This particular story has an interesting origin.  Most stories take hours and hours to write, over months, or even years.  Even the shortest stories can take many months to put together.  However, ‘Dragons of the Sapphire Stream’ took Gareth approximately an hour to write, and has spawned an entire universe around this very short piece of poetry.  

In Gareth’s words...

The idea just came to me one day, and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with it.  I loved the piece of poetry, and it has such a profound message to deliver.  Yet, it was merely a document in my PC’s directory for quite a long period of time while I worked on other projects.  Then one day, out of the blue, I decided I wanted to transform the piece of writing into a much larger novel.  I created a whole world around the poem and was sucked into my own fantasy realm which I was creating.  As I was writing Sapphire Stream, I knew this story needed much more than a one-off novel, and I soon began plotting out the series -  Winds Will Whisper. 

Winds Will Whisper is two books in, and lots more are in the works (including spin-off stories).  But it all started with the poem ‘Dragons of the Sapphire Stream’. 

Dragons of the Sapphire Stream, however, still felt underutilised. It was still just words on a page within a much larger novel, in the form of a story told to young children.  Moreover, it was some of my more mature readers who brought forth the idea of it being illustrated as a children’s picture book.  I loved that people felt it was such a powerful piece of writing, that it deserved to be a book in its own right.  So, I asked Victoria Emma if she would kindly bring this particular story to life.  I loved how the book turned out so much, that I wanted to go one step further. So, I asked Victoria if she could animate the story.  

Victoria has done a marvelous job of bringing this emotive little tale to life and it’s now free to watch here on my website.

I truly hope you enjoy it.

This is a screen adaptation of the book:

 ‘I Can’t Draw - Dragons - Can You Help Me?’

In Gareth’s words...

The idea of putting together a television show with just an idea, limited resources, no studio backing, and a very, very small budget seems ludicrous, I know.  I’m an optimist, and the notion sounded outrageous even to me.  Nevertheless, I firmly believe in the ‘I Can’t Draw’ series, the positive message it delivers, and the massive potential it has.  It’s exciting and unique, and I was determined to bring this story to life.  Luckily, I have some very talented friends who were just as excited by the show and its potential as I was, so they agreed to assist me in turning this idea into a reality.  

Rachel Ivy is an amazing actress, and she stars as the explorer in the story.  Additionally, Rachel was my co-pilot in this short video based on the book ‘I Can’t Draw - Dragons- Can You Help Me?’

Victoria Emma also showcased her talents by illustrating Rachel’s avatar and animating the children’s illustrations.  

I digitised the artwork by the children, put the scene sequences together, added in some special effects, and produced the video.

This was a real team effort and I will be forever grateful to both Rachel and Victoria for their help on this project.  I’m also proud of myself for producing something quite wonderful with nothing more than an unrelenting drive, limited resources, and the kindness of others.  

Lastly, I would like to thank all the children from Horbury Bridge Academy Primary School who participated in the ‘I Can’t Draw’ pilot.  Without all your hard work, support, and wonderful illustrations, there would be nothing to publish, and there would be no show.  

A big thank you to all of you, and I hope you enjoy what is hoped to be the first of a long series of books and shows.