Mary Bea ries wber Stra and All the Way Home Tamara Hogan
Illustrated by: Anil Tortop
ISBN: 978-1-921787-79-9 Copyright Š 2011 Tamara Hogan Designed by Ozan Tortop Published by Vivid Publishing Fremantle, Western Australia vividpublishing.com.au marybealiving.com.au
“Mum! I’m hungry! Can’t we please stop and get some hot chippies from the drivethrough on the way home from school?” Mother gave Mary Bea a crinkly eye look, and said, “Mary Bea, you know chippies are only a ‘sometimes treat’”. Mother strapped Mary Bea into the back seat of the car and made sure she was all buckled-in. “I did think you might be hungry though, so I brought you some strawberries to eat on the way home”. Mother handed Mary Bea a punnet full of strawberries, before starting the car and driving out of the school car park. Mary Bea didn’t want strawberries. She wanted hot, steamy chippies from the drive-through. 6
“Muuumm. Pleeassee can I have some chippies! Pleeassee? Just this once?” Mother looked in the rear-view mirror at Mary Bea. Mother didn’t say anything, but her eyes became even crinklier. Perhaps mother couldn’t hear Mary Bea. Mary Bea decided to speak more loudly. “P-p-p-pa-pa-pa-ll eeeaaaasssseeeeeee Muuummmmmm??? You never let me get treats on the way home from school! Ashley Bobbin’s Mum ALWAYS gets him treats after school!” Mother said, “Mary Bea, chippies aren’t good for you, they don’t help your body the way strawberries do”. 7
Mary Bea brought the strawberry to her nose, and sniffed. The little, tiny strawberry tufts made her nose tickle. “What does the strawberry smell like Mary Bea?� asked mother. Mary Bea closed her eyes again. She noticed she was feeling a little less angry. She BREATHED IN deeply. Wow. The strawberry smelt DELICIOUS. Like sugary, sweet cupcakes with pink icing on top! Mary Bea felt her mouth watering just THINKING about biting into that ruby red, grassy green, glossy, shiny strawberry that smelt like sugary, sweet cupcakes with pink icing on top! 10
Mary Bea couldn’t help herself; she opened her mouth wide and took a big BITE out of the strawberry. She wriggled her lips and clicked her teeth together. Mary Bea was surprised. She thought the strawberry would be all soft and gooey in her mouth. Instead, it was crunchy and snappy and made her feel HAPPY. Mary Bea ate the WHOLE ruby red, grassy green, glossy, shiny strawberry that smelt like sugary, sweet cupcakes with pink icing on top, that felt all crunchy and snappy and made her feel happy. Actually, that ruby red, grassy green, glossy, shiny strawberry tasted SO GOOD, that Mary Bea decided to eat another strawberry. And then Mary Bea ate ANOTHER strawberry. And ANOTHER. 11
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Tamara Hogan Tamara Hogan is privileged to work with children and young people in her everyday work. In her spare time she loves to write, and takes great joy in practicing some of the life-skills she explores as themes in her books, including mindfulness, healthful and aware food preparation and eating, body movement, and meditation. She is rather fond of Mary Bea, and hopes Mary Bea is able to teach her children readers, earlier rather then later, some of her own, hard-earned lifeskills, to support and buoy their journey into balanced, life-participating adults. 18
Mary Bea and Strawberries All the Way Home, is the first in a series of educational children’s books, designed for five to eight year olds. The series seeks to equip children with fundamental life-skills and concepts to hold them in good stead as they navigate the wondrous and complicated journey of ‘growing up’. The key to each of Mary Bea’s books, is the scope for children to become immersed in the simple joy of ‘story’, while also providing opportunity for Thinking and Talking Time at the end of the book.
Thinking and Talking Time is encouraged for the child, and their parent, teacher or therapist to engage in together, to explore ideas about useful life-skills and lifestyle choices encountered during Mary Bea’s tale. Each story focuses on Mary Bea or one of her favourite friends, and may explore any number of core themes, including healthy eating, emotional literacy, and social skills. At the beginning and the end however, the Mary Bea series is about FUN. May you and yours enjoy the journey.