A LLANDYSUL author is launching her first children’s book aimed at giving youngsters ‘a travel experience’.

Heather Summers, of Tregroes, has written ‘The Voyage Of Van Rouge’ about a journey in an old camper van from west Wales across Europe to a remote Greek island.

“I wrote this book to give children a travel experience as travel is very important for us to know who we are in the world and to promote tolerance and harmony between nations and cultures,” she said.

“The world has changed and such journeys are much more difficult for most in a post-Brexit and pandemic world.

“'The Voyage Of Van Rouge’ is based on personal experience and is one for the girl power generation, highlighting entrenched attitudes about women and girls.

“There is also a recycling/upcycling theme throughout the book: more and more items are found along the journey that can be used later for the dream of building a tiny home in the sun.

“As a musician, who has travelled to many countries to perform, I wanted my book to reflect my lifestyle.

“My vegetable characters, Sweet P and Pumpkin, go on an exciting, hilarious and often calamitous road trip from west Wales through many countries and they ultimately end up in Greece.

“The story is based on many road trips and true adventures; we really did buy a clapped-out old camper van and travel thousands of foreign miles across Europe.”

Sweet P and Pumpkin are based on fiddle player Heather and her long-time, clowning friend and former partner who gave the title to the book.

In 2013, they bought an old camper van and named it Van Rouge, and after many adventurous road trips, ended up on the Greek island of Lesvos where they performed.

Very quickly they fell in love with the island and purchased a ‘ruin on a rock’, and eventually turned it into their simple dream house.

Heather will be having a launch featuring readings and children’s fun activities at the book shop and storytelling centre ‘Nyth Y Robyn’ in Llandysul this weekend.

‘The Voyage of Van Rouge’ is published by Candy Jar Books.