The Inspiration Behind Heave Ho From Bully to Captain: How Cub Found His Crew

Sally Anne Garland, author of a number of beautiful picturebooks shares with us the inspiration behind her latest. Heave Ho is a story about big feelings in little people and a wonderfully evocative imaginary journey that one group of charming animal friends take. Bright, colourful and fun the story shares some important messages tucked up in a soothing and lyrical text, warm illustrations and a fabulous imaginary adventure.

The idea for Heave Ho was sparked by a thoughtful review of my earlier book, Nook, where a quiet, shy bunny finds comfort in a small hollow at the base of a big tree. In that story, a badger appears and threatens her sense of safety—acting as a sort of playground bully.

But in an online review, someone wrote something that struck a chord with me: “I would love if there was something to acknowledge that the badger may also really need that spot. While Nook has her friends, the badger seems to be all alone.”

I thought this was such a fair and important point. Like an overprotective parent, I had put so much care and empathy into Nook, that I may have overlooked the badger’s needs entirely. What if he wasn’t just being mean? What if he was overwhelmed, dysregulated—or simply lonely? What if that hollow looked like a safe haven to him, too? I did try to show that the Badger wasn’t all bad in the last spread of Nook, where he appears in the background starting to make friends with some other bunnies. However, I’m not sure it fully resolved his motives in a satisfying way. That’s why I felt he would be a great character to explore further in the follow-up to Nook, Heave Ho.

Heave Ho, is a story that gently explores big emotions, sensory play, and how children can use play to regulate, connect, and find their place. I’ve tried to tell the story in a way that feels simple and relatable to very young readers—and what better language to use than the language of play? The tree in both Nook and Heave Ho is the same: a big, old one that stands in the middle of the playground. Nook still plays in her favourite spot at its base, tucked tightly into the small, comforting hollow. But now we also meet Cub—a character developed from the badger in Nook—along with other familiar characters from the original story: Flick, Rho, Ozzie, and Moss, who were seen but never named.

Cub is full of noisy thoughts and huge feelings. He growls, he snaps, he shuts others out—not because he wants to hurt anyone, but because there’s no room left inside him for anything else. Then, in a moment of frustration, he discovers something unexpected. Trying to snap a tough, bendy branch in anger, he ends up swinging on it. And slowly, as he drags his feet through the dirt, something shifts. He hears the sound of waves in his head, and suddenly his confusing feelings start to lift and his sense of fun prevails. What began in anger turns into imagination. Soon, the other children join him, and together they sail off on a stormy sea, with Cub as the captain of a mighty ship. Through the rhythm and motion of swinging, and the simple joy of shared play, Cub finds mastery over his emotions—and connection with others.

Sensory play is every child’s first language—even before they have the words. It helps children process their environment, find calm in their bodies, and relate to others. But when a child’s sensory system is out of balance, their behaviour can be misunderstood. It might look like defiance, bossiness, or withdrawal, when really it’s often a signal of not feeling safe or struggling to process something.

Heave Ho offers a gentle way for children to think about those big feelings—whether they’re having them themselves, or noticing them in someone else. As any occupational therapist will tell you, the simple, physical rhythm of swinging, pushing, pulling, or digging can calm a small, anxious nervous system in ways words often can’t.

Different styles of play reflect different ways of thinking—and every child, even the one who seems disruptive or difficult, deserves a place in the story or in this case, a space to play on the tree. So when Cub and the others swing back and forth, their feet dragging through the dirt, it’s not just play. It’s regulation, resilience and connection through fun. And it’s a reminder that sometimes, the children with the stormiest seas inside them just need a willing crew to sail along with them.

With thanks to Sally Anne Garland for a thoughtful and charming Blog piece, a beautiful picturebook and her time, to Nicky Potter for making this possible and to the publisher Sunbird Books. All of Sally's books can be found at all good bookshops.