The Hits, Misses and Spills of Motherhood!
The Tree House at Hope Zoo was the scene of a truly #Joyous event, the launch of the humorous and candid adult picture book, by well known broadcaster and first time author and mother Carlette DeLeon. A simultaneously riotous and touching debut, #JoysOfParenting chronicles the joys, pains, spills, hits and misses of motherhood.
The #Joys Team
Carlette DeLeon (r) author of the #JoysOfParenting shared the joyous launch of the book with Tanya Batson Savage owner of publishing house Blouse and Skirt Books and Patrick Meikle, illustrator of the book during the launch held on Saturday July 27 at the Hope Zoo Tree House
The work which is beautifully illustrated by Keddan Savage and Patrick Meikle, was unveiled to the gathering of friends and family who came together to celebrate this new chapter in Carlette’s career. There were readings of excerpts of the book by entertainer Craigy T, as well as, entrepreneur Dania Beckford. Musical vibrations were provided by DJ Kurt Riley, as those in attendance sipped on the specially created #Joys cocktails and other treats.
A noted broadcaster and PR specialist, Carlette DeLeon has put together a colourful, hilarious, and intimate portrayal of the daily struggles and triumphs of modern parenting, inspired by her own rollercoaster adventure into motherhood.
“I started to write this as a way of dealing with the stress of parenting,” says Carlette. “I found that sharing my experiences with other parents helped to reveal that all parents faced the same rites of passage. It was liberating.”
The book serves up colourful vignettes of bath time, bed time, and everything in between - including those existential questions from the curious mind of a toddler - such as “do shoes eat dirt” or “why aren’t rainbows round".
#JoysOfParenting doesn’t shy away from the challenges of parenting, and the author remarks that even in this modern world, the presence of technology hasn’t changed that it still often takes a village to raise a child.
“All parents - moms, dads, grandparents, aunts, and uncles provide nurture in special and necessary ways. The #Joys extend to all, not just moms,” Carlette says.
The author notes that she opted not to go toward a ‘how-to’ book because it was far more rewarding to simply share the experience. “By being personal, by baring my soul complete with equal portions of tears and smiles, I accept that there are no short cuts to being a good parent. It takes work - the hardest, most exciting, most rewarding work of my life.”
#JoysOfParenting joins the growing cadre of adult picture books, a genre once as rare as a well-rested mom and is published by Blouse & Skirt Books, an imprint of indie press Blue Banyan Books.
