Ararat author and illustrator Janette Lucas releases children's book

Ms Lucas is a decorated artist with decades of experience, having worked in the public collections of MAGNT and Parliament House Darwin.

Margot and Milligan: Curious as Cats is the first book she has had published, but Ms Lucas said it is not the first she has written.

"I've written books for my children but not had them published," she said.

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"We travelled a lot, so when my kids were little there often weren't English books, like when we were in Indonesia, so I would write stories that were relevant to the holiday we were having. It meant they could read and keep up with school."

Yet, it was not until lockdown that Ms Lucas could fully concentrate on writing the book for a wider audience.

"The COVID-year made it possible to do because I was just able to put my head down and not have any interruptions," she said.

"I wrote it on a road trip back from the east coast and it just all came together. But they're things that you think about for many years and never act upon."

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The book centres on Margot and her dog, Miligan. The pair visit Margot's grandparent's dairy farm. They are initially reserved around the farm animals but, with the guidance of Margot's grandfather, soon gain a new appreciation for them.

Ms Lucas said her childhood partially influenced the book.

"Every holiday my family would take off to Inverloch in East Gippsland and we spent most of our holidays there on a dairy farm," she said.

"My husband grew up on a dairy farm. So I did quiz him on the characteristics of cows."

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Ms Lucas said her love for children's literature also inspired her.

"I've always collected children's books. A couple of years ago, I started rereading the books of my childhood and, more, discovering new authors.

"I read just about every book I could find by Michael Morpurgo. I started from there and just made my way through all the books on bookshelves and then started borrowing and buying more books because there's a real magic about them.

"I love the optimism of children's literature. There's a message of hope and positivity that I really like."

The book launch will begin at the library at 10.30am. It will include a Q&A with Ms Lucas and some of the original pictures for the book will also be on display.

Copies of the book can be pre-ordered at Redrock Books & Gallery in Horsham, and are also available at Dymocks, Amazon, and Booktopia's online stores.

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