Cookie

Isabelle Duff is a farmer, author, and soon-to-be student at the University of New South Wales, where she will study Advanced Science and Commerce. She is currently on a gap year, working full time on her family farm near Manildra, NSW, where they farm sheep and cattle, and crop. Isabelle is a self-proclaimed "absolute tree hugger," passionate about science and environmental agribusiness. She hopes to one day manage the family business. Cookie is Isabelle’s first book, written when she was just 19 years old. She has volunteered at her local primary school for the past year and a half, and is passionate about opening conversations about mental illness with children at a young age, helping to reduce stigmatism and ignorance. Isabelle’s favourite things in the world are rock music, picnics, Aussie wildflowers and of course, Saffy – her dog (and best friend) who inspired Cookie. She feels more at home in the bush with her beautiful dog than anywhere else.Susannah Crispe is a Canberra-based children’s book illustrator, inspired by a background in zoology and art history, and a love of beautifully crafted books. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from the University of Sydney (2008) and studied Zoology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of New England. Susannah is a largely self-taught artist, and works primarily in watercolour and digital collage. She has been illustrating professionally for four years for a range of clients, producing a large selection of greeting cards, logo designs and wildlife artworks. Susannah is also a stay-at-home-mum, where reading books with the kids forms a huge part of her everyday routine. Cookie is her second book; her first is titled Where the Heart Is (also with EK Books).

As with other EK books, the message in Cookie is delivered without being obvious or didactic. Looking at things from a dog’s point of view offers a different take on mental health, and is all the more authentic by being inspired by author Isabelle Duff’s own experiences, and her dog (a border collie like Cookie), who helped her through them.