James and the Amazing Gift

My children are little bookworms and I am honestly over the moon that they love to read so much!! It's even better when the story is as lovely as James and the Amazing Gift,



The book, written by the wonderful  Nicola J Rowley, is about a little boy called James. James has the amazing ability to make everyone he met smile.  He is a happy who smiles from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep. If he sees someone upset he will make sure they are ok and are happy again.

One day when he was out he noticed an old lady sitting alone, drinking her tea and looking very sad and alone. This bothered him and he made sure that when she walked by he gave her one of his biggest smiles. The lady noticed this and couldn't believe it, she smiled back and said "thank you"

The moral of this beautiful story is to smile at everyone, you never know how much that smile could make a difference to someone and encourage them and feel connected.

My son Liam read this to his sister Sophie. They both loved the story and Liam was rather emotional and promised to smile at people more. I honestly can't recommend this book enough, the story is beautiful and the message very important and one everyone should learn.

The other amazing thing about this book and the author is £1 from every copy sold is being donated to Contact the Elderly.

You can purchase your copy from Amazon priced at £7.99

You can connect with Nicola on Facebook Twitter and Instagram

Interview with the author.

Why children’s books? 
When my son was born, within weeks I started reading to him. It makes me incredibly happy to see the enjoyment he now gets from turning the pages, learning new words and going on special adventures. I would love to help instil a similar love of books and reading to all children, no matter what their age.

How did you decide on the storyline and theme of 'James and the Amazing Gift'? 
The book is loosely based on my son, who, as a baby was incredibly chilled and happy. The storyline just developed from there, and because being kind to others is really important to me, I decided to incorporate this into the book. Even a small gesture such as a smile can make a big difference to someone else.

What books inspired you as a child? 
I still remember the day when I was introduced to Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes. It is etched upon my memory and began a life-long love of all things poetry related. To this day, I still have the books that I wrote in, as I created my own versions of Cinderella. I also loved Agatha Christie and those books where you could choose the outcome.

How did the partnership with UK charity Contact the Elderly come about?
I first became aware of the charity when I volunteered at one of their tea parties in London. Seeing first-hand the great work they do to practically combat loneliness for their members, was a real eye-opener. There was a real sense of community and true friendships being formed. It was lovely to be a part of it. I hadn't originally written the book thinking that I would get a charity on board, but the more that I looked at the storyline, the more I thought it could also raise awareness and vital funds for such a special charity.

What are your future writing plans?
'James and the Amazing Gift' is my debut book. I'm planning more James and the... adventures. I'm also working on several more pre-school books, aimed primarily at the 3-7 year-old market. And yes, my love for poetry will be reflected in those ones too.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
 When I get the chance, I like nothing more than to curl up with a good book and just lose myself in the characters and storyline. I also love to run. It provides me with my thinking time. In fact, I came up with the concept for 'James and the Amazing Gift' whilst I was out jogging.

What else don’t we know about you? 
I also run a successful photography business, specialising in children and family, weddings and commercial imagery. It’s another passion of mine. I guess you could say, I always need to have a creative outlet.