A CHILDREN'S charity worker who invented a fantasy story for youngsters with emotional problems is about to see his work turned into a professional educational aid for schools.

Ronnie Rowbotham, a children and young people's participation worker at a Barnardo's project, Hartbeat, wrote Strumbie Island to help children who have problems expressing their emotions and feelings.

Mr Rowbotham, from Hartlepool, invented the fantasy island and its characters while thinking of ideas to use in his work with children with anti-social behaviour and poor social skills.

A CD-rom and work book of the stories have been published by Semerc - part of Granada Learning - and launched in the UK and US.

The hero is Young Billy, and the story begins on his birthday, when he finds an old telescope in a junk shop and discovers a magic button which transports him to an island, where he meets the Strumbies.

The characters are very small and can only have one emotion or feeling at a time.

Billy visits each one in turn, and learns to deal with different emotions. Along the way, he and the Strumbies face new challenges, make decisions and tackle problems.

The children "visiting" the island are encouraged to explore the emotions associated with each character and to look at their own feelings and experiences.

Mr Rowbotham worked on the story in his spare time, and developed a ten-week programme for schools, including teachers' plans, work sheets and interactive games.

The story is aimed at eight-year-olds, but can also be used for children as old as ten or 11, with different levels of intelligence.

It was trialled at St Joseph's Primary School, in the author's home town, and children there have recorded the Strumbie Song, which he also wrote.

Mr Rowbotham said: "Through Strumbie Island, children can travel to a different world where they can explore and have fun with emotions, which at any other time may be frightening or difficult to deal with.

"They can choose how to deal with everyday problems or issues, like bullying, overcoming shyness, choices and their consequences, friendship and peer pressure.

"The aim is to help them develop the confidence to carry newly-learnt skills into their own lives."