To the sound of their beloved Farmer Finn’s violin humming in the background, Buttercup, Bluebell and the girls are living a happy life in the meadow – until City Sue arrives. Inspired by the charming atmosphere of Kerrygold’s small, family-run Irish farms, Jeanne Willis’s latest book is a funny, rhythmic tale of how kindness, conviviality and grass sandwiches can win over the hardest of hearts.
If you read to your children, you’re likely to have a Jeanne Willis book in the house. From The Bog Baby and the Dr Xargle series to a novelisation of the recent Paddington movie and the Smarties Silver-winning Tadpole’s Promise, her books have a way of catching the attention – just as her ad slogans (If you see Sid, tell him) did in her former life as a copywriter.
Illustrated in lively fashion by Dermot Flynn, The Tale of City Sue is set amid what Jeanne calls a “close-knit sisterhood” of Friesian dairy cows. “I did a lot of research into the kind of life that the cows lead,” says Jeanne, and in her opinion research is the key to unlocking the creative process. “If you’re struggling, the first thing I suggest is to read non-fiction for funny or interesting facts. And it’s useful to ask questions: what if the world turned upside down? Why do animals not wear pants?”
But that’s not the only advice she has for would-be children’s authors. “I’m inspired by so many small things, I’ve got more ideas than I’ll ever turn into stories,” she says. “If it’s a picture book, think visually, because you need a really good picture for each page. Don’t waffle. I’d never go over a side and a half of typed text for a picture book. It’s good to have an end twist before you start, so you have something to aim for. And match the writing style to the tone of the book.” As well as reading them aloud, Jeanne always gives her drafts the overnight test – for her eyes only. “I’ve got to the end of a book, read it the next day and thought, ‘what was I thinking?’ But if you let other people see it you end up writing by committee. I trust my instinct and I think people should as well.” Her instinct about The Tale of City Sue was right: “I liked the story and Dermot’s pictures are really lovely. It’s happy, I think.” Just like the cows on Finn’s farm.
The illustrator: Dermot Flynn
Dermot Flynn’s witty, detailed illustrations bring Finn O’Lairy’s farm to life as a green-and-gold idyll that’s joyful even in the pouring rain. Born in Dublin, he has worked for clients all over the world, and won the Macmillan Prize for Children’s Book Illustration. His research for The Tale of City Sue was close to home. “I have two uncles who own dairy farms in Kilkenny,” he says. “They have Friesian cows, so I did field research with them.”
A Kerrygold tale: pure and simple
The Kerrygold story is a simple one. “We work with small co-operative farms where small herds are free to graze on lush Irish meadows. It means Kerrygold cows are healthy and happy, free to roam outside. It’s these cows, and countless generations of dairy knowhow, that makes our butter taste so good. We always know where all of our milk comes from, which is why we promise to only produce the most delicious, golden dairy, pure and simple.”
