Omagh man brings familiar proverbs to life in new book

JOHN Magee doesn’t claim he is a man of divine insight, but his new children’s book does include 12 concise moral teachings.

The Holy Spirit did not appear to the Omagh man in a vision and whisper these wise words to him. No, they have been taught to him the same way they were taught to his parents, and their parents, and their parents before them; in the form of proverbs.

In his first children’s book, ‘Wisdom for Children’, John has taken 12 popular Irish proverbs and formed fables from them to help a new generation of children make the right decisions in life, by drawing on wisdom preserved in these ancient aphorisms.

“At some point every adult has found themselves dispensing sage-like advice to a child in the form of a tried and tested proverb,” said John.

If you consider this lazy parenting or a reversion to dogma, you have much to learn. John is not trotting out cliches, he is tapping into a cultural reservoir of wisdom which has been refined and distilled over millennia.

“There is no doubt that proverbs hold a very special place in our hearts because they represent wisdom passed with love and care from generation to generation – we dispense them to younger generations out of a desire to help and guide,” said John.

In his new book, the local author has taken 12 of our most cherished proverbs and brought them beautifully to life.

Each proverb has been cleverly crafted into a modern short story accompanied by delightful illustrations.

The result? A book that is entertaining and subtly educational.

Children grin at the illustrations, relate to the characters and absorb the lessons.

It is sure to become a firm favourite by teaching each young reader to understand and make sense of their interactions with others.

“I wanted to write a book for children which shows it is possible to be kind yet remain true to oneself.

John adds, “Giving a child the understanding to do both is the greatest wisdom we can gift to them and indeed society.”

If you know of a young reader aged five to nine-years-old, then Wisdom for Children will be a wonderful gift to be cherished and long remembered.

The book is available exclusively on Amazon with the electronic version priced at £2.99 and the paperback at £9.99.