After a long break from writing and posting (world events, personal stuff, moving house, general chaos), I’m tiptoeing back to online life a little bit more. What hasn’t stopped though is the illustrating of children’s books – I’m now up to number 9 which is a wonderful and unexpected thing, and for which I am truly grateful.

A recent highlight is this lovely little book that won best picture book in the 2023 New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young People! It’s also been one of my most favourite books to illustrate, especially as there are cats and other eccentric animals involved.

All the animals sounds (the woofs, meows, purrs etc.) in this book were hand-lettered, as well as the speech balloons. Simple bright backgrounds were designed to focus on the characters, especially brave little Duck who refuses to quack the way others expect him to. Believe it or not, the story is based on a real-life furry feathered friendship, when three ducklings were adopted by a mama cat (watch the video here) and brought up as her own!

‘Duck Goes Meow’ by Juliette MacIver & Carla Martell | Scholastic New Zealand