Meghan, but not Meghan

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202106/medium-499526-1623080540-817-first-look-at-meghan-markles-childrens-book-the-bench.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202106/medium-923535-first-look-at-meghan-markles-childrens-book-the-bench.jpg

Just in case anyone is interested, it is book launch day today. Here's a few more pages.
I go back to what I said before, the illustrations are ok, but the text leaves a lot to be desired.

Anniebach

Kate’s book ‘Hold Still’ is doing well in best seller list, no publicly as given to Meg’s

Kate didn’t write the NPG book!

Her mistake may have been to write it herself rather than let a ghost writer do it, as many celebrities do.
It is amateurish but her own.

Trisher’s right, it’s mostly about money nowadays. I’ve done a bit of ghost writing in the past. It’s a two way thing though. A manuscript rejected under your own name will be published under a well known name. I chose that rather than have it languish in a drawer?

The test of a good book for young children is if it can be read aloud successfully, which is where so many authors in this genre fail.

The publishing industry is not about producing works of art or well written books, it's about selling books. A publisher may well have approached her about writing a book for children because there is money in it.They do it with celebs all the time.

I agree Beswitched in fact when Madonna published a children’s book some years ago, our local bookshop had a vast table loaded with them, it was all they cared about selling.
It’s understandable for them to want to make money, but disappointing when there is so much really good literature for children out there.
The only thing that’s a good outcome, is when it’s done for charity.Maybe this one will be, there is nothing to say so as yet.

lemongrove

suziew is riding her favourite hobby horse again...this time it’s any criticism of a book written by Meghan M, but it could be anything really, any hint or sniff that MM is less than utter perfection is met with a barrage of high dudgeon ( I’ll give you hyperbole!)?

Having read a bit of it I agree with (I think it was grandmatte)
Who said it was Rupert Bear-ish doggerel.It certainly won’t entertain a child of any age, but celeb books sell to their fans, who tend to buy anything or lap anything up that they say.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear as ever your posts about me are completely inaccurate - I have nowhere praised MMs book bu you think you can just say what you want about me whether it’s true or not, Your posts attacking me get sillier snd sillier. You seem to think that posting makes it true. It doesn’t . Your post says a lot but not about me.

Yes I hate this attitude that children's books require less talent and literary flair than adult's books. It's totally untrue as any publisher or agent will tell you.
Anyone who thinks it's a fast track to getting published before writing a 'proper' book usually has an absolutely shit manuscript that no agent will touch.

Unfortunately an exception is often made for celebs whose mediocre and heavily edited offerings deny some beautiful books for children the opportunity to be published - shortchanging both talented writers and young readers.

MayBee70

I immediately felt irritated when I heard that Meghan had written a children’s book. It’s nothing personal about her but just famous people in general that have a child and then think they can just write a children’s book.

Yes, they don’t realise that it’s actually harder to write for children ( well written children's books anyway) than to write for adults, according to authors who do both.

suziew is riding her favourite hobby horse again...this time it’s any criticism of a book written by Meghan M, but it could be anything really, any hint or sniff that MM is less than utter perfection is met with a barrage of high dudgeon ( I’ll give you hyperbole!)?

Having read a bit of it I agree with (I think it was grandmatte)
Who said it was Rupert Bear-ish doggerel.It certainly won’t entertain a child of any age, but celeb books sell to their fans, who tend to buy anything or lap anything up that they say.

Anniebach

You manage it

Thank you <takes modest bow>

You manage it

Anniebach

Thank you being honest about your constant mocking suziewooze, you judge posters much more than posters judge Meg .

That would be a superhuman feat?

Thank you being honest about your constant mocking suziewooze, you judge posters much more than posters judge Meg .

Anniebach

Yes suziewoozie the constant mocking of posters opinions, so poisonous, just to defend a liar , some on those threads find lies
impossible to ignore or defend .

Mock, mock mock of MM. Gossip, libel, speculation, meanness, unkindness .

Yes suziewoozie the constant mocking of posters opinions, so poisonous, just to defend a liar , some on those threads find lies
impossible to ignore or defend .

Anniebach

drip, drip,drip, drip.

Yes - just like the poisonous drips on all MM threads

drip, drip,drip, drip.

Anniebach

Yes Elliane keeps them in the public eye

Well stone the proverbial crows, celebrities want to be kept in the public eye? Well I never. Whatever next.

Yes Elliane keeps them in the public eye

Anniebach

Quite a number of ‘celebrities’ have written books in the last
14 months,

That's maybe because they haven't been allowed to get out there due to covid Annie so they find something else to keep themselves relevant!

Quite a number of ‘celebrities’ have written books in the last
14 months,

Every single word has to be absolutely perfect and work in tandem with the pictures.
Most important Beswitched.

I immediately felt irritated when I heard that Meghan had written a children’s book. It’s nothing personal about her but just famous people in general that have a child and then think they can just write a children’s book.

Ellianne

In the world of literature, isn't it more commendable for an author to write about topics they truly believe in, such as in the case of HRH Princess Michael of Kent - conservation, endangered species, kings and queens in history etc. I believe she also did lectures on the subjects. To me it shows far greater maturity than a celebrity writing a few pages of drivel in a children's book.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that writing a children's book is a simple task, as JK Rowling admits. It just seems that several celebrities choose this easier option, which demands far less literary skill, just to make a fast buck or to further their image.

Anyone in the industry will tell you that children's books are one of the hardest genres of all and picture books are considered the hardest books to get right.
Every single word has to be absolutely perfect and work in tandem with the pictures.
Children's literature is certainly not the easy option in the world of writing that many believe it to be. It may look deceptively simple because of the talent of the author. But put a Julia Donaldson book beside one like Meghan Markle's and they are probably worlds apart (based on the bit I've seen of Megan's which shows no particular flair)