LOOOOOL!

Nadias got a new phone and she wont put it down for anyone. Not even Hamid. Delightfully illustrated in full colour this subtle treetop romance is a light-hearted look at communication in the digital age but in a woodland context. Filled with delicious wordplay around mobile phones and social media this is a highly relatable tale for... well pretty much anybody really. Mobile devices arent just a distraction for cute little owls of course. I wrote this story on my own smartphone on my journey into work. I once missed my stop because I was so preoccupied with it. Ive also walked into pedestrians many of whom were similarly absorbed. Its so annoying when people are glued to these tiny screens not looking where theyre going isnt it? Well this is the point of my story. Research suggests around half of us are so attached to our phones that we even use them on the toilet. I certainly spend an awful lot of time on my device (my phone not my toilet). Too much time. Its become an extension of my very being. On the surface LOOOOOL! looks like a childrens story and it will appeal to the kids in your life because of Beths endearing artwork. She is the 18-year-old student who has worked around her studies over the past year painstakingly humouring such observations as I think Ive found an inconsistency in Hamids toenails or wormys missing his poop on page 30. While Beths never done anything quite like this before I think she has a great future but you can make up your own mind about that. Either way Nadia is a grown-up and her story is the perfect gift for those screen addicts in your life young or old. Not for the first time (but thats another story) Hand in Hand for Aid and Development will benefit from Nadias escapades receiving all of the profits arising from this venture. To find out more and for the story behind the story take a look at www.nadiaandhamid.com.I am Nadia. You may well be Nadia. If not youll almost certainly know a Nadia. My story might be for them.