Some stories begin in the dark, whispered quietly before sleep.
Kathy's started with a baby giraffe, roaming the African Savannah in bedtime stories her father invented each night just for her. No book, no script — just his voice and his imagination, and a little girl who hung on every word.
She never forgot those adventures. And that, perhaps, is rather the point. Stories told well, told with love, have a way of staying with us. They plant something: a curiosity, a wonder, a lifelong love of words and the worlds they can create.
A passionate storyteller and advocate for early literacy, Kathy draws her inspiration from childhood — the real, muddy, glorious kind. Fond memories of forest adventures in wellies, building tiny homes for insects, and a shelf stacked with Astrid Lindgren books all find their way into her writing, alongside her experiences as a mum to three children and the way young readers notice the world with an attention the rest of us have mostly forgotten.
Since the launch of her debut picture book Hop Lola Hop, Kathy has fallen in love with her audience — full of energy, questions, and a passion for stories that never fails to inspire her.
Her stories are rich in imagination, curiosity, and the small wonders of the world they inhabit. She wants to take readers somewhere, to make them laugh, hold their breath, smile at the page. But more than that, she hopes her stories leave a little space to pause, to wonder, to ask a question not yet thought to ask. And perhaps, in some small way, to fall a little more in love with the world we're all lucky enough to share.
Contributing Artists and Illustrators
Sally Garland
Sally grew up in the Highlands of Scotland, and according to her parents, her first really good drawing, at the age of four, was on the sitting-room wall. She later went on to study Illustration and Graphic Design at Edinburgh College of Art before settling in Glasgow, where she now lives with her family. Her stories and illustrations are inspired by everyday things in children's lives and the small simple world they inhabit. You can contact Sally via her website which also has links to her Instagram, Facebook and X feeds.
Website:
Illustrator of Kind Little Hands
Siski Kalla
Illustrator of the Hop Lola Hop Series
Born in London, Siski has lived in various countries and currently resides in Chile with her family of humans and dogs. Painting watercolours gives her the same joy as swimming, eating scones with jam or swinging in a hammock.
She is largely self-taught, having taken a handful of watercolour and illustration courses over the years. More than anything, Siski loves children's books. She would eat them if she could. But they don’t taste as good as scones.
Rosie Butcher
Illustrator of A Tree for Everyone
Rosie Butcher is a March baby, born in 1989 in East Yorkshire, where she continues to live and work. She graduated with a BA (Hons) in Illustration in 2011 and has a particular love for traditional materials such as watercolours and pastels.
Rosie's work is inspired by history, astronomy, music, film, and live performance — she's a keen theatregoer and finds the circus utterly enchanting. Above all, she is passionately dedicated to children's illustration, captivated by the power of a great picture book to spark wonder in both young readers and adults alike. For Rosie, the magic lies in thinking like a child — embracing adventure and never losing sight of the belief in magic.
Website: https://thebrightagency.com/uk/childrens-illustration/artists/rosie-butcher#gallery