Sometimes, the best creative sparks don’t come from a quiet study—they come over a steaming cup of coffee and a bit of a dare! “Rupert the Red Squirrel” is a story born right in the heart of the woods, sparked by a casual conversation at the North Gateway Café.
The Café Challenge
My eldest daughter (the very same one who inspired the Santa grotto!) is the manager at the North Gateway Café. I was sitting there one afternoon, minding my own business and enjoying the Highland scenery, when one of the staff members piped up.
“You write poems, don’t you? Why don’t you write one about the squirrel?” She pointed toward the woods right beside the café, where a very busy little red squirrel was making his rounds. I asked what his name was, but nobody knew! So, I threw down the gauntlet: “If you lot give me a name, I’ll give you a poem.”
Meeting Rupert
A week later, the verdict was in. The team had decided the local celebrity should be called Rupert. A challenge is a challenge, and since I’d given my word, I had to fulfill it!
I struggled with a storyline at first—after all, what do squirrels actually get up to besides being adorable and hiding nuts? My youngest daughter, who also worked at the café, mentioned a magnificent black Labrador who was a regular visitor. It struck me then: to a tiny squirrel, a dog must look like a gargantuan, terrifying monster!
A Shift in Perspective
The heart of Rupert’s story became about conquering fear. It’s about looking at something “scary” from a different angle and realising that a “monster” might actually be a potential friend.
In the original draft, the dog was that big black Lab, but as I wrote, I decided to make the character a Cocker Spaniel. My own dog, Pepper, was a Cocker Spaniel and the friendliest soul you’d ever meet. We used to walk in those very same forests every day. When he passed away, we scattered some of his ashes there, so putting a “Pepper-style” dog in the book felt like a beautiful way to keep his memory wagging.
Spitting Images
The illustrator did a “Result!!!” job on this one. There is a specific picture in the book of the dog, Finn, sitting down and wagging his tail—it is the spitting image of my dear Pepper. I even got to give a signed copy of the book to the real-life Finn’s owner, which was a lovely full-circle moment.
Now, Rupert isn’t just a squirrel in the woods; he’s a reminder to all of us that the world is a lot less scary when you find a friend to share it with!
Join the Adventure: You can follow Rupert’s brave journey through the Highland trees by picking up his story here.
