A new picture book, created with the help of parents from the Home-Start Levenmouth family group, has been launched by the Scottish Book Trust.

The book, called Never Bite a Tiger on the Nose!, highlights the importance of healthy eating for children and was written by author Lynne Rickards.

Never bite a tiger on the noseLynne created the book with the help of 11 parents from Home-Start Levenmouth to raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating for children in their early years.

Now, 60,000 copies of the finished book have been published by Scottish Book Trust to include in the 2015 Bookbug Pirate pack which will be given to every three-year-old in Scotland this year.

Lynne held weekly creative writing classes with the group that explored foods and healthy eating, with support from NHS Health Scotland. The resulting book, featuring the fantastic illustrations of Eilidh Muldoon, is a fun-filled tale that encourages children to try eating tasty, healthy foods including carrots and bananas.

Paula Martin, a parent who participated in the classes said, “The experience of working with Lynne was great and we all gained new skills and felt that we were a part of a great opportunity. I know we will all treasure our experience of the project."

Commenting on the project, Lynne Rickards said, “I was thrilled to be chosen as an early years writer-in-residence for Scottish Book Trust and had a brilliant time working with a great group of mums to produce our healthy eating story. Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years Team and the lovely people at Home-Start Levenmouth provided excellent support throughout the project, and I'm very proud of the finished book which is beautifully illustrated by Eilidh Muldoon.”

Kay Mcleary, senior coordinator at Home-Start Levenmouth added, “The parents involved in the project were delighted to have an opportunity to work with Lynne and contribute their ideas about what kind of book they would enjoy reading to their children to emphasise the importance of healthy eating in a fun and engaging way”.

Making sure children are well nourished and protected from food poverty is one of Home-Start’s three key priorities in its manifesto All Our Children.