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Being different is ok! That's what makes us shine.'
Meet Fletcher and his friends! They all have different abilities and a special outlook on life. 'A Friend Like Mine' is a special book that explores the upside of being DIFFERENT.
Samantha Warne is a Disability Support Worker and musician from Perth, Western Australia. Samantha has found joy in combining her passion for music, drama and creative writing with her career as a support worker. She loves to empower her clients through the dramatic arts and loves exploring new creative way to help them thrive as active members of the community. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. In her spare time, Samantha sings in her cover band Eden Fire. She loves playing music, going to the beach, going camping with friends, travelling and eating.Â
In 2017, Samantha was nominated for an award at the WA Disability Support Awards and received runner-up in her category for Excellence in Individual Support. This year, she has been nominated for an award in Excellence in Advocacy and Rights Promotion.Â
A Friend Like Mine was written as a dedication to her client Fletcher Garrett, a young boy who lives with cerebral palsy. One of Samantha and Fletchers favourite things to do together is read books. While supporting Fletcher, Samantha noticed that individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in childrens literature. A Friend Like Mine is ripe with characters living with disabilities. These disabilities are all implied, as Samantha chooses to focus on the strengths of the characters as a reminder to the reader that a disability should never define all a person is. Samantha felt that her book could help raise awareness and act as a tool to facilitate dialogues about social inclusivity and celebrating the strengths of those living with a disability. She hopes that this book empowers Fletcher (and others like him) to see his voice deserves to be heard.Â
You can find Samantha on her Facebook page Samantha J Warne, as well as her bands page Eden Fire.
Matt Howorth is a freelance British illustrator living in the north of England, specialising in character design for animation and children’s illustration. He graduated in 2015 with a First-Class Honours Degree in Illustration and Graphic Design. He has worked on multiple animation projects, including movies and cartoon TV shows.
He first fell in love with drawing after watching The Little Mermaid at his grandma’s house. He spent much of his childhood covering the living room floor in crayon drawings of mermaids and sea creatures.
Matt’s work has a focus on colour and shape, he likes to create designs that inspire a feeling of innocence and childhood playfulness. He isn’t precious about his linework, and usually likes imperfections in his drawing as it adds a hand-drawn quality to his digital pieces.
Along with drawing and creating, he likes marine biology, period dramas, and petting the neighbourhood cats. You can see his artwork on his website www.matthoworth.com and @matthoworth on Instagram.
