Behind the Scenes of “The Little Tail”
The Little Tail. Written and Illustrated by Sonja Vahasaari. Purchase Little Tail here.
The Little Tail - a story of a little dolphin discovering that her uniqueness is actually her magic.
What inspired me to write this book? Why dolphins?
This is a story I wrote for us. A story that I’ve observed in many schools, kindergartens, workplaces, friendship groups.. It is a story that touches many as many of us have experienced bullying, being left out, feeling insecure, comparison, not feeling good enough. Personally, it took me years to accept and celebrate my unique traits which was a big inspiration behind writing this story for the children of the now & of the future.
The Little Tail is about embracing our uniqueness. The main character is a young dolphin that has a small and curvy tail that has made her feel insecure. She compares herself into the “cool dolphin crew” that seem so perfect in her eyes (they’re wearing chains and caps and you know - all the cool things). Without spoiling the end of the book, the Little Tail experiences a surprising event that changes her mindset and life. The whole book is designed, illustrated and written by me.
Even though it is a children’s book I wanted to pick a theme that resonates with the person reading the story too. I wanted to write and illustrate about a topic that many of us experience in our lives: social pressure and insecurities. I reversed few social settings in the book to share a deeper message together with the theme of self-love and connection. Why this theme? I have been in Little Tail’s boots few times in my life and after overcoming my insecurities I want to share this story with others. Maybe hearing this from a young age might help in building self confidence and embracing our unique traits.
I am aiming to get The Little Tail into Australian (and potentially global) education system! I feel like it could help many. Few schools and stores are already waiting for their copies - its so cute, I am so excited!
And why dolphins?
They have always been my top favorite animals because of their joyful essence and play in the big blue.