From Sketch to Story: Kelly Koala Rescues Baby Flying Fox!

Kelly Koala Rescues Baby Flying Fox book begins

Here I go again! If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you’ll know that in early 2025 I published my first Cuddlee Character picture book, ‘Mummy’s Biggest Best Birthday Surprise Ever!’ home to the Cuddlee Cats of Cuddleton Village. That little book holds such a special place in my heart.

And now it’s time for a new little animal family who have been patiently waiting to be created. Today I’m beginning the Cuddlee Koalas. This is the second book in the Cuddlee Character Series, a world of adorable imaginary animals with big feelings, and stories woven through with love, belonging and the gifts that hide inside us all.

Early sketches of Kelly Cuddlee Koala

‘Kelly Koala Rescues Baby Flying Fox!’ is the story of a family of five koalas who arrive at their long dreamed of tropical holiday, only to discover a tiny, lost, frightened baby flying fox sheltering beneath a boardwalk at the edge of the sea. What unfolds is a race against sunrise, a journey through the rainforest, and a beautiful discovery. The gifts we never knew we had are sometimes the very ones that bring us home.

But here is what makes this little flying fox story even more special. Baby flying fox (my imaginary character) has already been living right here in our community. In 2025, I was commissioned by the Cairns Regional Council to create this very same baby spectacled flying fox as artwork for a colouring book, a fridge magnet and a jigsaw puzzle. Since then, I have been bringing him to life in colouring workshops at libraries and shopping centres across the Cairns region, with more locations coming soon.

Flying Fox commissioned products by the Cairns Regional Council

Children along with grandparents, parents and carers from across Far North Queensland have already been colouring him in. They’ve been taking him home as a fridge magnet, and piecing him together on the kitchen table as a jigsaw.

And now, for the very first time, he has an entire story book about his life and how he was once rescued.

This book is actually inspired by a real life event. My husband and I, along with our two daughters once waited and watched as we sat above the board walk here in Cairns. We kept our eye on a beautiful flying fox who had laboured to flap his way into shore accross the mud flats racing against the tide. He clung to the rocks beneath us and we could see him through the cracks. He was exhausted but never gave up hope. He’d slip and fall off the safety of the rock, we coaxed him back up. It was a race against time as the water slowly crept in and while we waited for the bat rescue people to arrive. Thank goodness for the outstanding dedication of Bat Soc. he was saved!

Right now I am deep in the early stages of bringing this book to life. My desk is covered in the things I love most. Sketchbooks, character studies, storyboard sheets and pencils. I have been sketching koala faces, finding Kelly’s expression, and working out who each member of this little family is before a single illustrated page begins.

The text is written. The storyboard layout is mapped. The characters are coming to life one sketch at a time. This is my favourite part of the process. Messy, wonderful, full of possibility.

I will be sharing the journey once again in my drawing club and snippets right here as well, as it unfolds. If you would like to follow along, make sure you are on my email list so you do not miss a thing.
And if you haven’t yet met the Cuddlee Cats yet, you can find Mummy’s Biggest Best Birthday Surprise Ever! at the following locations here in Cairns: