A hinterland author has had a major claim to fame after her children’s picture book — inspired by a real Queensland crocodile — was read by royalty.
It was a “pinch-me” moment for Cooran’s Michelle Wilson when Crocs Don’t Do Yoga was read by Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York, on her YouTube channel Storytime with Fergie and Friends.
The video has clocked up more than 148,350 views since November 26 and has placed Ms Wilson’s “quirky” book in the international spotlight.
“If you had have told me two years ago I would have a book published and Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York was reading it, I would have told you to get out of town,” Ms Wilson said.
Scroll down to view the reading
“I’m such a proud Queenslander and I really wanted to give Queenslanders a voice with my writing.
“So to hear a royal like Sarah Ferguson read my story about a yabby and a crocodile and mud crab is a bit surreal.”
The story was handpicked by the Storytime with Fergie and Friends team that scouts publishing houses across the globe for books to feature on the program, which has more about 40,000 YouTube subscribers.
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The mother-of-two, who works as a primary school relief teacher by day and writes at night, said the book was inspired by a real crocodile from Mackay, where she lived prior to moving to Cooran in January of this year.
The book features Connie, a crocodile with a snappy attitude who learns mindfulness thanks to other creek wildlife.
“The story is based on a creek in Mackay called Constant Creek and that’s where Connie the croc from Constant Creek came from.
“When my daughter, Summer, was four there was a croc around Constant Creek.
“My daughter was quite high-spirted at the time and I was trying to introduce her to yoga and I thought about a crocodile that was a bit snappy and does yoga and meditation to calm down.
“When things didn’t go her way, my daughter would get frustrated, and that seemed across the board for students I was teaching in the lower primary years.
“I wanted to write a book that was engaging for kids and introduce them to yoga and mindfulness in a humorous way.”
Written in rhyme, the book has gained popularity since its release in June and Ms Wilson said her inspiration to write a humorous book for children began when she became a mother.
“I’ve always wanted to write something and I started writing here and there all throughout my life.
“It wasn’t until I had children that I started reading a lot of picture books and realised I could write something myself.
“I like writing funny stories for children because I know that when I’m reading stories with my children, it’s the ones that make us both laugh that we love the most.”
Ms Wilson is currently working on a junior fiction book and hopes there may be more children’s books in the future.
Crocs Don’t Do Yoga is available at bookstores or online at larrikinhouse.com.
You can also catch Ms Wilson at local markets across the Noosa Hinterland.
