When a South Coast creative published a book about cow showing last week, she didn't expect it to be such a hit amongst overseas buyers.
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Kathryn Bowden, a high school teacher from Kiama Downs, wrote and illustrated 'It's Showtime! - Holstein Day' for her children, so she could share the world of cow showing with them.
Kathryn said after realising there weren't many children's books on the topic, she decided to publish it and advertise it on her website.
"I realised there's a massive gap in the market for a specific book on cow showing," she said.
"I just wanted to find some resources as a teacher, as well as teach my kids about what I used to do."
Since publishing the book early last week, Kathryn said she has been busy with packing orders, with buyers mostly from America.
An American dairy company even approached her to promote the book.
"It's been a lifelong dream of mine to write a children's book. So I went ahead and made it available for people to buy, then it kind of just took off," she said.
"Over three days, it went from people I knew locally buying it, to now shipping it to America, California, the UK and New Zealand.
"I have had so much interest that I recently have been asked to be promoted by a dairy company in the USA. It's an extremely exciting journey."
The picture book follows a true story about a Holstein cow called Nancy, who Kathryn remembers as the best cow in the herd on her family's South Coast dairy farm.
Coming from a family of seventh generation dairy farmers and as a past Kiama show girl, Kathryn wanted to provide an educational book on the steps of showing cows and the level of care farmers have for their animals.
Kathryn is thrilled her first book on a topic close to her heart is being shipped to international readers.
"The industry is big in Australia, but it's enormous in America, so I think that's why people there are buying it," she said.
"We're very thankful for the support that we've got locally, nationally, and internationally. It feels pretty amazing because it's really just my husband, myself and our two young kids."
You can purchase 'It's Showtime! - Holstein Day' from Kathryn's website.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
