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Stuff

a Poetic Tale of Hoarding

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Stuff the Story

In this section, learn more about the story, the characters, the author and the story's growing relevance in addressing a number of key issues facing us in today's world.

  • Stuff is a visually rich, fun adventure, set to rhyme and in a Scottish castle, that revolves around the lives of Lord and Lady McStash and their daughter, Flora, each with a very different attitude towards accumulating stuff. The story explores multiple themes - the ups and downs of hoarding clutter, the resourcefulness of children, entrepreneurship, the value of experiences over materialism, the natural environment and, not least, the power of love!

    girl with brown hair and yellow dress runs along beach with Scottish Castle in background

  • Jonathan Findlay is a published writer (of cultural and travel articles), editor and translator as well as a keen poet. He is Scottish and his capacity for original thought enables him to create stories with plenty of unexpected yet intriguing twists and turns when challenged with requests for spontaneous imaginary bedtime stories over the years.

    Jonathan has spent most of his career promoting Scottish tourism and culture internationally and it is from these experiences that he draws much of his inspiration.

    Enhanced by a strong environmental awareness, Jonathan’s work is rarely without eco-friendly messages, whether obvious or subliminal, and his penchant for wordplay will often add another layer of enjoyment for his readers.

    Stuff is Jonathan’s first adventure into the world of children’s story-writing and the text is entirely of his own creation without any AI involved. He hopes you enjoy it and is planning more Stuff is to follow!

    a humorous 3D airbrush illustration of a happy middle-aged author with brown wavy hair, sl

  • Stuff is a delightful Spring clean for the mind, that will appeal to children (6+) and adults alike!

    With Stuff, Jonathan has turned clutterly into utterly endearing. His delightful characters and original storyline will appeal to a diverse audience, including the Celtic diaspora, stargazers, beachgoers, birdwatchers and lovers of the great outdoors! Stuff will feel as at home on the shelves for children’s bedtime picture books as on those for adult light entertainment!

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  • A middle-aged couple and their elegant adult daughter approach the front door of a Castle

    Suff contains over 100 images, all of which have been crafted by Jonathan with the support of AI provided by Canva, Runway and Microsoft Designer. Some of the images Jonathan has retouched especially some hands and faces that are among the most challenging aspects for AI to create.

    In order to achieve a high level of continuity, especially in the portrayal of the characters, the quality of the AI prompts has been essential. Jonathan had initially sought illustrators to provide the work, and it remains his wish to create an entirely organic edition, and invites illustrators to put themselves forward for consideration (see Join Stuff section).

  • Stuff offers stacks of valuable vocabulary, mixed with heaps of humour and mental stimulation. Stuff will help readers to prioritise what is important in life and provide parents and teachers with a collection of activities and thought-provoking themes for discussion.

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a row of sleeping birds on a branch at nighttime above a deer and a fox both curled up asl

Discuss Stuff

This section is primarily for parents and teachers to discuss topics raised or evoked by the story, such as hoarding, materialism, decluttering and repurposing and the impact they might have upon society and the environment.​

    1. Do you feel Iona was right to accumulate so much Stuff?​

    2. What impact can hoarding have upon members of the person's family and entourage?​

    3. Are you a hoarder? If not, perhaps someone you know is a hoarder? What sort of items do you or they collect? Are the items stored tidily or messily?

    4. What might be the principal risks of Hoarding? Which other emergency services might need to be called upon and why?​

    5. What do the types of items or the locations of where they are stored tell us about the person's character?​

    6. Can you think of any other animals that tend to hoard Stuff? What might be their motivation and how successful are they in their endeavours?

    Humorous Airbrush 3D Illustration of a happy woman with long brown hair and wearing a yell

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    Humorous Airbrush 3D Illustration of a happy woman with long brown hair and wearing a yell

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A Scottish Highland coastal landscape at daybreak with much, including forest and pond, st

Discover Stuff

Here you can discover more about Scotland and various subjects mentioned in the story, including ways in which you can help to protect the planet and to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.

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    close-up comical airbrush 3D illustration of a smiling freckled ginger-haired girl dressed
a row of sleeping birds on a branch at nighttime above a deer and a fox both curled up asl

Join Stuff

There are various ways in which you can get involved. For instance, recommending Stuff to your local school, library or community inviting the author for a reading and book signing, provide feedback, follow and share on social media, or even pitch to be the illustrator of the next edition!

    1. Do you feel Iona was right to accumulate so much Stuff?​

    2. What impact can hoarding have upon members of the person's family and entourage?​

    3. Are you a hoarder? If not, perhaps someone you know is a hoarder? What sort of items do you or they collect? Are the items stored tidily or messily?

    4. What might be the principal risks of Hoarding? Which other emergency services might need to be called upon and why?​

    5. What do the types of items or the locations of where they are stored tell us about the person's character?​

    6. Can you think of any other animals that tend to hoard Stuff? What might be their motivation and how successful are they in their endeavours?

    Humorous Airbrush 3D Illustration of a happy woman with long brown hair and wearing a yell

    1. X

    Humorous Airbrush 3D Illustration of a happy woman with long brown hair and wearing a yell

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Close-up of a British Police Chief Constable consults his notebook in front of a Scottish

Legal Stuff

Here you will find all the information regarding copyright, artwork and publishing, as well as the terms of use, privacy policy and terms and conditions of sale.

    1. Do you feel Iona was right to accumulate so much Stuff?​

    2. What impact can hoarding have upon members of the person's family and entourage?​

    3. Are you a hoarder? If not, perhaps someone you know is a hoarder? What sort of items do you or they collect? Are the items stored tidily or messily?

    4. What might be the principal risks of Hoarding? Which other emergency services might need to be called upon and why?​

    5. What do the types of items or the locations of where they are stored tell us about the person's character?​

    6. Can you think of any other animals that tend to hoard Stuff? What might be their motivation and how successful are they in their endeavours?

    Humorous Airbrush 3D Illustration of a happy woman with long brown hair and wearing a yell

    1. X

    Humorous Airbrush 3D Illustration of a happy woman with long brown hair and wearing a yell

    1. X

    1. X

    1. X

Airbrush of an elegant woman with a yellow bow in her long brown hair visiting a store whe
Airbrush of an elegant woman with a yellow bow in her long brown hair visiting a store whe

Get Stuff

Here, you can discover the various print and digital formats in which Stuff is available, or soon to become available, and how to acquire your own copy! You can even pre-order the book in paperback at an early-bird rate!

    1. Stuff consists of 64 illustrated pages 

    2. Stuff will be available for purchase in both hardback and paperback versions by print-on-demand.

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Activity Stuff

Another great thing about Stuff, is that it's not just a story. It has the potential to become a vibrant  ecosystem, consisting of a community, nourished by verse, imagery and discussion, and interacting with each other, with nature and with the future. Here, you will discover plenty of ideas for activities and you are also welcome to suggest other suitable activities that we can add to the list.

    1. Iona sure collected a lot of Stuff, didn't she?! Were you able to find each object in the pictures as they were mentioned in the story?

    2. Did you find the miniature Sphynx?

    3. How many different categories of household objects (indoors and outdoors) are mentioned in the story?

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    1. Did you notice how the portrayal of the characters visually evolved with the story?

    2. What might be the significance of the timing of their evolution?

    3. And what of the significance of their names?

    4. Did you notice the transition of Lady McStash back to her childhood?

    5. Have you determined her favourite colour?

    A middle-aged couple and their elegant adult daughter approach the front door of a Castle

    1. In the story, items are repurposed to create the Stuff Mountain Theme Park. Choose an item, perhaps from your school or home (with your teacher or parent's approval and supervision) and come up with ideas as to how you can re-purpose it to give it a new life or allure.

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    1. Every poem, with the exception of free verse, has structure, however these structures can differ greatly in meter, rhythm, rhyme scheme and lines. Familiarise yourself with the various forms of poetry and try to identify Stuff's poetic structure.

    Close-up of a British Police Chief Constable consults his notebook in front of a Scottish

    1. The Environment needs our help. Join or form a group with your school, friends or family to collect litter (under supervision) from a beach or area in need of attention. Afterwards, find out if your sense of accomplishment makes you want to clear more.

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    1. There is a wealth of wildlife to be discovered in our gardens, parks and countryside. Perhaps sign up to a national survey, such as the Big Garden Birdwatch organised by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in the UK, to share your findings.

    2. What is the official term for the study of birds?

    a handsome ginger-bearded man with a wide moustache sits in a tree studying birds with Sco

    1. In addition to identifying the major constellations, there are other simple activities that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home or school, such as creating a pinhole camera to map the trajectory of the sun or spotting and tracking the International Space Station (ISS).

    A man with a red beard and moustache, his wife in a yellow dressing gown and their daughte

    1. Did you know you can make butter from shaking or blending cream? Half-fill a clean jar with heavy cream and make sure the lid is well sealed before you shake it! After 5-10 minutes, butter will form. Squeeze out the liquid. If you use Organic cream, you can make Organic butter, just like Iona’s!

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    1. Like Flora, are you a mountaineer at heart? With the right equipment, supervision and weather conditions, you will discover that Hillwalking has so many benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. Make sure you take enough drinking water with you, as well as suitable clothing and footwear.

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