Visiting Turtle Pond

By Joyce Adrian Sotski
Blind Bay

A homemade comic-book-style colouring book for a granddaughter who celebrated her fourth birthday during the worst of the covid-19 pandemic.

Yes, there were a few neighbours who stepped out from their homes to the sound of the firetruck sirens and shouted a happy birthday with the firemen, old codgers these neighbours, and her other Grandma and Grandpa who came as close as the front lawn to watch and sing. Mommy’s friend brought her children in the car with signs hanging from the windows. They sang happy birthday and waved to the birthday girl. Then there was the birthday dinner with Mommy and Daddy but it’s just not the same as the excitement of a birthday party with friends and balloons and cupcakes, goodie bags for all, the rustle of wrapping paper and big bows to wear on your head. I wonder if she’ll remember her fourth birthday when she’s a grandma?

This was a unique project in that I found the pictures told as much of the story as the written words did. All words other than those spoken by the characters were extraneous and needed to be expressed through the drawings themselves; much like in theatre where the story is expressed through the actors, as well as through the words in the script. Interesting.

You are invited to download and print off the colouring book storybook for your own little one, and let me know if they enjoyed it.

Read the colouring book story →

Visiting Turtle Pond,
Copyright © Joyce Adrian Sotski, 2020