Creative east Auckland children’s author Hydie Balle-Hands is letting her imagination flow.
The Howick resident is thrilled that her second picture book, entitled Beau and the Stone Giant, is due out on August 26.
It follows the successful release of her debut picture book, Andy & The Little Rimu Tree, in April.
Beau and the Stone Giant pays homage to how the creative process of writing can inspire hope and healing.
It’s been brought to life with beautiful full-colour illustrations by Audee Halim and is aimed for children aged five to 10 years old.
Hydie, the founder of Beau Books Auckland, says: “Writing this book was a big part of my process of healing from bipolar disorder.
“Creating stories for children gave me purpose and a sense of belonging after many years of sickness. I felt like I was part of the world again.”
To honour that, she plans to donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of Beau and the Stone Giant to Mike King’s youth mental well-being charity I Am Hope.
East Auckland resident, former Kiwis league representative and I Am Hope partnership manager Richie Barnett says Hydie’s story aligns with “what we are trying to do to give back”.
Hydie is also excited Creative NZ has awarded her book an Early Career Fund grant as part of the organisation’s goal to help develop high quality New Zealand art.
“Beau and the Stone Giant is a rhyming story that tells the tale of three lovable canines and their quest to help their new friend, a stone giant, to find the cure to his stone malady,” she says.
“There are a number of obstacles; a crumbling road, a merciless sea and a rather bad dragon at the top of Whispering Mountain.
“These are based on locations around east Auckland, where I reside. Readers are in for a treat with a surprise ending.”
Columnist, writer, tutor and script assessor Janice Marriott says: “This is a very exciting story with a charming script and a truly original protagonist.”
Hydie says the book’s main message is “about how the power of love can transform and heal us”.
“The three dogs help the stone giant and there’s victory for both parties.
“One morning I actually woke up with the words. ‘The Stone Giant’.
“I thought that was a cool title so I just added my dog Beau to the front of it and then I had a story to work from.”
She says the book’s plot centres on landmarks and she gets most of her story ideas while out walking her dog Beau. And she’s evolved as a storyteller.
“The crumbling road is based on the Pakuranga Rotary Walkway.
“The Merciless Sea is based on the Tamaki River and Whispering Mountain is modelled on the majestic Mount Wellington.
“For my first story I had writer’s block a lot but for this one the ideas flowed.
“Practise made my writing better. I also chose to use rhyme for this story as I wanted to challenge myself as a writer.
“It took a year for me to write this story but I fell in love with it.”
Beau and the Stone Giant will be available to buy at Poppies bookshop in Howick and online at www.beaubooks.co.nz from August 26.
