Hello Children!
My name is Sallianne, and I am the very lucky author and illustrator of ‘The Smoozles of Orkneyjar’ books.
So, a little bit about myself before we begin…
I have been a teacher for twenty four years, and I am very lucky to have met so many children from around the world. This is because I have taught in many different primary schools. I have taught in the United Kingdom, in both England and in Scotland, Muscat which is in Oman, Abu Dhabi which is in the United Arab Emirates and Bangalore, which is in central India.
In 2020 I decided to come home to Orkney, which is where I am from, and help my dad (Eddy) and my mum (Josie) on our farms as well as continuing to be a teacher but this time, as a supply teacher. As a supply teacher I don’t have my own class, but I still get to teach lots of children.
I am very lucky because just like some people, who live on islands, I have a few jobs such as being a waitress at my local hotel (The puddings are VERY yummy, especially the fudge cheesecake and ice-cream!), working at my farm, writing, visiting lots of schools as a creative arts educator and author and … Finally- Shhhhhhhh! to be someone’s special helper in December.
So, I am truly a very busy bee!
Oh, I almost forgot! … I am a mummy to Tiddles, my rescue cat from Oman, Eddybear, my Shirazi rescue cat from Abu Dhabi, Beyla and Casper, my Turkish Angora rescue cats from Dubai and finally, Maisie, MollyMoo, Scampypants, Ernie and Bagpuss who are my Mainecoon cats. Yes! I have FIVE Mainecoon cats!
Well, let me tell you that these pussycats have been all so very helpful in their own way, especially Beyla, Maisie and MollyMoo. Beyla sat on the computer keyboard and ran after the computer mouse whilst I was typing and Maisy and MollyMoo were VERY helpful when it came to painting the pictures I had drawn. They would walk over my paintings with their big, fat, squidgy, dog size toe-beans and then sweep the different coloured paints with their very bushy tails. Sometimes you can see their toebean marks on the pages in the books!
I have lots of cows, but I have a special pet Highland Cow called Lola as well as ducks, chickens and my pet turkey called Terry.
So, let me tell you when and why I began to write these books…
Well, it began at my mum (Farmer Jo) and dad’s (Jolly Farmer Ed) Farm at Greenwell, on the island of Burray. I usually visited them in the late afternoons for a cup of tea and a slice of cake (Farmer Jo makes YUMMY cakes!). I often took the dogs (Teddybear and Chuckziewoo) and Tiddles the cat out for walks. Sometimes though during the early evening there were often strange noises and a mysterious orangey glow, coming beyond the old wooden gate in the field beside the shore.
This was quite unusual because there were no cows in ANY of the fields at that time. Hmmm… Strange, very strange!
Another day, I went walking with the dogs and Tiddles down to the rocky beach (which is through the old wooden gate and down a path to the shore) and on a rock I saw something shiny, and it was sparkling in the sun. I went over to it and found a bit of ripped material with a hole in it. Hmmm…Quite puzzling! I still have this and will show you!
Another time, I went down to Greenwell’s rocky shore, and I found a horn. A horn? Hmmm…Very puzzling! Yes, I have this too and will show you when I see you!
Mum and Dad had told me that Tiddles was always sneaking off in the early night as they would hear the dogs bark…but there she was fast asleep on her cushion when they woke up in the morning. Hmmm…How curious!
I asked Mum and Dad what they thought, but they looked at each other and said nothing. Hmmm…Very curious!
Bye, bye!
I hope you have a wonderful day, Lots of best wishes
Sallianne
xXx
