Cork woman: I wrote a children’s book and did the illustrations too!

CORK writer and freelance journalist Ann Marie O’Sullivan has released her debut children’s book, Pimlicat And The Midnight Explorers, billed as a captivating adventure set in London.

Aimed at readers aged 9+, it tells the story of a cat stuck in the London Underground and the three heroic children who plan a secret midnight rescue mission.

Ann Marie, whose own children are aged eight and 11, says the plot is based on her own experiences of travelling to London. 

“I remember so well when I first went to London and the excitement I felt using the Underground,” she says.

“It really is like a pulsing heart beat under the city, pumping people through its arteries and popping up at their next destination.

“It’s mundane for people who live in the city, but as a young tourist I absolutely adored it.”

“Last November was my children’s first time visiting London. 

I wanted to find them a book about London’s underground that would deliver that excitement of the city that I had felt when I was younger.

“I couldn’t find one, and then on the trip I was standing at the edge of the Underground platform with them and I thought, this is such a good place for a story, so I decided to write one.”

Pimlicat And The Midnight Explorers follows three friends, Conor, Oscar, and Mia, who are going through some bumps in their friendship.

However, they unite for a daring rescue mission to save Pimlicat, a mysterious white feline stranded in the London Underground tunnels between Victoria and Pimlico station.

“When I talked about writing a story about a cat, a friend said they didn’t think that was very realistic because a cat could never survive the electric rails and trains.

“I did some research and found there was a real cat stuck in the tunnels for a number of weeks called Pimlicat. That Pimlicat gave me the nugget of truth I needed to let my imagination fly and create a whole new adventure for a fictional Pimlicat.”

Not only did Ann Marie write the story, but she also illustrated it, bringing her characters and the London setting to life with her unique artistic style.

Her illustrations add an extra layer of engagement to the already gripping narrative, making it an irresistible read for children.

“I know from choosing books for my children that illustrations really help them engage with a story in another way,” said Ann Marie.

“It adds another dimension to the storytelling, but also I think, for reluctant readers, it makes the chapters less intimidating to see larger blocks of text broken up with images.

It isn’t a comic so I tried not to overdo it, but I do want this chapter book to appeal to as many different types of young readers as it can, and I think I’ve managed to get that balance.

While Ann Marie was familiar with structuring stories from her work in journalism, illustration was not something she had done before.

“To be honest, I haven’t drawn since school and even then I was only an okay art student,” she said.

“But I picked up a pencil and gave it a go. I made a decision to be kind to myself and put my drawings out into the world quickly so I didn’t overthink them.

“So I started doing doodles and posting them on social media as a way of getting over the voice in my head that said I couldn’t draw.

I just kept trying. I know I have a lot more to learn about illustrating, but I am happy with how they turned out, and most importantly, young readers have really enjoyed the pictures, which is the best feedback I could ask for.

Inspired by her own experiences as a mother, Ann Marie was keen to craft a book that dealt with childhood friendships well.

“I enjoy reading children’s books myself, and the main thing I am drawn to is books that handle friendships well,” said Ann Marie. “I think books are a great place to explore the ups and downs of friendship.

“I worked really hard to make their friendships feel and sound real, their troubles relatable and their resolution realistic and not overcooked.

“Throughout the book, there’s humour and lightness. There’s nothing worse than being preached to through fiction and I was really keen to avoid that,” she explained.

Since its release, Pimlicat And The Midnight Explorers has received rave reviews from young readers who say it’s funny and adventurous. Children are already asking for more Pimlicat adventures.

Pimlicat And The Midnight Explorers is now available in Vibes and Scribes (both in store and online). The book can also be bought from themidnightexplorers.com, which has information for schools on workshops connected with the book.