Tommy's Magical Night Adventures is the first children's book by Karen Anthony, and is filled with lots of colourful pictures to set the imagination alight!

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Tommy is just like every other six-year-old boy. He has lots of toys - big toys, small toys, even little toy cars which end up getting everywhere. But his favourite toy is Rainbow. Rainbow is a very special toy, and one day, when Tommy can't sleep, Rainbow takes Tommy away to a magical fun fair, on an adventure his parents will never believe.

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CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US FOR A REVIEW COPY OF TOMMY’S MAGICAL NIGHT ADVENTURES

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Excerpt

One dreary, cold night, little Tommy lay awake in his bed.  He was quite restless and didn’t feel tired, so he decided to play with some of his toys.  But which toy should I play with, he thought.  He quickly sat up in his bed, and turning his head to the right he could see out of his bedroom window into the dark sky.  Only the stars stood still and they were shining rather brightly, brighter than on other nights.

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Tommy finished looking out of the window, and now turned his head across to the left side of his room.  There he could see his toy cars all neatly placed on top of his toy box.  He loved playing with his cars and he’d have them all set out all over his room.

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His mum was forever telling him to pick them up, especially when she came to change the beds or curtains or put his clothes away.  Once his mum had found one of his toy cars in the kitchen cupboard – how on earth it got there was a mystery, even to Tommy, as he always just played with them in his bedroom.

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After that thought, Tommy then looked in the other corner of his room and there was his favourite chair.  It had been bought for him when he was four years of age, his own special chair that used to be kept in the sitting room of Tommy’s home; his mum or dad would scoop him up in their arms and sit in the chair with him to watch TV or read him a book.  Tommy remembered it was like having a big bear hug sitting in the chair as the sides and the back of the chair were so big it seemed to swallow you up when you sat in it, but the experience made him feel safe and warm.

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But he was six now, and he had asked if he could have the chair in his room, which his parents thought was a great idea as it made more space in the sitting room.  And so there it was in all its glory in the corner of his room up against the wall, his own chair.  Tommy had decided that he would only put his special toys on the chair, so he could make those special toys feel secure and warm just like his parents had done with him.

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His favourite toys were stuffed furry animals and he had given them all names; there was Fred the Lion, Big Bird, Owly Owl, Podgy the Parrot and Rainbow.

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Tommy then quickly crept out of bed so as not to let his parents hear him.  He stood at the foot of his bed and looked at Rainbow.  Now, although he loved all his stuffed animal toys, Rainbow was something else – it was a beautiful bird, full of colour and very big; you could actually sit on its back.  His grandma Peggy had brought it back from one of her far off holidays, and from the first time he saw it he loved it.

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After all that thinking Tommy decided to jump back into bed. He felt quite tired and did not wish to play with any of his toys now, so he gave a big yawn, snuggled back under the covers and closed his eyes – and before you could count to ten he was fast asleep.

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Now although Tommy seemed fast asleep he was sure he could hear his name being called, just a little whisper “Tommy, Tommy, wake up”, but Tommy just lay there, he thought he was dreaming. “Tommy, Tommy,” again the voice whispered. This time Tommy jumped up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around the darkened room but saw nothing. Ooh, he thought to himself, I must have been dreaming. He gave another look around the room then lay back down, closed his eyes and just as he was drifting off to sleep again he heard the voice once more: “Tommy, Tommy, come on, lad, wake up.” He jumped up really quickly this time, eyes wide open, only this time, to his amazement, there at the bottom of his bed was Rainbow, the big, colourful bird. Tommy thought he was dreaming so he looked over to where Rainbow should be next to his other fluffy animal toys and sure enough Rainbow was not there; he was at the bottom of his bed just sitting there. Tommy should have felt afraid but he didn’t; in fact he found it quite funny.

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Rainbow sat there being four foot in height and so colourful – that’s why Tommy had named this toy Rainbow. It was so big and all puffed up which made it seem much bigger than it really was.

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Rainbow then smiled at Tommy, who could not believe his eyes. This must be a dream, he thought as he sat there with his mouth wide open as if to say something. In fact, he was quite excited and was not afraid at all. Rainbow said hello again but this time told Tommy to hop on its back. Tommy grinned widely and, without saying anything, just jumped on to Rainbow’s back. “Hold on tight, lad.” Tommy jumped up onto Rainbow’s back then wrapped his arms around his neck, and within moments Rainbow rose up off the bed and, as if there was no bedroom window there, Rainbow flew straight through it while Tommy kept tight hold, his head down and his eyes tight shut. Within a few moments Rainbow landed.

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“You can open your eyes now,” said Rainbow. Tommy opened his eyes and slid off Rainbow’s back, but he seemed a little puzzled as the ride had been so quick, yet he didn’t know where he was. There was so much commotion and noise – but not from people, from animals. What a sight to see – there were large animals, small animals, different shaped animals and they were all different colours.

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Tommy was so excited he forgot about Rainbow and started to walk up a path that was in front of him. On either side of the path there were green fields, flowers and trees; they too were all different sizes, shapes and colours; some of the flowers were as big as the trees, and standing all about were animals just chatting to each other. He could not hear them properly as there was so much noise coming from them, and it looked like they didn’t even notice that he was there. Tommy was so amazed at what he was seeing; he could not believe his eyes, there was so much to see.

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As he carried on walking up the path he could hear laughter and music in the distance so Tommy started to walk a little quicker as he was curious to know where the noise was coming from. As he was getting closer to the music and laughter the path he was on seemed to end and in front of him were two large wooden doors with two big flower heads on them.

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CONTACT US HERE TO REQUEST A REVIEW COPY OF THE BOOK

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About the Author

Karen Anthony is a very out-going person.   She is very creative and loves to learn new things.  Her study and work history include such diverse subjects as painting and decorating, robotics, industrial cleaning, cad-cam (computer aided design & computer aided manufacturing), applied art, teaching, sculpture and painting.  She has worked in an art studio dealing with special needs, mental health and general public clients, and has volunteered in a junior school and at an indoor rocking climbing facility, and has acted as a Youth Project Assistant.

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As well as writing, Karen is currently engaged as a carer for an elderly lady, while also helping family members take care of her own mother following a stroke.  She also works in a community centre  doing art with the elderly and special needs, and visits a home for the elderly once a month to do art projects with the residents.

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When time permits, Karen’s hobbies include camping, cycling, rock-climbing, creating abstract art and, of course, reading.

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Karen has written poetry as well as short stories, and has had some of her poems published in anthologies.  She is currently writing a follow up to Tommy’s Magical Night Adventures, which was her first children’s book.

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