Showing cattle might be a specialist niche, but interest around the world has led to Gerringong local Kathryn Bowden becoming a global author and illustrator in just two days, with her first children’s book, It’s Showtime – Holstein Day.

“I put my kids to sleep that night, went back to do some more drawing before going to bed and then woke up in the morning and was like ‘wow look at these orders I’ve got to fill’,” she says.

Since releasing the book – about a Holstein dairy cow named Nancy – many copies have been shipped overseas to Canada, America, United Kingdom and New Zealand, as well as throughout Australia.

The book follows Nancy’s journey from the farm gate to the show ring, documenting all the steps along the way and highlighting the passion

and care that farmers demonstrate towards their cattle.

“It’s been a long time in the making and it was a big dream,” says Kathryn.

“I wrote it on and off for a year or so, but then it took about nine months to do the illustrations. They have been all been hand drawn by me on a digital device.”

The word spread really quickly internationally through social media.

“While I don’t have an enormous following on my Instagram, it just spread through other pages and sites that have a big audience,” she says.

“There’s even a company in the US that works with dairy cows and showing cattle who have approached me and said ‘we’ve seen your book, we’ve heard people talk about it and we’d like to promote it further through our business’.”

Kathryn has certainly written about what she knows. She grew up on a farm in Gerringong, as her parents, the Cullens, are 7th generation dairy farmers. While in high school she showed dairy cattle locally and nationally. She was also the Kiama Showgirl in 2013.

The story aims at educating and encouraging youth in showing dairy cattle, an art that has been shared among many generations.

“Now that I have kids, I found there were no resources out there so I really wrote it for them,” says Kathryn

“Then I realised how much of a gap there was in the industry for little kids so that’s why I put it out there for everyone.

“There’s been a big response from other parents in the industry locally and overseas, especially in Canada and the US who have a very big showing industry.”

It’s Showtime – Holstein Day is the first in a four part series, with the next book about a Jersey cow planned to come out early next year.

Kathryn sells the book through her website, The Art Mum, along with other artworks, prints and educational material she has produced.