Hello! I’m Cathy Mostyn, the author of the Peter Penguin adventures.
What began as a little storytelling has grown into a collection of colourful, rhyming adventures featuring Peter Penguin and his friends.
I hope Peter’s adventures bring as much laughter and enjoyment to other families as they have to mine.
How Peter Penguin Began
Peter Penguin first came to life many years ago in stories told by my father, Grandpa Lesley, to me and my cousins, and later to his grandchildren.
I can’t remember the original adventures, but one thing has always stayed with me — whatever happened to Peter, he always returned home for jelly and custard for tea!
During the Covid lockdowns, I began writing my own Peter Penguin adventures as a hobby, bringing the character back to life with a few additions of my own — including his distinctive red coat and the rather unfortunate fact that he can’t swim!
What started as a little project has since grown into a collection of illustrated, rhyming adventures, with characters and ideas inspired by my family.
A Family of Characters
Family has always been at the heart of Peter Penguin’s adventures.
Many of the animals Peter meets are named after my grandchildren, while King Charlie takes his name from my son, Charles.
Even some of the illustrations contain little family memories, including a picture inspired by my father racing around the garden with Charles in his wheelbarrow!
And it was a conversation with one of my grandsons, who wanted a snow fox in the next story, that led to the creation of the Magic Boomerang and a whole new series of adventures.
