The Children’s Magical Taxi Tour is a unique charity event when a convoy of licensed London taxis take over 200 children suffering from chronic debilitating illnesses on a three-day trip of a lifetime to Disney Paris. The event is organised annually by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers.
Following the ‘Big Breakfast’ send off, at The East Wintergarden, Canary Wharf. The Lord Mayor led City Livery Masters, Sponsors and a huge army of supporters to wave goodbye to each and every London Taxi and the precious and excited children on their way on a ‘trip of a lifetime’. It is an inspiration to see a charitable initiative come to life in such to a direct and positive way.
Michael Walter, a local author from Hythe, agreed to donate 200 copies of his latest children’s book, ‘The Buzzy Way to Write a Book’, A book created for primary school children to encourage reading, stimulate imagination and develop creative writing skills. This is, perhaps, the perfect book for children as they prepare for their summer holidays as an inspiration for the stories they might write and for ‘rainy day’ pages to colour just for fun.
After a long career managing global brands, Michael has developed a second career as the author of Children’s Books, which occupies much of his time both in writing and publishing his books and also visiting Primary Schools to read the stories to the children.
The National Literary Trust report finds that author visits to schools boost children and young people’s literacy. The STATS show that they are twice as likely to read above their expected level for their age and more likely to enjoy reading and writing.
Michael knows from direct experience of Author visits that the BuZZY Friends have found their way into the hearts and minds of the many children who have discovered them. Parents of young children ‘on the autism spectrum’ have informed us that their children enjoy our books, possibly finding comfort in both the verse and the dispensation of advice by animal characters?
The BuZZy books are written in inspirational verse and beautifully illustrated. The BuZZy Friends stories see four animal characters; Harty the Hedgehog; Treacle the Kitten; Garlanda Goose and Officer Buzzle the Bee; guide children through a variety of experiences in their own special way. The ‘BuZZy Code’, featured in each book, is a gentle guide to good behaviour, encouraging children to be nice people too! The ‘inside story’ about the word ‘BuZZy’ and how we came to write books for children with details of the BuZZy books can be found on the BuZZy Friends website.
Michael Walter said ‘It is a great privilege to make a small contribution to the Magical Taxi Tour and the see the joy on the faces of these beautiful children’.
Phillip Davis, founder of the charity, said ‘What a lovely book and it is such a generous offer that I am sure the children on our trip will love to read and colour. Hopefully it will encourage them in their story writing too.’