Mulligan wrote the book in 2005 when her sons were aged eight and 10 during a challenging time when it was all she could do to find the silly mum inside herself.
“Writing it, I drew on memories of my own mum, as well as my own mothering style,” Mulligan said.
A former newspaper editor, journalist, children’s curriculum writer and magazine editor, Mulligan has had a varied career in writing but My Silly Mum is her first children’s book.
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READ NOWMulligan said that writing content that engaged children was all about making the story fun to read and hear.
“You have to understand how children think – what makes them laugh, what makes them interact with the story.”
“They don’t want to be talked down to and it’s not my job to moralise,” Mulligan said.
Describing the process of writing a book, Mulligan said that it all started with an idea, but that there were some differences when it came to a children’s book.
“With a picture book, I have to keep a few things in mind, such as not using words where pictures will do and considering the target market,” she said.
The whole experience of taking something from an idea to a reading has been immensely rewarding for Mulligan.
“Until you experience it for yourself, you can only imagine how it feels to have children laughing and interacting as you tell the story you’ve written.”
“Reading to 60-plus children and watching them smile reminded me why I write and how much I’ve always enjoyed working with children,” she said.
My Silly Mum can be purchased from Amazon and Booktopia, plus Rockingham Books and serenitypress.org.