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 dénouement, 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."
