My children's books are fantasy stories for the 5-15 age group. They aren't yet published but I have illustrators for them. Here I give a sample of each of the finished ones.
Huggy the Snot-Monster
Huggy and the Prophecy
The Little Dragon and the Stones of Karnak
Huggy the Snot-Monster
Huggy and the Prophecy
The Little Dragon and the Stones of Karnak
Huggy the Snot-Monster
By Edward Durand
Deep in the heart of the wild, wild wood
Lived a being that nobody understood.
He was covered in food from his head to his feet
So no-one could see he was actually sweet.
He had long green strings hanging from his nose
But he had no hanky with which to blow.
He spoke in words that not many knew
Like oozles of yumberries on the owbush.
He loved adventures with his friend the slug
But above all he just wanted a hug.
Nobody wanted to cuddle his grime
For fear they would get covered in slime.
So he meandered around given no love
Even though he was gentle as a dove.
Every time he met someone he loved
He would always hold out his arms and say “Hug”.
They would make their excuses and quickly depart
Like “Oh, I have left a pot on the hearth".
He set off to venture with a twink in his eye
And a spring in his step, to see what he could find.
And so he left on a wondrous quest
To find yummy berries that are the best
From a nice, kind yumberry bush,
One that does not make you say 'ouch!'
By Edward Durand
Deep in the heart of the wild, wild wood
Lived a being that nobody understood.
He was covered in food from his head to his feet
So no-one could see he was actually sweet.
He had long green strings hanging from his nose
But he had no hanky with which to blow.
He spoke in words that not many knew
Like oozles of yumberries on the owbush.
He loved adventures with his friend the slug
But above all he just wanted a hug.
Nobody wanted to cuddle his grime
For fear they would get covered in slime.
So he meandered around given no love
Even though he was gentle as a dove.
Every time he met someone he loved
He would always hold out his arms and say “Hug”.
They would make their excuses and quickly depart
Like “Oh, I have left a pot on the hearth".
He set off to venture with a twink in his eye
And a spring in his step, to see what he could find.
And so he left on a wondrous quest
To find yummy berries that are the best
From a nice, kind yumberry bush,
One that does not make you say 'ouch!'
Huggy and the Prophecy
By Edward Durand
Huggy was a wild one in the wild wood
When he was washed then they understood.
Then people saw he wasn’t a monster
When his true clean self they did encounter.
Huggy didn’t fit in a box
He wasn’t the shape of anyone’s thoughts.
He loved adventures through glen and mud
But most of all he wanted a hug.
He was scruffy as a puppy with hair curling free
But deep inside he was sweet as can be.
The birds and animals said hello
But didn’t have arms with which to hold
Huggy tight in a warm embrace
But he was content to look in their face
And see his true family.
The ones in the houses couldn’t see
That they are part of the natural world,
Like a flower they can unfurl.
After exploring through the mud
People wouldn’t give him a hug.
By Edward Durand
Huggy was a wild one in the wild wood
When he was washed then they understood.
Then people saw he wasn’t a monster
When his true clean self they did encounter.
Huggy didn’t fit in a box
He wasn’t the shape of anyone’s thoughts.
He loved adventures through glen and mud
But most of all he wanted a hug.
He was scruffy as a puppy with hair curling free
But deep inside he was sweet as can be.
The birds and animals said hello
But didn’t have arms with which to hold
Huggy tight in a warm embrace
But he was content to look in their face
And see his true family.
The ones in the houses couldn’t see
That they are part of the natural world,
Like a flower they can unfurl.
After exploring through the mud
People wouldn’t give him a hug.
THE LITTLE DRAGON AND THE STONES OF KARNAK
by Edward Durand
Chapter 1 – The lonely dragon
Once upon a time there was a young dragon called Alcione. Alcione lived in a cave in the mountains with his mother and father. His parents told him to stay away from humans or the dragon slayer might kill him, but he longed to soar high over the trees and cliffs.
One day Alcione was out flying with his parents admiring the splashing stream and the rustling trees. They swooped and dived in play above the enchanted forest. Alcione loved being out of his cave but was not allowed out by himself. They came to a river where they came to land to drink from the cool blue water. Just as his parents were landing an arrow shot out of the trees right into his father’s side. The mighty dragon let out a roar as he crashed to the ground. Two men appeared from the trees, one was a wizard who shouted: “get the young one, he might be the dragon in the prophecy!”
The other man shot another arrow into Alcione’s mother just as she shot a giant flame out of her mouth, which burnt the man to a cinder. The wizard fled.
“Take this and go!” cried his mother, removing a strangely shaped crystal from under her scales with her mouth and placing it safely in Alcione’s feathers. Then there was silence. A light mist left the bodies of his parents and floated up to heaven. Alcione took off towards the mountain where he lived with a tear in his eye.
by Edward Durand
Chapter 1 – The lonely dragon
Once upon a time there was a young dragon called Alcione. Alcione lived in a cave in the mountains with his mother and father. His parents told him to stay away from humans or the dragon slayer might kill him, but he longed to soar high over the trees and cliffs.
One day Alcione was out flying with his parents admiring the splashing stream and the rustling trees. They swooped and dived in play above the enchanted forest. Alcione loved being out of his cave but was not allowed out by himself. They came to a river where they came to land to drink from the cool blue water. Just as his parents were landing an arrow shot out of the trees right into his father’s side. The mighty dragon let out a roar as he crashed to the ground. Two men appeared from the trees, one was a wizard who shouted: “get the young one, he might be the dragon in the prophecy!”
The other man shot another arrow into Alcione’s mother just as she shot a giant flame out of her mouth, which burnt the man to a cinder. The wizard fled.
“Take this and go!” cried his mother, removing a strangely shaped crystal from under her scales with her mouth and placing it safely in Alcione’s feathers. Then there was silence. A light mist left the bodies of his parents and floated up to heaven. Alcione took off towards the mountain where he lived with a tear in his eye.
website copyright Edward Durand 2023