What Rollo Did Next…

– Written & Illustrated by Ciaran J. Curley (Irish Author & Illustrator)

“What Rollo Did Next…” is a story about acceptance, prejudice, friendship, loneliness and inclusiveness. It is aimed at 0-5 year olds and contains valuable lessons, contributing towards introducing good values during the critical early years of a child’s development.

The story tells a tale about a young bear cub named Rollo, who goes on holiday with his family to ‘Bearland’. Whilst initially feeling sad & lonely without his friends, things quickly change when Rollo receives an invite to play from an unlikely source. Despite Rollo negatively prejudging another bear, he was very grateful when that same bear included him in games with the rest of the bears. From there, friendships are formed. When Rollo returns home, he is faced with a similar scenario, except ‘the shoe is on the other paw’. drawing from his experiences in Bearland, how will Rollo react?

This book highlights the importance of people being inclusive and accepting of others whom they may consider ‘different’ to them, whether it be in relation to cultures, creeds, religions, sexuality, ways of life etc. Rather than treating people with suspicion or fear, and perhaps unfairly prejudging people, this book encourages the reader to embrace differences and diversity.

‘What Rollo Did Next…’ attempts to deliver this message in a very simplistic, child friendly way via a children’s picture book format. Whilst the story is based on the author’s personal experience, it is told in a way that is both honest to the overall message but also engaging to younger readers. I have also worked hard to ensure that the illustrations compliment the story being told and are visually appealing to children and adults alike.