Jonathan’s Tales, Volume 1

Jonathan's Tales, Volume 1, is a compilation of 11 magical bedtime stories told verbally to

my 6-year-old son recorded on my Android phone. They are enhanced written transpositions

from the unedited audio version numbering nearly 100 recorded stories. The Tales, purely a

product of my imagination, came to life after my son's bedtime toilette, and he, snuggled in bed,

arbitrarily drew from his head a binary subject and allowed me several minutes to ponder a story.

The stories gave me much pleasure to bequeath to my son who often interacted with

the stories; sometimes vociferously protesting at the outrageous actions of the occasional

villainous characters therein; sometimes being so enthralled with the storyline he remained

quiet until the end, and, not infrequently as I came to the story's d矇nouement, I heard a

gentle buzzing sound as my son had fallen into deep slumber. I could not love my son more

than I did at such times.

Of the 100 or so Tales located firmly in the magical realism genre I have chosen 11 to

publish initially. They span a broad range of subjects. Within these subjects a degree of

poetic license has been inevitably exercised in respect to real world facts, requiring the more

discerning reader to temporarily suspend their belief.

I told the stories to my son with three main aims: entertainment, of which

he, by his reactions recorded seemingly derived much pleasure; erudition, to increase his

knowledge on specific items of facts, or to whet his appetite to seek out more information (the

notations referenced at the end of the book for each Tale act as a starting aid); finally, didactic,

a way of subtly introducing a broader morality into my son's world on an array of subjects

from the power of love and friendship, of kindness and honesty, and also the importance

of inclusivity recognising we are all different. There was however, one other thing I deemed

essential to convey to my son. In Jonathan's Tales across a number of stories told, I tried to

gift my son an understanding that in each and every one of us there are by differing degrees

what I might call human weakness. Acknowledging such weakness, an acknowledgment that

sometimes can originate from within, but in many instances through the love and kindness of

others, individuals may find a power and strength to transform their lives for the better, if you

will, becoming better versions of themselves, versions of themselves that were always meant to

be. It is this final aspiration I wish and hope all my readers will see in my stories to my son.

One final note, Volume1 might be nominally seen as a Middle Grade children's

literary work, and yet it admits an eclectic age range. Not only

children, but teenagers and adults have reported back on Volume 1 their absolute

delight. I seek the reader's forgiveness in final close to this foreword, by copying a

genuine comment from one reader, which I trust, gives due credence to the assertion

that Jonathan's Tales has a broader relevance in all our lives and to be enjoyed as such:

"You are never too old to enjoy a good story."