CANMORE – A pair of cats that find adventure wherever they go are helping a Canmore children’s book author and illustrator to live reach her dreams as well.
The latest book from Jocey Asnong follows her travel-loving feline duo of Nuptse and Lhotse as they go to the West Coast of Canada. The geographic theme of the coast is also carried over into Asnong’s most recent publication exploring the alphabet for the youngest of readers.
Nuptse and Lhotse go to the West Coast and West Coast ABCs are published by Rocky Mountain Books and available at Café Books in Canmore.
Asnong also works at the bookstore and often finds herself face-to-face with her fans before either of them realize it.
“I think I am really fortunate,” she said, “because being in the bookstore I get a lot of direct contact with readers. A lot of authors would not have that kind of feedback.
“I have fans and then I have super fans and that really touches my heart.”
She said the youngest of her fans can really inspire her work, and she takes the time to listen so she can decide where Nupste and Lhotse should go on their next adventure.
As well as working with her publisher, Asnong has found the cats have a preference for Canadian adventures right now, although their first book followed them as they explored Mount Everest and they have also been to Iceland.
“Now I want them to go everywhere,” she said laughing. “But we have realized the Nuptse and Lhotse stories when it is Canadian content we are getting much more love.”
As the cats explore the West Coast, they meet a purple ochre starfish that has been swept up in ocean waves and dropped inland. The felines must help Salish the starfish find his way home and end up exploring and having adventures along the way.
Colourful and jam packed with whimsy, the children’s book illustrations and storyline visits many well-known West Coast locations like Granville Island and the Capilano suspension bridge.
Textured, multi-media and colourful illustrations demonstrate an attention to detail by Asnong that gives you an idea of how much she loves what she does.
“It is a dream come true,” she said about her relationship with Rocky Mountain Books. “They were a publisher that in the past were weary about children’s books, but we have the kind of relationship now where we pitch to each other.”
West Coast ABCs is on the B.C. bestseller list currently at number seven. A board-book, the book is geared toward the youngest readers and their parents and provides an alphabetical exploration of one of Canada’s distinct geographic and cultural regions.
It follows Asnong’s books Rocky Mountain ABCs, Rocky Mountain 123s and the West Coast 123s should not be far behind and represents the eighth children’s book for the author.
Of course, more Canadian adventures are in store for Nuptse and Lhotse. Having already explored the Rocky Mountains and the West Coast, there are plenty of places for them to journey next and for Asnong the creative freedom is also a reason for her to travel as well.
In order to write the stories and illustrate them, the author does significant research including travelling to the locations herself and gathering important source material for her artwork.
“It looks simple, but a lot of work goes into them to make sure I am not making stuff up,” she said laughing. “They are also highly interpretive.
“I think there is an end goal for the cats to travel internationally again. The focus for the next four books is going to be iconic Canadian regions.”
