Budding author, Lizzie Allister, is taking the literary world by storm with the unveiling of her first children’s book, The Adventures of Bumble the Bus: A Day at The Seaside. The book launched online last week and has already sold copies worldwide, with happy customers as far afield as Mexico, Australia and the USA.
Born and raised in Solihull, Lizzie is taking on the wondrous world of children’s books for the first time. The Adventures of Bumble the Bus is her first venture into fiction, finally allowing Lizzie to fulfil her lifelong dream of being a children’s writer. As well as being a property marketing manager by day, the co-founder of a successful wedding transport business at the weekend, and a dedicated mum round the clock, Lizzie is now able to add ‘author’ to her ever-increasing list of accomplishments.The inspiration for the main character Bumble the Bus came from her 1962 Volkswagen Campervan. Alongside her other half, Lizzie operates a wedding transportation company, which entails driving brides and grooms on their special day in the real life Bumble. After seeing the tremendous love for her campervan, particularly from children, Lizzie decided to bring Bumble to life by placing him at the centre of her seaside story. In her heart-warming tale, magical campervan Bumble is joined by his loyal companion Henley the dog, and together they embark on a fantastic adventure to the great British coast. Complete with delicate watercolour illustrations by artist Catherine Constance, the book is not just for children to enjoy, but likewise grown-ups; aiming to bring back nostalgic feelings of their own childhood. As a mother of two, Lizzie recognised the importance of reading with children, and wanted her story to be as precious for the adults reading it as it was for the little ones listening.
Speaking about the launch of the book, Lizzie commented:
“Ever since I was a little girl, it had been a dream of mine to have my very own book published. After a year in the making, I am so proud that I’ve accomplished this and have successfully been able to bring Bumble to life. The story, along with the illustrations, aims to transport readers – young and old – back to an era that was so fantastic in my eyes.
“The reaction to the book has been so wonderful already; I’m absolutely amazed that there have already been copies purchased all around the world and I can’t wait to get started on the next one!” The Adventures of Bumble the Bus: A Day At The Seaside is the first in a series of adventure books written by Lizzie and is now available to purchase, RRP £7.99, from Amazon, Foyles, Waterstones, and Barnes and Noble.