Taras incredible lockdown journey began when her 4-year-old grandson asked her to draw him a giraffe and then wanted a story to accompany the picture.

She obliged by painting a magical image of a cycling giraffe and wrote a story in verse, full of wit, whimsy, morals and magic! The other 5 grandchildren ranging from 10-24 then wanted stories of their favourite animals or activities..and the seeds of this book were sown!

Always a talented watercolour artist with a fabulous flair for wordcraft, it is in her milestone 70th year that she finally combined both talents perfectly to create a magical collection of story poems in which giraffes ride penny farthings, mice are master chefs, pandas play the piano, eagles win races and dolphins save the day!

The simple poems all contain much deeper messages to inspire children and adults alike, and the detailed delicate paintings will charm every reader!

Author & Illustrator: Tara Singhee