About the Book
Victoria’s Busy Day.
Victoria is looking forward to a day in the sun, helping Mr Andrews, the farmer, to bring in the grain from the fields. She is excited to see her friend Albert, who is also helping with the job. But a surprise is in store when Victoria discovers something unexpected in the barn! What will it be, and how will Victoria react?
This series of children’s books is bringing Britain’s steam-powered past to life, and delighting readers of all ages. Victoria’s Torton Tales tell the story of a road-going, steam-powered traction engine, who works in and around the fictional English town of Torton. Through her adventures, Victoria the traction engine helps her friends to achieve their goals, as well as showing what a traction engine does and how it works.
Created by Hampshire-based children’s author Wendy Wakelin, Victoria’s Torton Tales are huge hits with children aged 3 to 9 years old. Older generations also enjoy reading the stories to younger family members. The books create a pastoral image of Britain from the past, bringing children’s imaginations into play and helping them understand the world as it was before the advent of today’s technology. The themes of friendship, doing your best and helping one another also run through each story.
With loveable characters and charming settings, it is little wonder that these books are proving so popular. Author Wendy said: “Parents and grandparents alike have commented that their children love these books. I’m delighted.”
These delightful books feature beautiful, colourful illustrations and come in large format, making it easier for children to read them with parents or grandparents. The sweet world of Torton can be brought to life when reading becomes a family event, helping children to discover a love of books from an early age.
Victoria’s Torton Tales become even more appealing when you learn that some of the characters are real! The character, Victoria, is based on a real steam traction engine named Victoria, which was built in 1886, and originally owned by the real-life Mr Seward in Hampshire, UK. Author Wendy Wakelin and her family have owned the real Victoria since 2002, and today she makes guest appearances at steam events in the UK, bringing delight across the generations. This offers fans of the books the opportunity to meet the real Victoria, transporting them to the world of Torton and bringing the stories to life even more!
With several successful children’s book series concentrating on elements of the past, Victoria’s Torton Tales builds on this tradition, introducing young readers to the world of steam traction engines, which worked on roads and farms, rather than the railway. This enables the author to position Victoria in a wider variety of settings, helping children to gain a better understanding of the past while still being able to relate to the characters in the present. The timeless themes of friendship and the importance of trying hard are relevant to readers of all ages, and new readers are consistently discovering and enjoying this joyful series.
About the Author :
Wendy Wakelin grew up in the small market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England, and has always been surrounded with old machinery. From about 6 weeks old, Wendy was taken to Steam and Vintage shows and rallies across the South of England. Her father, David Rose, had a collection of early British Motorcycles and petrol and paraffin stationary engines which he would exhibit at the shows.
As Wendy grew up, she admired the steam Traction Engines on display at the shows, and always thought how wonderful it would be to own a Traction Engine!
Fast forward to Wendy's mid-teens and the beginning of her relationship with, her now-husband, Lloyd. Lloyd's great, great grandfather, Walter Seward, had started a successful Threshing and Haulage business in 1886 with the purchase of a Marshall Agricultural Traction Engine. At the peak of the firm, it had 13 engines. With the passing of Walter's son, James, in 1970 the last three remaining Traction Engines, including the one purchased in 1886 to start the business, and the entire contents of their Victorian Workshop, were sold off.
In 1996 Wendy and Lloyd met the original engine Walter Seward bought in 1886. The engine was called "Victoria". They stayed in contact with the owners, Peter and Shirley Fagg, and attended shows a few times a year to have the chance of a go on "Victoria".
Come 2002 "Victoria" was for sale and Wendy and Lloyd decided they wanted her back in the family once more. It was now that Wendy's two sons, Jack and Harry, were smitten by the steam engine bug. A bit like Wendy, they were both relatively young when they were introduced to the world of steam shows and rallies, and they loved the freedom.
It was a few months after buying "Victoria" that Wendy wrote the first two stories about "Victoria" and these were regularly read to Jack and Harry, who thoroughly enjoyed them.
The years passed, the boys grew up, and the stories got put in a box in a cupboard. Lloyd happened upon the stories, and it was decided it was time to let other boys and girls enjoy them as much as Jack and Harry had. That was the beginning of "Victoria's Torton Tales".
Review :
Mary Stubbington - Fan Review - Olivia and Isla both love the book!! Two ardent fans Xxx; Victoria Rose - Fan Review - Fab books x; Wendy Dawes - Fan Review - Brilliant books my 3 year old loves them.; Valerie Bull - Fan Review - My granddaughter loves these books awaiting next.; Julia Hartley-Neal - 5 out of 5 - Facebook Review - We love reading Victoria's Torton Tales for bedtime snuggles with our son.; Fiona Horsfall - 5 Stars - Google Review: We bought the story books... they're great quality books! We're sure our grandson will love them.; Gareth Down - 5 Stars - Google Review: My little boy loves the stories and the illustrations are fantastic. Highly recommended these books.; Richard Silk - 5 Stars - Google Review: ...I bought these books for my young grandchildren. Both boys and girls love them. Bedtime reading now. So different to the crash bang wallop of modern day. Looking forward to the next instalment.
