A HALSTEAD woman is celebrating the launch of her first book.

Mum-of-two Sara Prince, 45, introduced Lum to a group of more than 100 parents and children at the Queen’s Hall in the town with a series of fun games and activities.

The children hunted for pictures of the eponymous monster around the venue, made model homes for him and created drawings and paintings of monsters from their own imaginations.

It was the first time that many of the guests had the opportunity to hear the tale of how Lum seemingly enjoys frightening people until the children join together to take a stand – only to discover that he is not so nefarious after all.

The story developed from a rhyme Mrs Prince, writing as Josie Dom, told her two children - ten-year-old Oliver and Abigail, seven.

Her husband Jean-Pierre Carraud, 46, a project manager, created the illustrations for the book under the pen name Nic Phine.

The book has a strong anti-bullying theme, inspired by Mrs Prince own experience of the devastating effects of being bullied as both a child and an adult.

She said: “I hope that if a child is in a difficult situation, they will understand from my book that they don't have to keep it to themselves, they should tell someone about it and get help.

“By working together with other people you can overcome your fears, whether that is of being bullied, or something else."

The launch party, held on April 9, also raised £25 for the Halstead and Sudbury branch of the National Childbirth Trust, along with a further £110 from book sales, which supported Mrs Prince through her pregnancies.

*Lum is priced at £6.99 and is aimed for children seven and up.

It is available from josiedom.co.uk or Head Street Gallery, in Head Street, Halstead.