We first met Hanna and her friend Calamity Jane the calf in The Highland Cowgirl, and now the pair are back for a new adventure in The Highland Cowgirl: Showtime, which is out NOW!
If you enjoyed the first story, and you love farming, dancing and being outdoors, I really hope this one will bring a smile to your face. It sees Hanna heading to her local Agricultural Show, where she’s competing in the Highland Dancing as well as showing off Calamity Jane in the cattle section.
The show is a lot of fun, but Hanna gets a bit overwhelmed – has she given herself too much to do and too many places to be?
This story is inspired by our own family’s experience of Agricultural Shows and Highland Games. Living in the west Highlands and now in the Western Isles, these events have been a fixture of our summers, and while the children always enjoy entering the various competitions, there is always a moment in where we find we’ve given ourselves too much to juggle. At our local South Harris Show this year one of my daughters almost missed entering her artwork because she was busy on the other side of the field registering her pet lamb!
As well as enjoying all the exhibits and entertainment, we have also had a wee book stall at some of our local shows this summer. It has been a lovely way to meet young readers. Thank you to everyone who has stopped and said hello, tried out our Highland Cow craft, or bought a book.
Picture books are a team effort, and I want to say a big thank you to Sarah Lovell, the illustrator, whose talents bring Hanna and Calamity Jane to colourful life, and to Jane and the Foggie Toddle books team, for their belief and vision. I can’t wait to see where our highland-line-dancing pair end up next!
Louisa MacDougall - children's author 