A businesswoman says she is thrilled a bedtime story she wrote for her children 30 years ago and read to her grandchildren has been published and is on sale on Amazon.
Ruth Whitehurst, 58, of Lynn Road, wrote and illustrated The Adventures of Jilly and Johnny Germ to educate her daughters Danielle and Sherbet about washing their hands.
When her children got older she put the book in the loft where it stayed until she dug it out to read to her grandchildren.
A friend, who is a publisher, loved the premise of the book and helped her to get it published.
Mrs Whitehurst said: “When children are really small they don’t wash their hands so I made up a story as a way of getting them to do it.
“When they finished the book I put it up in the loft and forgot about it but I found it again and decided to read it to my grandchildren, who enjoyed it.
“Someone I know is a publisher and I thought way not give it a go.
“I’m ever so excited about it. It’s on sale on Amazon and we’ve made a Facebook page.
“But I’ve never done this before so I don’t know what to do next or if I’ll write another story.”
The story focuses on Billy Griggs, who loves playing in the sandpit but has dirty hands.
Jilly and Johnny Germ, who live in the sandpit, take one look at Billy’s dirty hands and decide to tag along with him for an adventure.
Mrs Whitehurst, who organises the annual Mods and Rockers ride out to Hunstanton with her husband Paul, has given copies to Stepping Stones nursery, where her grandson Frankie goes, and Leverington Primary School, where her grandson Ronnie is a pupil.
The book is available at www.amazon.co.uk/Adventures-Jilly-Johnny-Germ/dp/1780037058
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