Linda Hill Miller, left, and Shirley Husband with Kaleido
Shirley Husband hopes her new venture will bring some joy into children’s lives, writes TERRY MURDEN
Sharing a relaxing moment on the seafront at West Kilbride, Shirley Husband and her close friend Linda Hill Miller’s conversation about their plans for the future began to drift into the realms of fantasy. What if a creature was to emerge from the sea or the rocks? What would it be like? A dragon, or an alien, who could speak and, most importantly, would appeal to children?
Husband, with a past success as author of the McCoo series of books, was sensing another character in the making and it wasn’t long before it was in the design stage. Kaleido, a sort of mixture of all the above, is now gaining popularity among the target audience of primary children and, together with her friend’s role in the travel industry, she has big plans to take it worldwide. It will also focus on bringing positivity and learning into young lives.
“I worry that children are not allowing their imaginations to develop, or read and learn like they used to,” says Husband. “Children are anxious because they are exposed to a lot of negativity. I’d like to do something that helps with mental health.”
Her co-founder had seen this at first hand through her nine-year-old niece who was booked on a cruise and suffered from fears of the ship sinking.
Kaleido’s Adventures, backed by a private investor, will be based around a “roving reporter” who introduces children to new places and activities they can enjoy. From next year Kaleido will feature in videos, social media and, eventually, books.
“The character is focused on things that are good in the world, that there is so much to be grateful for, great places to visit and exciting things to do,” says Husband who is working with schools, as well as Hill Miller’s LAH Travel which is introducing the character to clients in the trade who see it helping build a family customer base.
Husband’s previous success with McCoo was a bitter-sweet experience. She was working as a freelance copywriter for Steven Brown Art which asked her to write the scripts for the books based on Brown’s paintings. The books were first published at Christmas in 2017, just as Husband’s marriage was failing.
The books sold in tens of thousands, but then came a further blow when Brown’s business partner Craig Bryson died and Steven Brown Art went into administration. It was sold to a company in England, including the intellectual property rights, but the McCoo books were discontinued.
“I don’t think they [the new owner] saw the potential in the books,” says Husband, who acquired a licence with Scottish designer Maurice Hynds. However, there were issues over the IP and it was decided to walk away from the concept.
Hynds was asked to design Kaleido and has a small stake in the business. Sally Preseig, who is best-known for starring in CBeebies shows such as Button Moon, Peggy Patch, and The Tweenies, has built a two-foot Kaleido puppet.
The new team ran a programme at Glasgow Airport in August and has had some tentative interest from television about an animated version of the stories.
Feedback has been generally positive. Julie McKee, a curriculum officer for East Ayrshire Council and an associate assessor with Education Scotland, said a pilot of Kaleido’s schools programme will run in the area.
“The way children access information has changed considerably in recent years, with easy access to digital technology. However, through storytelling and immersive learning experiences, they will retain new knowledge and better understand the world they live in,” she said.
“Many families experience anxiety around holidays and travel, but with the help of such an engaging character and positive associations, they will have a much more enjoyable experience.”
Craig Norton, retail account manager at Glasgow Airport, said the initiative would spark youngsters’ excitement for travel.
Husband is just pleased to be working on a project that aims to bring some positivity into young people’s lives.
“I never forget that feeling of joy when we took the McCoo books into the classroom,” she says. “I look forward to doing it again.”
PERSONAL CHECKLIST
Occupation: Copywriter and author
Birthplace: Bellshill, relocated to Troon at 15
Age: 52
Education: Glasgow University (English and history)
Career highlights: worked in sales and marketing; took time out to raise children; began working as a freelance copywriter and became an author
What did you want to be when you were young?
I was always a bookworm and being a children’s author was my plan, or maybe a teacher
What makes you angry
Not very much, but I hate to see the anxiety and pressures that young people face nowadays compared with when I was young
What do you do to relax?
I walk my cockapoo and watch movies
If you could invite three people to a meeting or dinner party, who would you choose?
Julia Donaldson, the writer and playwright
Michael Morpurgo, author
David Attenborough, the television naturalist, a great inspiration
(I was tempted to include Taylor Swift…)
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