This book has been produced as part of a new partnership between Literature Wales, Swansea Council and the Ospreys in the Community team working with and inspiring families.

using creativity with words to improve lives.

We particularly work with participants who are socially and economically marginalised such as prisoners, young carers, asylum seekers and mental health service users.

Strong communication skills and aspirations for parents and children will help positively change the futures for our communities and the publication of this book is an important example of how creativity and sports can help change lives.

Ospreys in the Community is a charity who deliver a range of projects in the areas of Education, Health, Inclusion and Sport with the aim of utilising the power of sport to change behaviours and increase participation ensuring that they have a lasting impact in communities. The charities work develop’s #morethanrugby and #jerseyforall opportunities.

Literature Wales works collaboratively and bilingually (Welsh/English) across Wales, delivering and supporting artistic activity

Swansea Council’s Lifelong Learning Service provides accessible learning opportunities in community-based settings for learners to improve and enhance their well-being, employment skills and prospects. We also deliver accredited Family Learning in schools across Swansea to support the literacy, numeracy and digital literacy skills of parents and children, providing opportunities for parents to improve their own skills and to support their children’s learning.