VIDEO: Teacher's new book aims to help children back to school after lockdown
The book begins with PM Boris Johnson’s announcement about schools fully reopening, before dealing with a little girl’s concerns about whether she is ready to return to class.
The heart-warming read shows how a call home from her teacher reassures the youngster and fires her enthusiasm for school.
Rachel (pictured) said: “We have been doing calls every week to keep the children in the loop and keep that sense of community.
“The head said she was proud of us and the parents appreciated how we had kept in touch and told children how much we missed them.
“I just imagined how it would feel as a child coming back into the classroom after two months and remembering how everything goes.
“The staff have done a lot of online teaching as well but for the children coming back it will be a little bit of a shock for them.”
Rachel said she had moved fast after Boris Johnson’s announcement, writing most of the book in a single evening and producing all the illustrations herself.
The process – which took less than a month from conception to publication - was much quicker than for her previous book, Poo Poo Bogey Bum, which took nine months to bring to life.
“I’m more proud of this one because it’s of the moment,” she said.
“The biggest thing for us is the children’s mental health and for them to be settled back in school as soon as possible.”
Jump in! (Back to school Bonnie) is available as an ebook or a paperback from Amazon. You can see the read-through by searching YouTube for “Jump in! (Back to school Bonnie)”.