Compassion. If there is any word I would hope to have associated with my forthcoming book, At My Door, it’s compassion. Because we all need more of it – in the way we view others; in the way we view ourselves. And children, with their beautiful open minds and sponge-like absorbability, are the perfect ones to approach with this message.

At My Door is a book for readers aged 7 to 11 about a toddler left alone on another family’s front door. The story is told from the point of view of a 10-year-old child in the receiving family. It’s based on a true story.

When I go into classrooms and libraries to talk about At My Door, as I will be this Children’s Book Week, I’ll be asking students, What is compassion? Has anyone ever shown you compassion? and Have you ever felt compassion? How does it make you feel?

I think these are questions we can all ask ourselves.