Written by Sheila Kogan, Illustrated by Stefan Turk
Lambs of Fairy Glen is coming out this year! This book is directed to children about eight-years old but the hope is that all children—adult ones too—will enjoy it.
Inspiration for the Story
In 2016, a friend and I traveled to the Hebrides, a group of islands north of Scotland and not too far from Iceland and the Arctic. They say the weather in the Hebrides goes through all the seasons in one day. I would say the weather goes through the seasons in an hour.
“Lambs of Fairy Glen is an ‘Almost True Story’ because...it happened. I accidentally discovered the enchanted Fairy Glen on a trip to the Hebrides Islands and there met the twins, Mr. and Mrs. Potts, Gordy, and the lambs. The story presented itself like a gift.
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Fairy Glen was not on the our itinerary but, with a couple of hours to spare, we found ourselves headed there. As we hiked up the hill we kept turning to gape at the view: a snug little harbor with fishing boats, cozy houses nestled in the hills, and an ancient castle on the lookout for Viking pirates. The sun was beginning its descent and the reds and golds of the sky were reflected on the icy steel gray of water.
A soccer ball suddenly rolled toward us from the dirt road leading to a thatched roof house. We retrieved it and encountered two rosy-cheeked twin girls about nine-years old.
We stopped to chat and asked if we could take a picture. Standing in their Disney t-shirts with blond hair blowing every which way, they were happy to pose and delighted to see themselves on our digital cameras.
Farther up the hill we met a farmer making sure his new lambs were getting fed enough. The lambs were incredibly sweet with black faces and boot-like legs.
As we rounded a bend we froze. In front of us was a luscious, green pond reflecting the trees and shrubs around so that the scene was in perfect mirror image. To the side stood the tower, which turned out to be a gigantic rock; it seemed to guard the little pond and its lovely reflection. At that moment the clouds opened enough to let streams of light filter through the trees, “as if the light came from heaven.”
We stood enchanted. This was Fairy Glen.
We considered climbing Lookout Rock but the path looked rain slick and lethal. As the sun faded we pulled ourselves away and headed back.
The twins were up the hill from the road. When they saw us they waved and called,
“Byeeeeee.”
“Byeeeeee,” we shouted back. And so we called out our goodbyes back and forth until we were completely out of sight.
So pack your bags and join me in the story The Lambs of Fairy Glen.
Lamb Power
Another impetus for writing Lambs of Fairy Glen was a personal reflection. I wondered whether the overwhelming violence and greed in the world could be countered nonviolently. Could love win? That is the idea of Lamb Power. And it is my hope and desired belief that The Lamb will prevail.