Laura Henry-Allain on friends in deed

With the second book in the Maya & Marley series, Laura Henry-Allain returns to home turf to explore themes around friendship, empathy and community spirit

Laura Henry-Allain had a perfect vision of where she wanted to set her Maya & Marley series – an adventure playground. And she found inspiration in Hornimans Adventure Playground in North Kensington, a place she knew and loved during her own childhood.

“As a child, it was literally across the road,” she says. “A lot of the illustrations in the books mirror what actually goes on in Hornimans – and Hornimans has been going for over 60 years. They’ve always had a goat – when I was there, they had a goat called Arnold – and now they have two.”

Our central characters, brother and sister Marley and Maya, have the run of the most exciting place a child can be – it is their home – and this is a great springboard for stories full of play, fun activities and interesting characters. It’s especially relevant to her 4+ readership, embarking on those huge adventures that come with stepping out into the world of school and new friends.

The first book in the series, Maya & Marley and the Great Big Tidy Up launched in September 2024 and, of course, the launch party had to be at Hornimans. The guest list included school children from her old primary across the road, St Thomas’s, former school friends (primary and secondary) and even some former play workers. The mayor stopped by and a local pub did the food – it was a perfect community get-together.

Laura Henry-Allain on friends in deed — Maya and Marley help new arrival Kazuki to realise he is among friends and part of the community

How apt then, that in this this second book in the series, Maya & Marley and the New Friend, there’s a big community lunch happening. The sibling duo are there to meet and greet guests, but when a boy called Kazuki turns up, it soon becomes clear he’s very nervous. Between them, they help him stop worrying, start to relax and even join in with the fun.

We don’t know if Kazuki is shy, neurodivergent or simply overwhelmed by being without his Mum, but this brings plenty of talking points for children – whether they relate more to Maya and Marley or to Kazuki. A strong storyline and rich and detailed illustrations by Yabaewah Scott help children engage with words and pictures, and there’s no resisting the playground’s naughty goats Lou and Chou.

Simple and reassuring stories can open up the world for children and, with her background in early years teaching, consultancy, literacy, TV and books, Laura Henry-Allain always has a keen eye for the hooks that draw children into stories – she says they love to imagine themselves into a story.

She sees play, and the outdoor playground setting, as a really vital hook of this Ladybird series, because it’s what children aspire to even if it’s happening less than we’d like. “We know that children are now playing less and less outside,” she says. “We also know that with children now there are issues with physical development, problem solving – all these areas they should take with them into adulthood.”

“Your child is unique. They may just have one friend and that is OK – some children may be fine playing by themselves”

She certainly doesn’t blame parents for any of this. “There are multiple reasons why children aren’t playing outside as much, so it’s about how we can support parents. How can we be solution driven?” Reading about this wonderful world is surely one way to encourage children to broaden their horizons and see the outdoor environment as something to be explored and enjoyed.

We also know that the 4+ age-group go through seismic transitions – moving on to school, to formal learning, to meeting a whole raft of new people. So the idea of an open-to-all adventure playground supports the concept that new experiences can be fun and exciting.

That’s not to say Laura Henry-Allain is immune to the challenges transitions bring. She’s the mother of two adult sons, and her eldest is autistic, so knows that not every child copes the same in new situations. “We know ourselves as adults how intimidating that can be. But then, if we focus on the experience of a child who may be four or five, that can be quite daunting. Imagine that for a child who may not even have language, a child who is just learning verbal skills or a child who may be neurodivergent.”

There are notes at the back to support parents and caregivers and help them to teach children to express big emotions – including the negative ones. “It actually is OK to feel sad sometimes, but it’s what you do with that. A child who is angry or sad may decide to throw a chair, but we want to support them to regulate their emotions,” she says. “When we’re talking about being school ready, I always say it’s about giving children the skills for life – that they are able to regulate their emotions. Yes, they are feeling sad, but they can verbally share that they are feeling that way with others.”

Kazuki, the new boy in this story, doesn’t say too much, but enough through words and actions for his anxiety to be recognised by Maya and Marley, who then try to help. It’s a great lesson for young readers in empathy and kindness through actions. Laura Henry-Allain believes stories have to have elements that resonate – and that means they have to have heart.

She has reassurance for parents preparing their child for those big and sometimes scary transitions to nursery, school and beyond. First, while it’s a quite natural parental response, comparison with other children doesn’t help – every child is different and socialising comes easier to some than others. “Your child is unique. They may just have one friend and that is OK. And sometimes, even if that child isn’t neurodivergent, some children may be fine playing by themselves,” she says.

She thinks we should make sure to remind children of their strengths. “Everybody has something to offer. Some children may be really good at cooking, at football, at cricket. Or sometimes it may just be that you are a really good friend.”