JACARANDA SNOW, my debut picture book with award-winning illustrator, Helene Magisson, will hit the shelves in Australia in September! It's about a little Aussie girl who longs to see snow -- and finds a way to make her own dream come true.

Right now, Wombat Books is pitching JACARANDA SNOW to three Canadian publishers, so I'm hoping that it will be on shelves in 'my home & native land' of Canada, too!

In the meantime, if you want a copy, you can get yours here!

Did you know...

Jacarandas are native to Brazil and were introduced in Australia. In spring, their beautiful purple blossoms fall like 'snow.'
There are jacarandas all over Australia and some in California, too.
When an author's manuscript has been accepted for publication, the publisher chooses an illustrator for the book. (But from the start, I dreamed of being paired with Helene...and it happened!)
It's challenging to write an engaging story in under 400 words! And it can take months/years and many revisions to make a "simple" idea work. And it's really tricky to get a book deal!
Picture books are a labour of love! Illustrators and authors make 5% of the book sale price (usually less than $1 per book) and an initial print run is 2,000 copies.
Illustrators paint (draw, collage etc) more than 16 paintings/ illustrations for a single book. You can see Helene's award-winning art here and buy gorgeous prints in her shop.

What's extra-special about JACARANDA SNOW?

Alexander Lau, a 17 year old award-winning Australian composer, agreed to compose a piano quintet for two violins, a cello and piano called "Jacaranda Snow." We hope to feature the debut performance at a Sydney book launch In November.

Alexander's piano score will be reprinted inside JACARANDA SNOW for parents, teachers and pianists to enjoy. There's never been a picture book like this one!

JACARANDA SNOW teaches Growth Mindset / Flow with help from Educalme! Kailey and Josianne, founders of Educalme -- a Canadian company that equips parents and teachers to create a calm, productive and positive classroom or family -- have created a FREE Education Resource Toolkit for JACARANDA SNOW. (coupon code inside every book!)

Now every child who reads JACARANDA SNOW can learn about Growth Mindset and make their own dreams come true.

Educalme has a weekly podcast, The Balanced Educator, and offers amazing free resources and workshops, as well as useful resources for families AND classroom teachers. As a bonus, everything is in English and French. (Yay, Canada!!) Take a look at Educalme here!

<I'm holding the proof of our book! It will be a hardcover, A4 size.>

It's hard to believe that all this started with a story that came straight from my heart. I'm so proud, honoured and excited to share JACARANDA SNOW with the world.

Thank you Helene, Alexander, Kailey and Josianne and Wombat Books. We've ALL done our best to make JACARANDA SNOW a modern Australian classic. You're welcome to buy a copy for kids you love, or pick up a copy in a bookshop in September.

I'll post your book/s to you mid-September.

Love Catherine

PS.