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PrintWoolly the Mammoth Reaches Kids
It’s not every day that a great book idea comes to you in a dream. For Olivia Barker, a dream is what inspired her to write a book for children called Woolly. “I dreamt once that a woolly mammoth was standing in my front yard, smiling and winking at me. It was a good dream, a happy dream.” She wanted to take that happiness and spread it to as many people as she could.
The Charleston, West Virginia, native first read Woolly aloud for her son’s third grade class. “They asked me to read and I wanted to do something a little different. I would write a chapter every week, and every week I’d come in to read it to them.” Originally she had meant to write for an adult audience, but when she was asked to read for her son’s class, she decided writing Woolly for children would be better.
Woolly is the story of three friends who have an amazing summer adventure in which they discover a woolly mammoth skull. Though playful, the book also addresses issues such as strip mining and families torn apart by war. There is a good deal of humor in the tale, something Olivia believes is necessary in life. “I would love for Woolly to be integrated into the West Virginia school system. It can teach kids about important issues in our state and also get them interested in West Virginia history. There really have been mammoth fossils found in the flatter parts of West Virginia.”
Olivia says the healing capabilities of children are amazing, and she hopes her book can help children deal with difficult issues in their lives. “West Virginia is a state that has contributed many soldiers to the armed forces. There are many people who have seen loved ones go to war, never to come back. This is especially hard for children. I hope my book can give them a way to recover from great sorrow and loss and feel good about childhood.”
Woolly can be found at Amazon.com and on her Facebook page.
