Springboard students who took part in its ‘Be a Best Seller Course’ were invited to Glan-yr-Afon library and cultural centre in Haverfordwest for the official launch of their newly published books last week.

Gelliswick Church in Wales V.C School, Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School, Tenby Church in Wales VC Primary School and Johnston Community School were the four schools to get involved in this Big Lottery funded project, delivered by Springboard.

On each of the ‘Be a Best Seller’ courses families got to work with three different tutors, in English, Illustration and Design, and Technology.

With their guidance, the families in each school got to work as a team to develop their own unique children’s stories.

They were inspired by the New York Times bestseller Press Here by Herve Tullet which the project coordinator discovered with her daughter on holiday last year.

Like Press Here, each book created by the families on “Be a Best Seller” invites the reader to physically interact with each page to prompt changes to the story that follows.

Gelliswick’s book, A Walk in the Forest, gets the reader blowing on leaves and turning like a bat.

Tenby’s book, The Snow Party, sees snow people getting on sledges and stumbling upon a Snow Dog.

The Perfect Home by Mary Immaculate follows a dragon on its journey from a little egg to a full grown adult in search of somewhere special to stay in Pembrokeshire.

And in Johnston’s book called The Christmas Tree the reader gets to choose their own tree, decorate it and light it up all ready for Santa to deliver his presents.

The families attending the book launch from all four schools were thrilled to see all their work come together in print.

Deborah Withey, the artist who led the families in the illustration and page designs of all four books, said: “The output of imagination and positivity was so high given that the concept of both writing a story and then telling that same story in images is a very big task.

“And what is more than worth noting is how well the children and their parents worked together, the children took the imaginative lead and their parents followed with supporting ideas.

“This project was a force of creative magic!”

Both the hard backed books and the e-books can be freely accessed from Pembrokeshire libraries around the county.

Laura Phillips, Springboard co-ordinator was hugely impressed by the creativity of every learner who engaged on the project. The success of each book was hammered home to her when her daughter, just three years old, said “Again Mammy, again!” after being read each of the stories.

Springboard is a Learning Pembrokeshire project which runs a wide range of fun, free and exciting courses for adults and families in targeted areas.