“I really hope this story helps to readers to remember the importance of imagination and the value of family relationships,” said Peters.
COEBURN, Va. (PRWEB) January 30, 2023
“Fairy diddle” is a local term used in the Appalachian Mountains for a small, nocturnal flying squirrel. This squirrel is difficult to see because it moves so fast, and can be quite the pest if it takes up residence near a home. This term has also been applied by elders to small children who are full of energy and refuse to sit still.
In “Fairy Diddle,” author Karen Peters took the term lovingly applied to her as a child by her grandparents and created an updated fairy tale. The main character, an energetic young girl meets the fairy diddles, and learns where all of the beautiful colors in nature come from. This is just after her grandmother refers to her as a “fairy diddle,” and she questions the term.
“Though I’m now retired, I was a high school English teacher for a very long time. One year my students challenged me on an assignment I gave them to write an original fairy tale. I wrote “Fairy Diddle” as a response to that. After they listened to it, they stopped grumbling and wrote some interesting tales.”
The book is also full of colorful drawings that also have a special connection to the author. The illustrator, Alyssa Rose, was a student of Peters. Rose would share her doodles with Peters in high school and the two kept in touch as Rose started a family and moved ahead with her art career. This book finally gave them an opportunity to work together.
“I really hope this story helps to readers to remember the importance of imagination and the value of family relationships,” said Peters.
“Fairy Diddle”
By Karen Peters
ISBN: 9781665714303 (softcover); 9781665714297 (electronic)
Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
About the author
Karen Peters received a BA from Clinch Valley College (now The University of Virginia’s College at Wise) in Wise, Va. And a Master of Education from The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va. She and her husband Joe currently live in a log home which they built themselves on land that has been in her family since the early 1850s. They have three adult children, two sons and one daughter, and six grandchildren. Karen’s interests include traveling, camping, reading, writing, and knitting and crocheting. She has been the pianist/organist in her church since she was 15 years old. To learn more, please visit http://www.karenhpeters.com.