Ruth-Mary Smith – illustratör

With theirunflappable expressions, large, striking eyes, and cuddly appearance, capybarasare undeniably cute and appealing. They’re intelligent and emotionallysensitive and one of the world’s most loved and recognised animals. Thesecharming creatures are easy-going and are well-known for being one of the mostfriendly and sociable animals on the planet.In Clara Capybara,young Clara – like the rest of her species – is friendly and amiable and lovesto please others. But with her ‘can do’ attitude, it’s easy for Clara to betaken advantage of. When Clara finds herself unable to say no to the constantdemands on her time, Mama imparts some wise words to help Clara implement aplan that involves diplomacy and better self-care.Carrying essentialthemes of self-care, mental health, diplomacy, navigating relationships,manners, setting boundaries, and social anxiety, Clara the Capybara possesseslayers of meaning that will appeal to both children and adults. Woven into thestory are language and literacy elements teaching synonyms and alliterationand, of course, a study in the nature of delightful capybaras.