‘Blooming in the hard places’: Prince Albert author focuses on dandelions and resilience with new children’s book

Prince Albert author Cindy Koob will read from her second c children’s book at the John M. Cuelenaere Branch of the PA Public Library on Saturday. -- Photo from the Cindy Koob Amazon author page.

What could be better than publishing one book? For Prince Albert author Cindy Koob, the answer is publishing a second.

Koob published ‘Nobody Tells Me What to Do’, her first children’s book, in March 2021. On Saturday, she’ll be at the John M. Cuelenaere Branch of the Prince Albert Public Library to read from her second, ‘Where Do Dandelions Go?’

“This one is every bit as much a thrill as the first, but probably moreso because this one is quite special to me in that it is all about blooming in the hard places, period,” Koob said.

The book uses dandelions as a teaching tool to help children learn more about mental health, diversity, inclusion, and resilience. Koob came up with the idea after a friend suggested she write a book about dandelions because they were so undervalued.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and that book came to me and there it is,” she said. “The big thing about this one is giving children a sense of belonging in a very diverse world that isn’t always welcoming and inclusive.

“It was really quick and really easy to write this one. It just seemed to flow straight out of my heart.”

Ori Chalbaud, the Calgary-based illustrator of Koob’s first book, provides the pictures again in her second. Koob described Chalbaud as an absolutely incredible artist, and the perfect person to illustrate the story.

Koob isn’t slowing down after publishing her first two children’s books. She has a third written and waiting to go for about a year, but hasn’t decided on her next steps.

“My life has just been too busy, and I’ve had different experiences with the publishing process,” she said. “I’m not really sure how I want to publish this time.”

Koob was raised north of Kinistino, but has lived in Prince Albert since 1985. Her reading will take place at the John M. Culenaere Branch of the Prince Albert Public Library at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16.

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