When you’re feeling a little rundown, what helps you to feel better? Perhaps it’s fresh air, maybe it’s a lovingly cooked hot dinner, but what can the doctor do to make your illness go away?

In this healing and heartwarming tale from Nick Stebbings, Doctor Ray must treat three magical (and very familiar) patients but doesn’t prescribe them with the regular medicine. For these patients, Doctor Ray has to try something new – but what can Doctor Ray do instead?

To find out, we spoke with Nick about his storytelling, about his influences and how his time as a teacher has helped him understand the needs of children and allowed him to communicate with them more effectively.

The first thing that will strike readers about your work is your inventive, playful and imaginative writing style. How has your storytelling developed overtime and how have your three children influenced your work?

There is something so special about reading a book to a young child. Even from a very young age, the physical contact you share with them, when they snuggle into you or sit on your lap. The delight in looking at the pictures and pointing at things they recognise. I remember one time when one my sons was just learning to speak, and the word ‘bamboo’ was in a story. He was in absolute hysterics over this word and kept trying to repeat the sound and elongating the ‘oo’ at the end. Just saying the word ‘bamboo’ in a slightly different voice would have him in fits for about a year.

Reading to my children has always been one of my most favourite activities to do. So often in life, as a parent, I am running around trying to do two things at once or being distracted by my phone when my children want my attention. I have always found reading a story to my children a time where a real connection occurs. This is when I started writing. Nothing that I thought would go anywhere but just silly rhymes, to help us share a moment together. After a while, the rhymes became longer and slowly a few of them turned into stories. When I thought more seriously about trying to write a story that I felt brave enough to send to a publisher, I bought a number of books to help understand the structure and format that they needed to be in. I also did the BBC Maestro course by Julia Donaldson on Writing Children’s Picture Books - which was invaluable. I have probably started about 30 different short stories or have mapped out ideas.

I wanted to write something that was to touch on well-being, as I think it is such an important topic, but I wanted to do it in a fun way and make it accessible for the youngest readers as well as something that adults would want to read. To make the story engaging I felt having recognisable characters was important. Having read so many illustrated books, you become aware of certain themes. For instance, three events or characters that are introduced through the story is very common, the repetition of certain phrases, sentences where children can call out. I worked carefully to try and incorporate these into the story of Doctor Ray and Her Magical Patients. I was also quietly very pleased to get some numerical facts into the story being a Maths teacher!

Whilst your story follows Doctor Ray, an important adviser to her magical patients, you yourself have an equally important profession as a teacher. How has your time teaching taught you about the needs of children and how you can help improve their everyday lives?

I am not saying anything new, but life is hard and challenging for teenagers and children these days. Working in a secondary school you see the challenges that they have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I strongly believe that mobile phones, in terms of social media - what it has done to attention span and not allowing kids to disconnect from the world - is something that really needs to be addressed.

It is not their fault. I think they learn the habits of a mobile phone from an incredibly young age, as they are copying what they have seen from their grown-ups. I can think of so many times when my children want my attention, and I am distracted by my phone, or I am trying to listen to them tell me something important whilst I am doing something else on my phone. Often this could be responding to emails, or sorting out a payment for one of their clubs, etc. But they don’t know that. All they see is that the phone is forever present and often takes precedent over the physical person that is in the room with them. So, when they get a phone themselves, they mimic this behaviour. However, they are not replying to emails, instead mindlessly scrolling on social media.

I think working in a secondary school as a maths teacher, my role is so much more than teaching them Maths. Maths is the currently the most popular A-Level in the country, but I know very few people use trigonometry or solve quadratics in their day to day lives. So why is it so popular? It is not the content being learnt in the lessons that is important (well that is to pass your exams) but the skills that are being developed. In Maths, this is the art of developing problem-solving and attention to detail. This is not just the case in Maths, but it’s true for all subjects. If you think back to school and the content you learnt in a subject, hardly anyone uses the explicit content for their day-to-day lives or for work – it might be good for the odd pub quiz! Hopefully, everyone is using the skills they developed at school in their work or personal lives.

Outside of the classroom, I think is when you can really build positive relationships with pupils and hopefully be there for them if they want or need any advice or support. You never know what a pupil is going through in terms of their family situation, friendships, or on social media, so trying to remain a constant for them and letting them know you are there for them is a role that I take seriously.

You've previously shared with us that your Dad used to write silly poems for you growing up. Do any of these stick in your memory, having worked their way into your own playful writing?

This was a long time ago! I have asked my Dad but he sadly hasn’t got any saved. However, he did go away and write a couple of verses to give you a sense of what they were like…

Keep strolling down to the mighty pier,
Where surf and fun are always near.
Stretching out into the sea,
The walk can feel as long as can be!

With the coast guards close swim with no fear,
But how long in feet is Bournemouth Pier?

Now walk along the prom towards to flag,
Now take the path on your right up the zig-zag.
Soon you’ll find, tucked out of view,
A mini golf course waiting for you.

If you wish, why not stop and play?
What’s the price in winter for a round today?

These were so much fun to be part of and observing him create them!

Father Christmas, The Tooth Fairy and The Easter Bunny all visit Doctor Ray as they are feeling over worked and stressed from the demands of their busy jobs. After a long day at work, what do you to relax and enjoy your downtime?

I cycle to and from work, which I find really helps decompress from a long day at work and puts me in the right frame of mind for being at home. I like to play games. This could be board games, card games - whatever really! Then, trying to fit in time to read to all three of my children at bedtime can take a while, but is always worth it! I do also like watching movies, so when I get a chance, I do like to get to the cinema.

Finally, even though this is your first published book, we can safely assume that you will continue writing and telling new stories. Have you got any ideas or future plans that you'd be happy to share with us and the readers?

As I said, I have started about 30 other stories, so I will revisit some of these. I have written a couple of stories about two dolphin and sea horse detectives. The others are on lots of different themes and ideas… if Doctor Ray is successful, then I have an idea for a Halloween themed book to follow…

Doctor Ray and Her Magical Patients is available to pre-order now in paperback.