A CHILDREN’S author from York is holding a Christmas event for her new storybook, and has signed her first deal with an international publisher.
Karen Langtree released her latest storybook, ‘Santa’s Dreams’, in September 2022, illustrated by Holly Bushnell.
She will be hosting a launch event for the book on Saturday, December 10, at the York Central, Tang Hall and Acomb libraries, where children will receive a free copy of the book, take part in a drawing workshop and be read to by Karen.
Tickets for the event will be available on Eventbrite from Friday, November 4.
Karen said: "My books sometimes have a hidden message, but the inspiration for this one just came from my crazy, child-like imagination, for the sheer enjoyment of the reader.”
The story begins the day after Christmas and Santa is tired after delivering all the presents and falls asleep.
Santa then dreams of being a pirate, an astronaut, a cowboy, a deep sea diver, and of going to a tropical island with Mrs Claus, staying recognisable in each scene with his big white beard and dressed in red.
The story then ends with Santa waking up and preparing the presents again for next Christmas, reading from a long, curled list of children’s names, which include a range of cultural origins, to reassure the young readers that Santa will always be Santa.
Karen said: "I have a lot of ideas floating around my head, and I just thought, ‘What would Santa want to be?”
Karen has independently published 11 children’s storybooks over the last 12 years and the teenage dystopian series the Breaking Trilogy, after attending a seminar about self publishing.
However, she is now signed with New York-based publisher Rosen.
She added: “It was exciting news, I was independently published with no backing – it was a steep learning curve and just worked blooming hard to sell the books.
"I love chatting to aspiring authors at book signings to answer their questions.
“My books will be published by Rosen next year in both English and Spanish, I’m excited for them to be read by more people.
“I love inspiring creativity in children, creativity brings joy to the world and I’d like to encourage children to continue that, it brings fun and laughs and helps them to learn.”
Karen is also a piano teacher at four York schools – New Earswick primary school, Welldrake primary school, Joseph Rowntree school, and Vale of York Academy.
Her stories have also been made into school Nativity plays.
She said: “It just makes Christmas for my every time, I feel so lucky and privileged to be able to do this.”
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