7 WONDERS OF KATHERINE BATTERSBY'S WORLD
Katherine is a fan girl of comics, ice cream, mischief, tea and travel. In her spare time she is the president of the Cranky Club and can be found grumbling about bananas, loud music and exclamation marks. She is also the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of eleven picture books and three chapter books, including the popular Cranky Chicken series, Perfect Pigeons, Trouble and the Squish Rabbit series, which have been published around the world. Her books have been reviewed in The New York Times, have received starred Kirkus reviews and have been shortlisted for numerous awards. She is regularly booked to speak in schools, libraries and at festivals and she is a passionate advocate for literacy and the arts.
In another life, Katherine worked as a pediatric occupational therapist, specializing as a children’s counselor. She has also studied graphic design and loves typography, fabric and vintage teacups. Katherine grew up by the beach in Australia and now lives in Canada with her poet, their book obsessed toddler and a loveably ridiculous dog.
If you don’t already know Katherine’s Cranky Chicken series, I enthusiastically recommend it for all the Kindergarten through grade 3ish readers in your life. A classic friendship story with zany antics and laughs for days, it’s one of those rare books that appeals to just about any kid regardless of their gender or interests.
If you’re already a devoted fan, you will be happy to hear that the 4th Cranky Chicken book is due out in April 2025. Katherine is currently hard at work on book 5, but took some time out to share some of the wonders that make her world go round.
1. Bird Song
There’s nothing that makes me happier than waking to birds singing. Bird calls have become especially notable to me since I moved countries. I grew up in Australia, on the Queensland coast, and our tropical birds are all as loud as their feathers are bold. I’ve lived here in Canada these last ten years and Canadian birds are so sweet and quiet in comparison (much like polite Canadians). The contrast is delightful.
2. Sunshine
Coming from the tropics, I need a lot of sunshine in my life. My writing desk faces a window that opens onto a park, where I can always see light filtering down through the trees. If I’m ever feeling stuck, either in my writing or in life, I just need to go for a walk; to feel the sunshine on my skin, to see the world in the light. I always come back from those walks with an answer.
3. My Dog's Paws
My dog has always had the softest paws. His pads are a mottled colour, patches of black and pink, and his ginger hair grows in tufts through them. Dog lovers will know that there’s something about the smell of your dog's paws - something essential about their little beings that is captured in that scent. My dog is nearing his 17th Birthday and I am grateful for each day he still gets to pad alongside me as I walk around the house.
4. My Daughter’s Voice
The tone of my daughter’s voice captures what I find most precious and delightful about her. She loves to sing and often sings herself to sleep, making up epic musical numbers about love and life and conflict and intrigue. I've made voice recordings of her since she was born, and we often listen back to them together. It's fascinating hearing her voice change over time, and hearing it always calls to that deep place of love in me.
5. My Partner’s Sense of Calm
I am a rather emotional creature. I feel everything and have trouble filtering out other people’s emotions. I feel great joy but also deep sadness (often at the same time!). So I am ever grateful for my partner’s deep sense of calm - the perfect contrast to me. He’s a lovely presence in the house (although he’s also rather cheeky!).
6. Tastebud Tourism
I tend to choose places I’d like to visit based on foods I want to eat. We went to Vietnam on our honeymoon because I love Vietnamese food - we took a cooking class while there so we could bring all the recipes home and integrate them into our diet. Most recently we went island hopping in Greece and ate our weight in seafood, olives, fresh tomatoes, local eggplants, figs and thyme honey. As a Canadian immigrant I am very creative in my use of maple syrup - everything from a tea sweetener to baked fish and salad dressings. Food gives me so much joy.
7. Joy
This word has come up a lot through these 7 Wonders! I never really lost my sense of joyfulness from childhood. And I think joy is at the heart of what I’ve always tried to build into my daily life. Opportunities for small daily joys. Nature, food, conversations, books, quiet, laughter, ice cream, ideas, thinking, meditation, tea, gardening. I make sure I get daily doses of each of these small pleasures. And this sense of joy is the perfect place for me to create stories from.
