Rebekah and Jamie Vardy are children’s book authors.
The Leicester City footballer and his wife have launched their first book, about a sloth who dreams of being a footballer.
The couple, who share six children between them, gushed that it was a dream come true to work on the project together and took inspiration for the story from their family life and parenting style.
Authors: Rebekah and Jamie Vardy are children’s book authors. The Leicester City footballer and his wife have launched their first book, about a sloth who dreams of being a footballer
The first book from the couple follow Cedric the sloth who dreams of joining his favourite football team the ‘Rainforest Rovers’.
He has had it engrained in him though that sloths are too slow and too sleepy to be good footballers. The Be You Guardians (B.U.G) step in to boost Cedric’s confidence and remind him that he can follow his dream and join the team.
It’s hoped Cedric The Little Sloth With Big Dreams will be the first installment in a series following the Be You Guardians and the theme of inspiring children to be confident and happy, just by being themselves.
Commenting on the book, Jamie and Rebekah said: ‘Working on this book together has been a dream for us. We aren’t writers but we are experienced parents, and we know which messages we care most about instilling into our children; it isn’t about having to be the best or winning at everything, but is about trying your hardest, being happy and going after your dreams.’
New venture: The couple, who share six children between them, gushed that it was a dream come true to work on the project together and took inspiration for the story from their family
‘We kept going over the list of topics that we felt passionate about, and we just kept coming back to the same one – just be yourself. We want children and their parents or guardians to realise that with the right words of encouragement and positive thoughts, they can achieve anything that they want to. It also means being whoever and whatever you want to be.’
‘Our dream is for the Be You Guardians (B.U.G.) to become identifiable characters that boost children’s confidence, ease their anxieties and help them to believe in themselves through these storybooks.’
The couple are parents to Sofia, seven, Finley, five, and two-year-old Olivia Grace, and Rebekah has two children from previous relationships, Megan, 16 and Taylor, 12. Jamie also has one child from a previous relationship.
Writer: The first book from the couple follow Cedric the sloth who dreams of joining his favourite football team the ‘Rainforest Rovers’
They said it was a real family affair developing the story, explaining: ‘LBB put us together with an amazing writer and illustrator to guide us through this process.’
‘We’ve shown the drafts and sketches to our children throughout, so it’s been a real family affair and we hope that readers love the first instalment’.
Speaking to The Mirror, Becky explained that they limit the amount of screentime their children can have, saying: ‘It’s one of our big things – and the kids hate us for it – but I think it’s so important that with everything that’s going on at the moment, that kids are just allowed to be kids.
‘The kind of messages you can get from books are just invaluable and you can’t get that from a PlayStation or the iPad.’
The WAG also said of her and Jamie’s parenting styles: ‘We are a combination of good cop and bad cop,’ and admitted she’s the one who says ‘no’ to their kids most often.
Inspiration: ‘We kept going over the list of topics that we felt passionate about, and we just kept coming back to the same one – just be yourself,’ the couple said of the book’s message
The new venture comes as Rebekah’s court case with rival WAG Coleen Rooney rumbles on.
It’s been reported that Coleen has hired a former Scotland Yard detective amid her ongoing Wagatha Christie legal case.
According to The Mirror, she has brought investigator Matt Blackband onto her legal team after a judge called for the disclosure of further WhatsApp messages between Rebekah and her agent Caroline Watt.
Coleen’s move comes after the judge at a two-day hearing last week ruled that she had to pay 20 per cent of Vardy’s legal fees, expected to be around £30,000.
And as the case continues, it’s emerged that ex cyber-crime detective Matt is fighting Coleen’s corner as it came to light at the recent hearing that he’d been named as her ‘digital information expert’.
Family life: They said it was a real family affair developing the story, explaining: ‘We’ve shown the drafts and sketches to our children throughout’
The Mirror reports that Matt has 30 years experience as an investigator, 21 of which was with the Met Police, while he also helped found the multi-agency National Hi-Tech Crime Unit.
A source told the publication: ‘Coleen believes the damning WhatsApp messages revealed in court last week between Rebekah and her agent Caroline Watt were the tip of an iceberg.
‘Understandably, having been put in this position, she is leaving no stone unturned. She’s confident of winning the court case as more evidence emerges.’
Meanwhile, Rebekah will reportedly donate any money she wins in her and Coleen’s £1 million ‘Wagatha Christie’ court case to charity.
Amid the news Coleen will have to pay for legal fees, the judge said Coleen’s bid to add her rival’s agent Caroline Watts to the lawsuit was brought too late, and that previous opportunities to make the claim had not been taken. The WAG also had to cough up £65,000 for Caroline’s legal costs.
At war: The new venture comes as Rebekah’s court case with rival WAG Coleen Rooney rumbles on (pictured in 2016)
Now, sources say Becky plans to give away any money she wins in the messy court case to charity and is ‘well aware people are horrified’ by the spiralling costs of the court case.
An insider told The Sun: ‘Becky isn’t stupid. She’s well aware there are bigger things going on in the world right now, and that people are horrified at the amount of money she and Coleen have been throwing around, mainly in legal fees.
‘Becky never wanted things to go this far, and all she wants is for her name and reputation to be cleared. She’s not after a payday.
‘As a result, she’s decided to give any damages to charity and had her advisers set up meetings with a couples of charities. She wants some good to come from this sorry saga.’
MailOnline contacted Rebekah’s representatives for comment at the time.
The two warring WAGs are set for a £1million legal showdown in May after the High Court judge ruled on key areas that could decide the case and insisted it needed to be settled at a full trial as quickly as possible.
Pay out: In the latest two-day hearing at the High Court, the judge ruled Coleen, 35, had to pay 20 per cent of Vardy’s legal fees, expected to be around £30,000 (pictured in February)