Children’s book teaches valuable lesson

East Kildonan

What began as a simple bedtime story created by a mother for her son has grown into a children’s book with an important message — your voice matters.

Transcona-based author Taylore O’Neail recently published Kora’s Song, a book that is a true family project. Her son August inspired the tale of Kora the raven, she wrote the words, and her husband Riley drew the pictures. It’s O’Neail’s first published work, but it may not be her last.

A first-time mother, O’Neail said tone of August’s favourite things to do is going for walks in their neighbourhood and watching the crows and ravens. A neighbour has crow and raven figurines in her yard, and every time August walks by, he has to wave. If crows and ravens are in the yard, he calls out to them.

Like many kids, August also likes a good bedtime story or five. Mom soon ran out of books, so she decided to create one.

“He always asked for one more story as we were getting ready for bed,” O’Neail said. “I always liked writing, so I wrote one for him as a gift.”

While Kora’s Song is written with children in mind, it was a cathartic experience for O’Neail, too. This admission suggests that its message is for more than just the little ones.

“Motherhood has been really healing for me,” O’Neail explained. “I didn’t think my voice mattered or had a hard time believing it mattered.

“This story is about listening to your heart’s song and finding the courage to use your voice to make a change. I wanted to show my boy that his voice matters.”

O’Neail initially wrote Kora’s Song on her phone, thinking it would just be for her and August. She mentioned it to Riley, a trained graphic designer and loves drawing pictures of birds and animals. The project soon grew.

It was a big day when the first copies of Kora’s Song arrived in the mail, and it didn’t take long before it was first read for an important audience of one.

“It was so special to me,” O’Neail said. “That night, he asked me to read him one more story. I asked him which one, and he said Kora’s Song.”

The book concludes as Kora the raven frees her voice in song. A light snow begins to fall. That peaceful yet important moment reinforces the story’s key message.

“Trust yourself because magical things can happen when you believe you can do these hard things,” O’Neail said. “Your own song and your individuality matter.”

Soon to be in stores, Kora’s Song is currently available at amazon.ca