Warwickshire children's author who was inspired by a lockdown lamb

WHEN a newborn lamb’s mother died on a neighbouring farm, Debbie Halter and husband Sanjay stepped in and took on the job of hand-rearing.

Little did she know at the time, but that experience during lockdown started a story in Debbie’s imagination that has now been turned into a children’s book.

Aimed at two- to five-year-olds, The Lockdown Lamb follows Bon Bon on an adventure, helped by other farm animals, to find her mummy.

Debbie, who lives on a smallholding in Henley, said: “During the first lockdown I had so much time on my hands and bits of the story would keep coming up in my head. I would read bits out to friends and family and everyone said, ‘You’ve got to take this further’. Eventually I found an illustrator who was just amazing and then I found a publisher.”

The book is Debbie’s first and was written while she was furloughed from her usual career as a chiropodist. However, the writing is going to continue as Debbie has plans for a series of six, each featuring a different animal.

The Lockdown Lamb is available on Amazon, at bookshops in the Cotswolds and at farm shops, including The Farm at Snitterfield. Ten per cent of the proceeds will go to the NHS.