A heart-warming, magical adventure about bravery, kindness, and believing in yourself.
Florence, a sweet and curious Border Collie, loves exploring Tintock Wood in Scotland with her human mummy. But when a mischievous fairy upsets her, the hurt little dog runs farther than she ever has before - all the way to the Wallace Monument in Stirling. There, she meets a cheeky leprechaun who promises her three wishes... but magic isn't always what it seems.
To find her way home, Florence must rely on courage, kindness, friendship, and her own good heart. Her journey takes her across rivers, onto trains, and even to the North Pole, where she meets Santa and Mrs Claus, and learns that sometimes magic comes from within.
A gentle, uplifting story for children who love:
- Magical animal adventures
- Fairies, unicorns, and leprechauns
- Scottish places and legends
- Positive messages about bravery, family, and doing the right thing
- Heart-warming, imaginative bedtime stories
With themes of bravery, problem-solving, friendship, and self-belief, The Tale of Florence and the Three Wishes is perfect for primary school children, families, and animal lovers - and ideal for storytime reading, classroom sharing, and fostering imagination.
A comforting, enchanting tale celebrating loyalty, courage, and the magic of home.
Born in Calderdale, Debra loved cycling and walking in the Yorkshire countryside almost as soon as she could walk. In her teens, she fell in love with the Lake District and hoped she might one day live there. Living opposite the Rowntree Mackintosh factory (now Nestlé), Debra developed a sweet tooth. Her cycles and walks always involved chocolate, such as a Yorkie Bar, Toffee Crisp, or Quality Street chocolates, but Debra was also quite partial to Cadbury's Dairy Milk. In 2005, Debra moved to Scotland, married Scotsman Jim, and became Mrs Murphy. Debra still lives in Scotland with her husband and their Border Collie, eating chocolate, walking, cycling, and writing. She continues to dream of living in the Lake District.
A Fife-based freelance illustrator and origami tutor, self-proclaimed paper lover and cake enthusiast. I'm the creative sitting at The Ricketty Desk. I illustrate at events and conferences, regenerate text-heavy documents, and design infographic material. My work can be found in magazines, advertising, websites, products, novels and children's books. My focus is on bringing ideas to life and making information digestible, accessible, and interesting. People remember the wonder of storybooks when they see my designs and the ease of learning from them. Businesses, organisations and authors come to me when they want to connect with their audiences in a way that's inviting and personable. My designs are traditionally created by hand with ink and paper. These are then photographed and layered into composites using software on my computer. Each sketch is usually created from a minimum of 6 individual drawings. I take inspiration from vintage children's tales, patterns and classic typography, and as a reflection of this, my style is playful and fun. I'm a great fan of sketchy lines and I like to keep that not-so-perfect look (just like real life!) in my work. I regularly teach origami classes in museums, libraries, schools and community spaces to all ages and abilities across Scotland. You can learn more about my classes here. If you'd like to collaborate on a project or commission an illustration, drop me an email: the_ricketty_desk@hotmail.co.uk
