HAIRDRESSER-turned-children's author, Yvonne Fleming, whose Weatherbie books are now set to be read in classrooms across Northern Ireland, was always worrying about the environment - long before it became a cause célèbre.
"I've been told that I was ahead of my time, writing about characters concerned about the climate and the environment, but I don't think that's really true," says the Maghera childminder whose recent partnership with Eco-Schools and teaching resource provider Twinkl means her Weatherbies will help children learn about climate change at school.
"Looking after the environment was always important to me and I wanted my own children to do their bit when growing up," she adds.
"I was never an eco-warrior or anything like that, but I just quietly encouraged the kids to do small things to help the environment. When I was a child I was a big fan of the Wombles who were always cleaning up Wimbledon Common, so I think it all stemmed from that."
Which goes to show how children's storybook and television characters can impact a child's thinking – something that Yvonne is always aware of as she creates yet more stories and songs for Sammy Sun, Colin Cloud, Rosie Rainbow, Flo Snow, Willy Wind, Ronny Rain and all their friends in Skytown who learn about recycling, eating healthily, growing fruit and vegetables and using renewable energy.
"Every day is always a school day for me too and I am constantly learning about the latest environmental issues which I like to break down into fun but educational stories for the children," says the writer who is now hoping to add Irish to her own extra-curriculum activities.
"It's great that the new partnership with Eco-Schools and Twinkl allows for the books to be translated into Irish so they can go into Irish-speaking schools," she enthuses.
"I can't speak Irish myself - not yet - but now I'm hoping to learn and pick up some words and phrases.
"I have been asked so many times over the years when was I going to translate the books into Irish and I always responded that it was something I would really love to do. Now Eco-Schools have provided that opportunity and it's just fantastic."
The first of its kind in Britain and Ireland, the partnership will deliver environmental awareness for Early Years, Foundation and Key Stage 1 pupils through stories and song, as well as interactive online resources available in both English and Irish.
It has been an official 'stamp of approval' for the mum-of-two who has self-published four of her books, including the fifth and latest in the series, Ronny Rain Helps the Plants to Grow, which will be launched this month, coinciding with a Planting and Growing video and song release.
Her third in the series, Colin Cloud is Making Shapes, clinched a publishing deal with Tiny Tree Books in England in 2018.
There has also been some buzz surrounding an animation deal which would take the Weatherbies onto our TV screens, but nothing has been finalised yet.
For now, the Weatherbies creator is delighted to see her characters come to life in a new series of animated videos for schools, to be supported by sign language for deaf and hearing-impaired children.
"We are very much focusing on creating the online content, the fun topic videos and songs as resources to assist teachers in teaching these topics to their pupils," says Yvonne who works with husband, Peter, a former director of Schism Records (and member of 90s alternative metal band, Scheer) to produce accompanying educational songs for the Weatherbies.
"It is all a huge stamp of approval for me and I never envisaged things would get to this stage, 15 years after the release of first book, Sammy Sun is Coming Out to Play.
"I just started off doodling pictures in the garden, making models with plasticine and making up little stories to read to my own children at bedtime and to the children I looked after to keep them all entertained. I never dreamed I would be publishing my books one day or that they would end up going into the schools."
Now, the Weatherbies have become a family affair for the Flemings with eldest son Steven, who graduated in interactive media last year, joining Yvonne and Peter to work "on the digital side of things". Youngest son, Shane, meanwhile, is following in the footsteps of his mum's previous career - hairdressing.
"I found hairdressing a very creative career and enjoyed running my own salon, but I had a back injury and had to give it up," she says. "After that, I sort of fell into childminding and soon found I had a ready-made audience for all my wee stories.
"The children loved it when I put on silly voices for the characters of Skytown, including the 'baddies', known as the 'Pollutants'."
Then, when her husband overheard her tell one of their boys a made-up story one night - "I was too tired to read one from a book" - and suggested she should try to take it further, she approached several local nursery and primary schools for some market research and found an enthusiastic new set of fans.
"You put on silly voices and everything when reading to your own kids and they love it, but when you go into a school hall with lots of children who don't know you, and those children are giving you the same reaction and laughing and engaging with you about the characters, it's really exciting," she says.
"These kids don't know me, but they're still getting the same joy from these wee stories.
"We really got a phenomenal response from kids, parents and teachers and that gave me the confidence to pick one story and put it out there."
The latest venture with Eco-Schools also involved a little serendipity. While Yvonne was promoting a Weatherbies song book at a pop-up stand in Ballymena last November, a teacher approached her and asked if she knew about Eco-Schools as she thought they would be interested in her topics and themes.
"I thought it sounded great but never really thought anything would come of it," she recalls. "But she linked us up, we had a few meetings and it all went from there. Eco-Schools liked the messages from the Weatherbies and said while they had lots of resources for older children, there was a gap for younger pupils. They felt the Weatherbies books were a great way to introduce serious topics in a soft, fun way."
Are there more adventures to come? "Oh, yes - the Weatherbies are always in my head – a few nights ago I couldn't sleep, so I took my phone out and started writing another story. The next thing I knew it was half four in the morning – I had been writing for three hours. There is always another adventure waiting in the skies for the Weatherbies and I will always looking up to the clouds for inspiration. "
:: Ronny Rain Helps the Plants to Grow, illustrated by James Salinga, is out on October 24 . Details at weatherbies.co.uk
