An author from Hucknall is celebrating the release of his very first book.

Matt Terry's debut children's book 'The Boastful Pansy' was published at the end of last month to help the primary school teacher achieve his long-held dream of having his own book published.

Speaking exclusively to Hucknall Nub News, he said: "Wanting to write a book goes right back to when I was in my teenage years. Growing up, my mum and me always used to write each other silly poems to make each other laugh. Since I was little I would write silly little rhymes just to and fro to her. And as I got older I would write poems to Emma (his wife) to cheer her up if she'd had a rubbish day, or just silly little whimsical things like that, so I've always sort of written silly rhymes and silly poems as I've been getting older."

Asked about what it felt like to hold the first physical copy of his book, he said: "Very unrealistic, it sort of almost had to be in hard copy form for me to even really comprehend what I'd done. Emma, my wife, has been really supportive throughout and helped push me forward and support me every step of the way. But even then it was like is this actually happening? Am I actually going to be a published author? Is it going to be on the shelf?"

The story is written in an abcb rhyming pattern throughout, where the second and fourth line of each paragraph rhymes. It is set in an English country garden and tells the story of the only flower in the garden, a pansy, that gets the sunlight it needs to grow due to where it is positioned, and the fact that the high fence that borders the garden, blocks the light to the other flowers and plants.

Mr Terry lists children's author Julia Donaldson, famous for works such as The Gruffalo and Stick Man as one of his main influences.

"She's always been a massive inspiration of mine especially since I've become a teacher because you just see so many of her books in school.

"I love how a lot of her books have morals and messages in as well which is something, that for as long as I remember, I always wanted my books to do as well."

The main messages he hopes children will take away from his book are the importance of humility and forgiveness.

"The title sort of gives it away, it's a boastful pansy and then it realises it shouldn't have been showing off in the first place because it had nothing to do with what it thought it did, it was just being boastful. So that idea of realising the error of your ways and being a lot more humble and showing that humility towards others.

"The flipside of that as well is at the beginning, all the other flowers in the garden don't like him because of how he is and the second he realises the error of his ways and asks for forgiveness, it's that idea of well he has seen what he's done wrong, and he does mean it, so of course we'll forgive you.

"It's sort of showing children two sides of don't boast don't show off because it doesn't get you anywhere but also if people are genuinely sincere and ask for forgiveness it's something that you should offer them and give it back."

The idea for the story came about whilst Mr Terry was doing a simple, everyday chore and he's still amazed how the idea snowballed so quickly.

"I was literally just one day washing the dishes looking out my kitchen window and I had pansies in the border of my garden, and I saw this one and it was the only one in the sun. My mind just went wild I was just like if I was that flower, I'd be chuffed that I'm the only flower getting any sun and all the others must be hating on it because they're all in the shade and they can't get anything because the fence is blocking it all. And then it was like I could write a rhyme about that; I could do a story.

"That morning when I'd washed those dishes, I sat down in a coffee shop and started just on my phone drafting verses and they were just flying out of me and then I came home and typed them up and finished it on my laptop within that day."

Mr Terry then researched what to do next and found the contact details of around half a dozen publishers and emailed them all a copy of his work.

Within a fortnight Austin Macauley replied to let him know they were sending it to their board of editors. Another month later, he received confirmation that they wanted to publish it.

"They were very supportive. Right back at the beginning I asked them so many questions just to get it right in my head and it was like talking to a family member, they were just so kind and supportive. Everything was how I wanted it to be and if it wasn't then they said that's fine we won't do it that way, it was very author centred; they've been amazing."

Mr Terry plans to write another book and already has some interesting ideas, again based on daily observations that he hopes he bring to life for children to entertain and educate them just as his debut book does.

You can order a copy of The Boastful Pansy here .