8I
The Tuam tlerald
Local author's woodland
tales DVD a hit with young
critics at [Ieadford NS
By TONY GAIVIN
fun like
sugar-coating on
medicine.
THE Herald had the privilege
recenfly ofsitting in on a testaudience preview ofthe latest
Woodpecker Wood stories on
DVD which are the creation
of
Headford-based author
Wendy Wrest and her company Tichytale Productions.
Judging by the reaction of
junior critics at Headford NS
the stories hit all the right
notes with the four-plus age
group they're aimed at. There
was hardly a fidget discern-
able throughout the rapt
audience, many of whom are
already Woodpecker Wood
fans from previous presenta-
tions.
The first three stories in
the series will be available on
DYD next month and the second DVD will be out in September (see woodpeckerwood.com for details).
While the Woodpecker
Wood stories have what could
be described as basic moral
themes, not tolerating bullies,
don't accept what strangers
tell you, remember mother's
rules etc, they are not presented in a heavy-handed or
overly preachy tone. The
lessons are woven seamlessly
into the overall story lines
and absorbed along with the
The author is
Wendy
Hayes, writing under the penname of Wendy Wrest, who is
now based in Headford. A
published author and poet
she says she grew up in a
large Irish family in Britain
and from here she inherited
her love of
story-telling,
music and poetry.
A retted nurse and a great
was
prompted by the tragic Jamie
she
Bulger cases in 1993 to
grandmother
explore ways ofhelping chil-
dren understand the moral
aspects oflife.
At the time she was working with Hospital Radio and
narrating stories to keep the
children happy.
From unhappy origins
associated with the death of a
child something good and
positive grew and the Woodpecker Wood project was
born.
Doing research
with
schoolchilfuen and getting a
feel for how life is viewed
through the eyes ofthe child,
the wood and its array of
characters came into being.
When she retired to Headford in 2003 she carried on
with the theme and was
eneouraged by the reactibn of
local schoolchildren. Some
themes are universal and
timeless and few children can
resist the lure of an array of
gauge children's reactions it
became obvious that Woodpecker Wood was a hit with
its target market and the
furry creatures experiencing
the same little dilemmas and
junior critics wanted more of
ehallenges as well as playing
the same games they are
ents were equaUy enthusias-
familiar with from their own
lives.
The next step was to
engaged the services of a
graphic studio and a recording studio and develop a set of
six
animated adventure
DVDs complete with singalong songs and a dedicated
website www.woodpeckerwood.com
The productions feature
the voice of Headford singer
Amy Holden who contributes
two ballads and does the
voiceover for one ofthe wood-
Iand creatures,
Matthew
Mole.
Wendy's pilot D\rD was
premiered at the Baboro
International Arts Festival
for Children in Galway last
October and the reaction and
feedback was ov.erwhelm.
ingly positive.
Using questionnaires
to
the same. Teachers and partic.
"The chilfuen never seem
to tire of the stories and sub-
tle golden threads nestling
within them. We are seriously looking to produce
them in Irish in light ofthis
some time
in the future,"
Wendy said.
"The unique experience of
Woodpecker Wood in its sim-
plistic yet challenging uni-
versal presentation is that it
offers children precious,
much needed 'life rafts' and
the opportunity to understand and respect themselves,
their neighbours and
the
beautiful world in which we
are privileged to live," she
concluded.