When my publisher first sent me the cover illustration by South Australian artist Danny Snell for my debut children’s book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, it immediately felt familiar. Was it the seaside setting? The vintage caravan? The green-eyed cat? No, it was Marcie herself, head in hands, hair sticking up. I searched through old family photos and found the one I remembered – me aged about 5, with Mum, my three sisters and my big brother, all squinting into the South Australia sunshine, me finding the bright glare particularly hard, my hands on my face, my hair sticking up just like Marcie’s.

It was pure coincidence that Danny drew Marcie like this – he said he was “lost for words” when I shared my family photo with him.

MARCIE GILL AND THE CARAVAN PARK CAT is out now in Australia/NZ.