The Bedtime Boat by Sital Gorasia Chapman is a story that many children will find restful and restorative after a busy day. Recently, author Sital Gorasia Chapman answered a few questions about her book for us.
Can you tell us a bit about your new book, The Bedtime Boat?
It’s about a little boy, Chandan, who’s had a really exciting day and is now having trouble settling down at bedtime. He’s got all these incredible thoughts whizzing around in his brain and they just won’t let him sleep. Luckily, his mum has a special mindfulness practice to help him. She gets him to focus on his breathing by placing the bedtime boat on his tummy. Every time Chandan’s imagination leads him away, the bedtime boat brings him back, eventually settling him into a calm and restful sleep.
Where did you get the inspiration for this story?
I’ve been practicing yoga for over 20 years and have always used the breath to help me when I need to calm down, a skill which came in really useful when I became a parent! I’m a mum of three and bedtimes can sometimes be a challenge. When my children are fizzing with excitement and they’re struggling to settle down, they need a bit of help. Focussing on the breath really helps to get them out of their heads and into their bodies. It’s grounding and calming and brings their energy levels down, ready for sleep. One of the mindfulness techniques we often use is to place a toy on the tummy and watch it move with the breath. I wanted to share this with others and that’s where I got the idea for The Bedtime Boat.
Has your background in yoga and mindfulness influenced your writing and your approach to creating a children’s book?
Absolutely. Practicing yoga and mindfulness has helped me to tap into my creativity. It helps me to be more aware of the world around me, more observant of the details (like children are), which is really useful for bringing a story to life. And mindfulness helps me to sort through the many random thoughts and ideas that are swirling around my head at any one time and focus without getting too lost.
Do the themes, the characters or plot come first for you when writing?
It varies. I get ideas from all sorts of places. Sometimes a scene will pop into my head and I’ll write a story around that image. Or I might think of a line or a title (which will usually change by the end of the story). Or I might see something when I’m out for a walk or hear part of a conversation that strikes me and I’ll use that as a starting point. And sometimes I will intentionally sit down to write about a particular theme. For The Bedtime Boat, I wanted to write a story about a character that couldn’t sleep, and from that came the idea to use mindfulness to help and then I built the story around that.
What did you think when you first saw the illustrations for the book?
I was blown away! This was my first book that I’d seen any illustrations for, so it was extra special to see my words in pictures. And Anastasia has done such an amazing job. It is stunning! It feels very magical and dreamy, exactly what I was hoping for.
What do you hope readers will take from the book?
I want readers to find the fun in the story but leave with a sense of calm. I hope they will see that distracting thoughts can be tamed with a bit of mindful breathing and give it a go.
How do you hope schools might use the book?
I think it’s a great story to read any time the children need a bit of calm, especially at the end of the day. I really hope they give the breathing practice a try.
What do you enjoy most about being an author?
I love creating something new from my imagination – new characters, new worlds, new adventures. The possibilities are endless. As a child I was always a big daydreamer and now I get to turn those daydreams into stories I can share with others. It’s the best job in the world!
What is the biggest challenge when writing?
Trying to decide what to write! Every time I get an idea or see something interesting, I’ll write it down. So my ideas folder is full and keeps on getting fuller. But to start a story, I need to focus on one idea. Trying to put too many ideas into one story doesn’t work for me. Choosing what to work on next is really difficult. I want to tell every story in my head, but I can only do one at a time.
What are your top tips for budding young writers?
Read lots and read everything – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, magazines. Be observant, notice the details that other people miss. Spend time daydreaming, I get my best ideas this way. Make a note of any interesting thoughts you have, I use an app on my phone but I also have lots of notebooks. And most importantly, writing is fun so enjoy it!
Favourite books from your childhood? And now – which children’s authors / books do you particularly love?
That’s such a hard question! As a child I was always reading. My mum worked from home and I would sit on the floor and read to her while she worked. I didn’t own any books of my own, but I loved going to the library. So many books, I wanted to read them all!
I fell back in love with children’s books when I started to read them to my own kids. I like stories that rhyme because they’re fun to read aloud. I love The Littlest Yak by Lu Fraser& Kate Hindley, such a sweet story, and anything by Rachel Bright. And it was Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees that inspired me to start writing for children myself.
Are you working on anything now?
I’m working on a maths series for 5 to 7 year olds. The first three books came out earlier this year with another two on the way next year. I’m also working on some other picture books which I can’t say much more about yet.
Tell us three surprising things about you.
I make the best chocolate brownies, I’m learning to knit and I once broke down in the jungle surrounded by snakes!