MANY men tend to avoid their mother-in-law, but a cartoonist from Kennington has teamed up with his to publish a dyslexic-friendly children’s book.

Twenty-six years after Rob Overend began cartooning as a hobby aged 18, he has published his first illustrated book, which has been specially written to be dyslexic-friendly and encourages children to accept each other’s differences.

The book Horace Burp, Lizard Boy, written by the illustrator’s mother-in-law, author Christine Tennent, of Milton Keynes, centres on an eightyear- old boy who discovers he can change colour according to his mood and thinks he’s turning into a chameleon.

The boy struggles to cope at first but his new-found powers start to come in handy and he starts to embrace being different.

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The teacher at the Dragon School in North Oxford said: “The first book is all about him trying to deal with being different – and he eventually learns that being different is actually quite cool.

“It’s an important theme for children to accept one another’s differences.

At my school we are very lucky the children learn to celebrate cultural differences and the book reflects that a little bit.”

Oxford Mail:

One of Rob Overend's cartoons.

Keeping it in the family, the French and English teacher said he took inspiration from his daughters Isla, four, and Lana, two, for some of the book’s characters.

The 44-year-old said one of the characters was named after the nickname he gives his wife Laura, which he declined to reveal.

The father-of-two did divulge, however, how he used his role as a teacher to ensure the book was dyslexicfriendly.

Mr Overend said: “We did a lot of research and made it dyslexic-friendly in terms of the typeface and background, making it clear to read. The illustrations help in terms of how dyslexic children can put it in a box and help them understand the story.”

The teacher relished the chance to collaborate with his mother-in-law who he insisted was “not a dragon”.

Mrs Tennent, from Milton Keynes, has had several short stories and poems published but the family effort is her first published children’s story.

Mr Overend said: “It’s been brilliant, a real opportunity to get to know my mother-in-law a bit better.

My mother passed away five years ago and she’s been my mum ever since really.”

A real-life chameleon will be on hand to help launch the book, which is published by Circaidy Gregory Press, at the Jam Factory in Park End Street, Oxford on Sunday. The event, from 10am to noon, will feature readings, signings and activities.