Baffins mum publishes children's book about disability inclusion inspired by her two sons

Freddie and the High Flying Kick is the first in a series of children’s book written by Baffins mum-of-two Adelle Spindlove, who was inspired by her own sons.

It has been published thanks to immense public support for a fundraising campaign which raised £4,000 to enable Adelle to self-publish the book, illustrated by Claire Bicknell.

The 39-year-old, who has included thanks to each donor inside the book, said: ‘It’s all been a bit of a whirlwind really. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I would reach the total.

‘It made me think people do want this, there’s a gap here and people are behind the idea of it.

‘It’s really been overwhelmingly positive, people like the message, they like the look of the book and they liked being part of something.’

Freddie and the High Flying Kick is about a boy who loves to play football but often gets excluded on the playground because he has a frame so the other children don’t know how to include him, but his brother Frankie helps others to understand.

The Supersiblings Gang series takes inspiration from Adelle’s own sons, two-year-old Theo and five-year-old Rowan who has a rare neuro-developmental syndrome called ADNP which affects brain formation and development.

Adelle, who works in marketing, said: ‘Theo is my own super sibling. Theo is starting to learn from a very young age that he can’t rough and tumble with Rowan like he would with other kids.

‘He is becoming a big little brother. Super siblings take on more responsibility in that sibling relationship.

‘I wanted to honour those super siblings because they’re incredible in what they do and the difficulty they sometimes have in their life from having a disabled sibling.

‘They’re just so caring and more worldly than their age. They’re really incredible children and they show us all how we should treat disabled people.’

The first book focuses on physical disabilities, but in the rest of the series Adelle would like to include cognitive conditions, visual impairments and more.

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Young martial artists were among the first to be given a copy of the book, as PSKO Havant karate organisation held a costume evening to raise the final funds needed for publishing.

As Adelle gave the first few copies to each of the donors, the karate students were excited to receive their books.

Karate instructor Samantha Lewington said: ‘Each of them were so happy to be called out then to walk over to collect their copy. It truly was a priceless moment, one we’ll never forget here at the PSKO.

‘Adelle is a very special and kind lady that deserves every success. This book, the first in her series, really is something to be very proud of.

‘A much welcomed addition to any child’s bookshelf - about disability, inclusion and the superpower of caring for others.’

Adelle hopes the book can be used as an educational resource for schools, as well as a fun story for families to read at home.

Visit adellespindlove.com for more information or find Freddie and the High Flying Kick on Amazon.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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