LIFE can be hard for a child who looks different when he or she starts at school.

Now Slough based teaching assistant Billie Ryatt has written a book on the subject - with a unique twist.

Her hero is a boy tree called Willow and the book follows his adventures on his first day at school and how he mixes with main stream kids who learn to get used to having a tree in their class.

Mrs Ryatt, who has two grown-up children aged 18 and 26, is a teaching assistant at St Mary’s School, Yew Tree Road, Slough.

She used to work in IT but made a late change in career.

Her book is called Whizzy Willow's First Day a School. It is now available on Amazon for £10.45 as well as ebay and other sites. It has been published by Xlibris.

She said: “I wrote the book because I love trees and I wanted to inspire children to use their imagination. But the underling message is regardless what we look like we all have the same fears and should look after each other and our environment. I also wanted to represent ethnic minorities."