Before children's adventure heroes Harry Potter, Ben 10 and Transformers, the young enjoyed much simpler pleasures. This is according to children's author Roz Tucker-Shaw.

The writer wants to take children aged between four and seven back to these "simpler days" with her new book, The Doers. Set in the late 1940s, the story focuses on a family which lived without the technology of today.

Mrs Tucker-Shaw, 64, tells People: "I wanted to write the book when I saw all the technology surrounding my grandson, Joseph, four, and granddaughter, Emily, 18 months. It's great that they have all this around them but I wanted them - and other children - to realise that you can be happy without material items and technology.

"I wanted to take them back to a sweeter time when living was harder but children were happy simply playing in the streets -- when life was safer and enjoyable."

Mrs Tucker-Shaw, who lives in Chigwell, is no stranger to creative writing, having written film script Cane Hill, which attracted interest from Film4.

She says: "They wanted to change too much of the script. It's hard to get into that business, but I'm elated about this book."

Mrs Tucker-Shaw will donate a proportion of the books' profits to Jewish Care.