Meet the Creators
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Emily Serow is a vibrant and energetic primary school teacher from Brisbane, known for her big smile, boundless enthusiasm, and ability to strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone. Emily has been teaching since 2014 and has a natural passion for storytelling and inspiring young minds.
Kirra and Coco is her debut picture book, inspired by the imaginative stories her mum used to write for her and her brother when they were growing up. Now a proud mum to two beautiful (and delightfully cheeky) girls, Emily was inspired to create a story about courage, sisterhood, and adventure—where young readers can join in and take on playful challenges along the way.
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Esther Cheok is a Melbourne-based graphic designer who grew up in Malaysia, where her love for picture books and storytelling first began. As a child, she was captivated by beautifully illustrated books and dreamed of creating one herself one day. That dream took shape when she worked with a children’s publishing house in Australia—a milestone she calls her dream job. Now, Esther is thrilled to illustrate her very own book. She thrives in creative spaces and, when not drawing, enjoys a game of badminton and planning her next trip.
Meet the Characters
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Kirra
Kirra the koala is curious and bright. She enjoys exploring new things but sometimes her vivid imagination gets the better of her. She is observant, and picks up on small details. Kirra looks up to her big sister, Coco, and loves adventuring with her.
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Coco
Coco the koala is lively and wild. She is Kirra’s cheeky big sister who tumbles through life at full-speed! She is spontaneous, always acting in the moment… sometimes unpredictably. Coco is always in a good mood, and spreads joy to everyone around her.
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Mum
Kirra and Coco’s mum is kind and attentive. She knows that Coco is a bundle of energy, and recognises when Kirra is feeling a bit down. She loves watching her two girls go on adventures together.
The journey to publishing ‘Kirra and Coco’
As a teacher, I’ve spent years surrounded by children’s books. Everything from reading them aloud, analysing them, watching how they’re handled and working out which ones truly capture a child’s attention.
I first had the idea to write a picture book a full decade before it became a reality. I was teaching Prep for the second year in a row, and one evening I was reading the stories that my mum used to write for me and my brother. She had passed away the previous year, and reading her stories helped me feel connected to her. It inspired me to write something of my own. I wanted it to feel like a real book.. one that could be held up in classrooms, libraries, and enjoyed by little readers. What I didn’t expect was just how much goes into making that happen…
Like many authors, I began with the writing. My focus was initially on the story, then I worked on the rhyme and rhythm. After having it professionally edited, I was finally ready to get it illustrated.. that’s what brings a picture book to life after all!
Working with my illustrator, Esther, opened my eyes to how much detail goes into each page. Character expressions, movement, colour choices, how each image supports the text… the list goes on. It’s a collaborative process, and one that requires patience, trust, and a lot of back-and-forth to get just right. Seeing the characters evolve from my initial sketch, into final artwork was one of the most exciting parts of the journey!
Even with a beautiful story and stunning illustrations, there’s another layer that’s just as important… the physical book!
Suddenly, I found myself spending hours learning about paper types, book sizes, binding options, formatting, print files… I had to make a decision on whether I wanted to do POD (print on demand), or do a print run myself and work as my own distributor. I ultimately decided that the quality I could get from working with a print company directly would be much better than the ‘best’ print on demand service.
After researching, asking around and contacting multiple print companies for quotes, I chose to work with QinPrinting and I’m now preparing for my third print run with them! One of the things that made a big difference for me was having a consistent point of contact. I worked closely with Jane, who guided me through every step of the process. I came into this with very little technical knowledge… and I definitely asked my fair share of “silly” questions… but she has always explained things clearly. I even received behind-the-scenes videos of my books being printed, which was such a special way to see the process come to life.
Most importantly, the final product.. (my REAL BOOK!) has lived up to my expectations. The colours are vibrant, the finish is professional, and my books are something I’m proud to share in classrooms and libraries.
Self-publishing has been a journey and I’ve learnt so much along the way. I’m definitely no expert, but I love sharing my knowledge with new authors! Of course, the most special part has been seeing children enjoy the story of Kirra and Coco, knowing that I’ve followed in my mum’s footsteps of creating something special for the next generation.
QinPrinting: https://www.qinprinting.com/ direct email address: jane@qinprinting.com
Esther Cheok, Illustrator: @esther.cheok, Calista Chamberlain, Editor
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