Ira Grebenschikova

Lily the Quarantine Cat Ira Grebenschikova

My name is Julie G Fox. I am a children's author and a human mummy to Lily, the calico cat. Before the lockdown of 2020, Lily used to cross the road from our house in the village of Guilsborough, Northamptonshire to visit a local preschool and a primary school to play with the children. But then both schools had to close. A week or two later, I started receiving messages from the local parents saying that Lily was now visiting children in their own homes. Not all of the families in Guilsborough, of course, have pets. So Lily was especially appreciated as a play companion and a calming influence on the children during the difficult times the families went through in the spring of 2020. I decided to write Lily's story and to invite the local children to draw the pictures of Lily, as well as of their lives during the lockdown, so I could include these in the book alongside the illustrations by a professional artist. I am now happy to share the finished book not only with the children in our village but also with the children who were affected by the 2020 pandemic around the world.