<p>Nadia&#39;s got a new phone and she won&#39;t put it down for anyone. Not even Hamid.<br />
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Delightfully illustrated in full colour, this subtle treetop romance is a light-hearted look at communication in the digital age, but in a woodland context. Filled with delicious wordplay around mobile phones and social media, this is a highly relatable tale for... well, pretty much anybody, really.<br />
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Mobile devices aren&#39;t just a distraction for cute little owls, of course. I wrote this story on my own smartphone on my journey into work. I once missed my stop because I was so preoccupied with it. I&#39;ve also walked into pedestrians, many of whom were similarly absorbed. It&#39;s so annoying when people are glued to these tiny screens, not looking where they&#39;re going, isn&#39;t it? Well, this is the point of my story. Research suggests around half of us are so attached to our phones that we even use them on the toilet. I certainly spend an awful lot of time on my device (my phone, not my toilet). Too much time. It&#39;s become an extension of my very being.<br />
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On the surface, LOOOOOL! looks like a children&#39;s story, and it will appeal to the kids in your life because of Beth&#39;s endearing artwork. She is the 18-year-old student who has worked around her studies over the past year, painstakingly humouring such observations as 'I think I&#39;ve found an inconsistency in Hamid&#39;s toenails' or 'wormy&#39;s missing his poop on page 30'. While Beth&#39;s never done anything quite like this before, I think she has a great future, but you can make up your own mind about that. Either way, Nadia is a grown-up and her story is the perfect gift for those screen addicts in your life, young or old.<br />
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Not for the first time (but that&#39;s another story), Hand in Hand for Aid and Development will benefit from Nadia&#39;s escapades, receiving all profits arising from this venture. To find out more, and for the story behind the story, take a look at&nbsp;www.nadiaandhamid.com.</p><p>I am Nadia. You may well be Nadia. If not, you&#39;ll almost certainly know a Nadia. My story might be for them.</p>