IT’s perhaps not very often that you read a children’s picture book and by the last page you have “something in your eye”.

But that may just happen to you - as it did to me - if you pick up a copy of The Outside is Inside, a charming book by Yorkshire firefighter Joe Moorwood.

This is a story in poetry for young children, which can also be enjoyed by the grown-ups too.

At the start of the book, a young boy has misgivings when his elderly grandad moves in: “He snored on the sofa and hogged the remote. He slurped up his soup and chewed like a goat.”

But the boy’s sulking turns to wonder when his grandad lets him in on a magical secret, leading to a series of adventures for the pair: “A rainforest grew in the front room that day, and a galley loomed up where the sofa once lay”..”The stairs were a mountain laden with snow, the hallway a river us oarsmen could row”.

Their adventures unfold in a heartwarming story of love, loss and the power of imagination. Ultimately this book offers optimistic message about love and connection.

“Grandad did more than teach me to play. He taught me to think in a different way. A year or so later we all said goodbye. And Mum told me gently it was OK to cry.”

Joe Moorwood, from Sheffield, had his first book published with the support of producer John Lloyd, whose TV hits include Blackadder and QI. Joe’s first two books for Great Northern, The Yorkshire Meaning of Liff and Yorkshire Wisdom, have sold over 10,000 copies.

The Outside is Inside is beautifully illustrated by Anna Stephenson, Joe’s sister. Her vibrant lino print collages bring the characters and their adventures to life. “Anna and I were fortunate to enjoy a childhood packed with make-believe stories, games and imaginary adventures, whether it was with our grandparents, parents, siblings or friends,” says father-of-two Joe. “I didn’t set out to consciously address any particular issue. The book started as a stand-alone poem, written just before everyone’s life changed so dramatically at the start of 2020. As the world went into lockdown, the messages and ideas woven into the poem suddenly felt more relevant than ever. That’s when I shared the story with Anna, who was immediately moved and inspired to create the illustrations, with the hope of one day finding a publisher.”

The book celebrates the involvement of grandparents in helping to raise children - now a possibility for millions of families once more, following a long and painful period of separation - and it also deals with bereavement in an accessible, reassuring way.

Fiona Ainsworth, a child psychotherapist and friend of Anna’s, saw a draft copy of the book when visiting one day. “I was blown away. It couldn’t arrive at a better time because it encourages children, parents and grandparents to play together and use their imagination.

“For a child to lose a grandparent, to Covid or any other reason, is always a difficult event for both them and any parent to deal with. Reading a book together that briefly touches on loss can be a healthy way to start addressing such a difficult topic.”

The book is dedicated to Joe and Anna’s mum, Janet Moorwood, who died earlier this year from cancer. Says Anna: “It’s been a challenging year for all of the family after the devastating loss of our inspirational mum. The book has been a positive distraction. We made an audio-animation to accompany it, so it was nice that she got to watch and listen to the story.”

Highly commended by Roger McGough at the 2020 Caterpillar Poetry Prize, the book’s beauty lies in the poetry; the story rhymes and plays out the magic of indoor play brought into the home from the outside, by a loving grandfather who has his own take on life.

* The Outside is Inside, published by Great Northern Books, is out on September 8.