Nov 15 2020
One night, while on the road to visit Leo, my young grandson, my husband commented on the very large full moon that shone that night and how it almost looked sad. As we travelled, I began thinking about the one most valuable legacy that I could leave Leo when I leave the planet one day, and I decided it would be the very world that we live in.
As a former Primary School teacher and parent, I know that values and attitudes are formed early in life and felt that if I could write a story that can teach positive attitudes and values towards looking after the environment, it might make his world a better place.
But I also wanted to empower him and all children and all adults reading the story, to feel that in whatever small way, we must all be included in being responsible and accountable for our own actions in the environment and the resulting outcomes. Acceptance of personal accountability and developing resilience, are key factors in mental wellness and developing attitudinal accountability and resilience can lead to behaviour change.
So I wanted to put Leo as front and centre of the key message – we can all change our ways and “do our little bit” to make the earth healthy again, and he begins by cleaning his room.
I also wanted to give him a process/method for cleaning up – thus the 6 boxes – Keep, sell, donate, recycle, return to the earth and waste, knowing that each of these processes could be further researched or explored at a later time.
I wanted Leo to understand the connectedness we share as individuals, as part of a family, a member of the school and of a community and now through technology, as part of a global family who all share the earth.
Finally, I wanted to keep the story simple. This sounds easy, but it wasn’t. It’s easier to complicate than to simplify messages, so I was determined that the story and illustrations must provide very clear and concise messages that even very young children can understand.
After our visit with Leo and once at home again, I felt inspired and sat and wrote Leo’s moon in less than half an hour and hope I’ve achieved all of the above!