A MUM-OF-TWO was shocked to find an old children’s book with an endearing personal message written inside handed in to a charity shop.
Paula Hickman found the popular kids book Flat Stanley, written by Jeff Brown, at a Cancer Research store in West Kirby, Wirral on Tuesday.
Paula, from Birkenhead, Merseyside, discovered a handwritten message written inside revealing how the book had been passed between family members.
The message read: “To Children,
“By the time you read this I will be grown up. I want you to know this was your uncle’s book before mine and now it is yours.
“Love from mum.”
Paula, 36, believes that the message could have even been written by a child to her future children.
But the mum-of-two couldn’t believe that someone had handed over a book that had such sentimental meaning to a charity shop.
She shared images of her discovery on a Facebook group where hundreds of intrigued followers have speculated about the story behind the discarded book.
Paula wrote on her post: “Lovely message left for her kids. They weren’t a***d obviously. Good find for me though.”
One social media user said: “Maybe she didn’t go on to have children or get to grow up. Followed by a sad face.”
Another follower said: “Maybe she decided not to have any and ran off to join the circus instead.”
Another group member said: “What horrible, undeserving children. I would treasure something like that and I know my kids would too.”
Another exclaimed: “How mean.”
While one follower added: “Perhaps the uncle decided to take it back from her and give it to the charity shop.”
Speaking today nursery practitioner Paula said: “I loved Flat Stanley as a child and have a few different copies over found over the years.
“I have never seen this edition which was published in 2008 so I was made up to find it.
“It was a steal at £1.50. While on the train home I looked through it and saw the note.
“It made me a bit sad at first as it had sentimental value but then I laughed at how the kids obviously weren’t bothered.
“Now knowing when it was published I’m thinking it was a child writing it for when she has children when older.”
Flat Stanley recounts the adventures of Stanley Lambchop after he is squashed flat by a bulletin board while sleeping.
He survives and decides to make the best of being flat.
He soon discovers that he is able to enter locked rooms by sliding under the door.
It is a popular children’s favourite since it was published in 1963 and many users on Facebook shared fond memories while some joked they were scarred.
One said: “This book is the reason I can’t sleep if there’s a shelf above the bed.”
Another added: “Flat Stanley is terrific. I was captivated by the idea of mailing myself to America.”
While someone else said: “It’s such a dark story when you think about it.
“Poor b****** squashed flat and posted about!”
