Children’s Books Without Adult Themes
Children’s books without adult themes was created by author and teacher, Karyn Couper-Smith.
Karyn loved reading to her young primary school students, but found it difficult to find books that were exciting, yet based on themes appropriate to their age level.
The books are based on a belief that children should be able to read extensively without being exposed to themes beyond their maturity.
All ‘children's books without adult themes’ titles are free from sexual references, nasty peer relationships/conflict and bad language.
Author
Karyn Couper-Smith is a primary school teacher and mother of 3. Her (3) daughters are all avid readers and devourers of many books. As a child, Karyn’s favourite author was Enid Blyton and she treasures her books and regularly reads them to her students.
Karyn became serious about writing once she became a teacher. To instill the love of writing in her students, she would write them stories. The stories were a big hit with her students, who continually encouraged her to write more. From a very young age Karyn has enjoyed good stories. At about 7 or 8 years old Karyn’s mother read her the Hans Christian Andersen classic: ‘Karen and the Little Red Shoes.’ That night Karyn, sleep walking, went out to her mum and kept saying: “I can’t get in.” Her mother asked the sleep-walking Karyn, “What can’t you get into?” “The story”, Karyn replied.
Karyn didn’t much like the sad ending in that story so she recently used it as an example to her students and changed the ending to a happier one. You can download this story for free here.
Illustrators
Jim Nash is the talented illustrator of the delightful 'Patchwork Possum'.
Jim's story:
My early memories are about reading comics. I couldn’t get enough of them. When I got to school I loved to draw. At high school this caused problems as I found it hard to concentrate on the subject I should have been following! Whilst serving in the Royal Navy I drew a comic strip for the training magazine. When I was working in an engineering firm my old boss Bill Fudge showed me some of his work: Beautiful Embroidery and Oil Paintings. He was also ex-navy and we got along well. I really think it was he who started the more serious side of my art.
I went to Teaching College and found that my art stood me in good stead when presenting assignments.
Once teaching it naturally carried over into the classroom.
When I emigrated to Australia I made good use of my art in the classroom and this led to a job as an Art Adviser for three years in Central Region (Qld). Later back in the classroom, I used my skills to prepare work sheets for my classes. When I became a Teacher Librarian there was still room for my art. I met a couple who spent most of their time either writing books about the environment or on the road selling them. I was able to illustrate quite a few of their books.
Then I met Karyn. We were both working at a small school – East Palmerston, just inland from Innisfail.
As usual I was drawing (I find it eases the stress levels!!). I just happened to be drawing possums and the rest is, as they say, history!
Grandma’s Bedtime Stories
Grandma’s Bedtime Stories was created by author and teacher Karyn Couper-Smith as a way of teaching her students about values. Each story in this series, while in line with all books from Children’s books without adult themes, has no adult theme and in addition, also contains a moral.