Children, parents, and fans of storybooks will want to gather at the Castlegar and District Public Library, 1005 – 3rd St., Castlegar, for the latest West Kootenay book launch. Salmo author, M. Kathryn Bourdon, and Robson artist, Sandra Donohue have teamed-up to collaborate in the production of The Hundred Dollar Special – the Antics of a Rescue Cat, and will launch it at the Castlegar Library on Saturday, September 29, at 10 a.m.
The book, a first for the two retired elementary school teachers, is the story of a couple and their granddaughter who adopt a cat to deal with their problem mice who have invaded their home. Written from Bourdon’s actual experiences, Donohue painted the illustrations in watercolour. Kathryn’s son, Marc Bourdon of Quickdraw Publishing (Squamish, B.C.) published the book, and it was printed by Friesens in Winnipeg, making this a 100 per cent Canadian product.
“I wanted to write my first book to be especially for my granddaughter, Elise. The cat in the story, Jewel, actually exists, and the tales are true,” says Bourdon, “I met Sandra, reviewed her work along with that of other Kootenay artists, and decided that her style was just what I was looking for.”
Donohue comments, “I had never seriously considered illustrating a book, since it is a lot of work, and a huge responsibility when it is for someone else’s project, but I liked the story that Kathryn wrote, thought it would be a good challenge for me, and had a feeling that I would enjoy working with Kathryn. I was right on all accounts: it was lots of work; it was challenging; and Kathryn, who I found I have a lot in common with, was a great partner.”
Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Castlegar and District Library. For more information, please phone the Castlegar and District Public Library at 250-365-6611.