Popples and friends have been very special for mother-daughter duo Cheryl Wilson and June Round.
Camera IconPopples and friends have been very special for mother-daughter duo Cheryl Wilson and June Round. Credit: Supplied/Matt Jelonek

Duo proud of popples

Emma Young, Canning TimesCanning Gazette

After Cheryl Wilson finished a children’s book illustration class, she told her mother June Round she had loved it so much she wanted to find some way to continue.

Round, then 80 years old, promptly wrote a story for her to illustrate ” then another, and then another.

A year later, Round has written 10 stories about Popples the peacock and the pair has self-published two.

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After this, their vision finally outstripped their graphic design abilities, so they enlisted a designer for the re-launch of a new, improved version of the first title, Popples the Proud and Happy Peacock, in time for Christmas.

Each title in the series, aimed at two to seven-year-olds, features Popples’ adventures with his animal friends. Aided by friend and mentor Ozzie the owl, Popples learns a lesson in each story, ranging from sharing his special garden to remembering to say the magic word, tidying up after himself and being patient.

Wilson is halfway through the watercolour illustrations for the remaining titles in the series.

She said Pobbles was a ‘beautiful’ character and creating him had been a seamless process for the mother-daughter duo.

‘We work so well together,’ she said. ‘We are so in tune I can draw what she’s thinking.

‘I do believe we have a lot of potential with this series, but the market is tough to break into.’

Wilson and Round are selling the books privately in the local, corporate and school markets.

However, they are searching for a publisher and distributor so that their work can reach a wider audience. For orders and inquiries, telephone Wilson on 0414 926 730, Round on 0414 629 898 or email popples|thepeacock@gmail.com