Author Fenella George
The idea for the book - the first of three stories - came from Fenella’s daughter, Maisy, when she was around four years old and still learning to read and write. One day after school Maisy presented her mother with a stapled story creation involving kings and queens, silver foil chandeliers and other stream-of-consciousness wondrous imaginings. She had written on the cover in her four-year-old hand Gabriel and the Snow Blossom Tree.
Fenella thought it was a beautiful title and kept it with her for nearly 15 years, hoping to use it as a story of her own one day, with Maisy’s blessing. The family still has the original book, seen in the pictures here.
Fenella’s mother was then reminded of a school friend in the 1940s, a girl called Gabriel, which was the catalyst she was looking for; Gabriel and two other stories arrived together over the course of a year. Stretchy is based on the family’s much-missed cat who was more like a dog, Tickle. Terence is the owl who likes to wake them up in their garden most nights, and Gerald… well they just love geese.
But they would not be the illustrated tales they are without Kath Fotheringham’s stunning artwork. Fenella saw her beautiful cards in a local shop. She was drawn to the detail, lightness of touch and atmosphere Kath creates through her use of charcoal, and felt that monochrome illustrations would suit the tranquil simplicity she was looking for.
Fenella contacted Kath via Instagram to see if she would be interested in illustrating Gabriel. Thankfully she said yes and Gabriel’s world sprang to life under Kath’s talented hand and vivid imagination.
Fenella says “I hope these stories create a calm landscape for busy little minds at the end of a day, to capture the simple joy of being outside in nature - be it at a park in the city or in the countryside - and to find comfort in companionship and home, wherever that may be”.
Illustrator Kath Fotheringham
A graphic designer and charcoalist, Kath was delighted to go on a wonderful drawing adventure with Fenella's Gabriel and her friends.
Kath says "I was really taken by Gabriel's determined, brave spirit, going on her solo quest and connecting with her animal companions one by one on the way. It's a simple tale that resonates with a wilder childhood and those animal friends – but also being in nature, on that path through the woods."
Jemima, Kath's daughter, and their ginger cat Peter, posed for many of the drawings and also featured are the beautiful trees and river banks of Oxfordshire.
More of Kath's work at
