MEEOW. There’s a great new illustrated children’s story out. It’s written by local author Steve Markwell and illustrated by local artist Cathy Coleman.
This is Steve’s second children’s book, having written The Surrey Hills SuperHeroes in 2022 which was also illustrated by Cathy Coleman. Like that book, his new one was produced and printed by Vantage Publishing. We spoke to author Steve about the inspirations for this tale.
“After Cathy and I had collaborated on publishing Surrey Hills SuperHeroes, Cathy visited Portugal. She discovered a charming street in a lovely village. Cathy’s artist’s eye saw that all the house doors on the street were different, charismatic and intriguing. She painted them, and she showed me the beautiful illustrations. ‘There’s a story here’ I said.
“I’d been reading about curious cats that wander from home to home, revisiting families they like and feel comfortable with. At the same time there was a buzz in the media about divided communities. ‘Doesn’t sound like most of the places I’ve known’ I said to Cathy.
“I began to write a story tying together Cathy’s illustrations, a wandering cat, and an intriguing group of households. You will sense the lifestyle of the Surrey Hills in the families Ginger Cat meets. The story is aimed at children up to about eight years old, and cat lovers everywhere. We got lots of critical input from lots of young children through storytelling, and cat lovers in the neighbourhood.
“I should also note the input of the Vantage Point Team. They had done a great job making a success of our first publication, Surrey Hills SuperHeroes. Their input on Ginger Cat has been equally positive. Even Stefan, a dog lover, likes the story!”
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Q: What is the name of the illustrator?
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