Lucy Branch lives in Artarmon. She is an early childhood educator who has released her first book, My Grandparents and Me. Lucy loves to visit Lane Cove shops, and her debut book is available at Burn Bay Bookery.
Lucy was born in England and grew up in Hong Kong, so her family is spread out all over the globe. This distance grew more significant when the COVID-19 pandemic caused borders to close a few months after the birth of her daughter.
She found herself trying to help her parents build a relationship with their first granddaughter from afar.
Lucy believes that picture books comfort children and hopes to continue writing books that help them make sense of our big and confusing world.
The book is Illustrated by Annelies Billeter, who is based in Melbourne and graduated with a Diploma of Illustration in 2002.
After working in children’s textile and clothing design for many years, her passion for illustrating children’s books was reignited through having her own two young children.
She loves to depict people and family life and enjoys working in traditional watercolours and exploring digital mediums.
The book’s premise is simple: Even though they can’t be together right now, it won’t stop this little girl and her grandparents from having a great time!
We asked Lucy to tell ITC about her book.
Tell Us a Little Bit More About Your Book
It’s a true story about how my eldest daughter built a relationship with her grandparents while the country was locked down during the pandemic.
My daughter was six months old when Australia closed its borders, and at the time, my parents both lived overseas.
They did not get to see my daughter in person again for two years, so their relationship was built through video calls.
It was during one of the earliest lockdowns during the pandemic. I was chasing my then 18-month-old daughter around our house, holding my phone out so my mum could watch her while we were on a video call, and wondering how many other parents were doing the same thing. Suddenly, I could picture the scene as a page in a picture book.
Each page shows a real scenario we experienced.
My daughter loved to pretend to feed them through the screen, and my mum would often buy two sets of toys and send one to my daughter so they could ‘play together’.
How Long Did It Take You to Write the Book?
There is not a lot of text so that part didn’t take too long.
I was inspired by books such as Rosie’s Walk and This is Not My Hat, which have very short, simple sentences and let the illustrations tell the story.
What I also loved about these books is that the illustrations tell a different story from the text. I wanted my book to read as a simple story about a girl spending time with her grandparents, but the illustrations show that reality is more complicated for them.
What Feedback Have You Received on the Book?
Most of my feedback has been from people separated from their overseas family during the pandemic.
They said they saw their own experiences in the book and that they were grateful to have a reminder of that time and to show their children what it was like.
The book is aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers, but I hope it resonates with everyone who has a loved one that they miss.
How Did You Go About Getting the Book Published?
I contacted a few publishing houses before I got a response from Little Steps. I paid to have the books printed, and they helped me get them to a book distributor and some bookshops.
Will You Write Another Book?
I hope to write another book about my daughters’ adventures on public transport next! [ITC note – Public Transport is a hot topic in Lane Cove, so this will surely be a best seller.]
What’s Your Favourite Activity in Lane Cove?
I love taking my girls to the pool and The Canopy playground, it’s our favourite spot to host my older daughter’s birthday parties too!
What is Your Favourite Lane Cove Coffee Shop?
Story, they do the best babyccinos and pastries!
Where Can You Buy The Book?
The book is available in Burns Bay Bookery.
You can also buy it on Lucy’s website. The Link is here, and Lucy is offering all ITC readers a 15% discount. Use the code ‘inthecove’
You can follow Lucy on Instagram here.
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