George provides the perfect inspiration

SINEAD Saint has unveiled her first children’s picture book and will be sharing her debut work in school holiday sessions at both the Naracoorte and Keith libraries.

The first time author will be on site for a reading on Thursday, July 17, at 10am at the Naracoorte Library, and 10am on Friday, July 18 at the Keith Community Library.

George Goes to the Farm, from Wild Dog Books, is a heartwarming, humorous look at the great divide between city life and the country — as told through the muddy paws of an enthusiastic groodle named George.

This joyful rhyming picture book follows George, a pampered city pooch in need of a break from the hustle and bustle. When he visits a real working farm, George is eager to prove he’s up to the task — but country life isn’t quite as simple as it seems.

From tangles with tractors to run-ins with unimpressed working dogs, George’s adventures are as relatable as they are hilarious.

The story is inspired by Sinead’s real-life groodle and her own rural roots.

Raised on a South Australian farm, she now lives and works in the city — and brings that contrast to life with wit and warmth.

“I wanted to capture the gentle humour in how city and country people view each other,” said Ms Saint. “There’s a special kind of joy in the messiness of learning something new — especially when you think you already know it all.

“This book has been years in the making. It’s full of heart, and every part of George’s story was carefully crafted — from the rhyme and rhythm, to the watercolour illustrations that bring it all to life.”

Sinead is a born storyteller, forging a career as a highly respected media and communications professional, she has partnered throughout her career with global brands including Red Bull, Oakley and Seppeltsfield, but a project like George Goes to the Farm was also lurking just below the surface.

Like a lot of people, writing a book is something that I had always thought I would do at some point in my life,” Sinead said. “I have always loved telling stories, drawing and creating art, so it kind of just happened as a little project and then it evolved into thinking, hey I can actually make a book here.

“Based on my groodle George, the book really started taking a form in my mind when I saw how silly he was on the farm and laughing at the absolute mess he would get into. Seeing George blend into the sheep is always funny – the sheep don’t know whether he is one of them or not, little lambs are always bunting him thinking he might be their mum.”

That personal connection helps explain why her publishing and illustration debut so strongly reflects her passion for authentic Australian stories, playful language and connection to place.

With its lyrical text and whimsical illustrations, George Goes to the Farm is destined to become a bedtime favourite — especially for children who love animals, laughter and even a little bit of mud.

And George Goes to the Farm can only be described as a labour of love – the entire process from concept to completion spanning seven years – a journey from the initial story and first sketch to opening a box of the printed copies on July 2.

“I certainly learnt a lot of things I will do differently and more efficiently next time,” Sinead said. “Some of the best parts were dreaming up the silly things he was doing and then finding a way of showing that through a drawing. Some days it would just work and it would be so easy and fun, and I would make myself laugh with the different positions and outfits I could put him in.”

As with all passion projects, Sinead faced her share of challenges – living the adage that nothing worth having comes easily.

“The biggest challenge was the fact that I had to learn a whole new industry, and I would make little mistakes that would then cost me down the track when I would need to redo a drawing,” she said. “It was a lesson in perseverance and that if you want something to happen hard enough, you can find a way. The other hard part was the fact that I was fitting it around a very busy work schedule, I was often drawing into the night or early mornings before work.”

For now, Sinead is focussed on sharing George Goes to the Farm with a reading audience and just taking some time to appreciate what she has achieved before possibly embarking on more book creation.

“It’s definitely not out of the question – though let’s just see how well George Goes to the Farm does,” she said. “It would certainly be fun to create a series of picture books based on George’s adventures.”

Sinead did have one invaluable weapon in her publishing journey – one of her best friends, Emily, is in the publishing game.

“She was incredible at bouncing ideas and initially guiding me on what parts of the story to lean into and build out, as well as giving me tips and advice on how to approach publishers,” she said. “She has actually just moved back to Adelaide to start her own publishing house – Pink Shorts Press – which is a fabulous independent and proudly South Australian brand.”

You can pick up your copy of George Goes to the Farm at your favourite local bookshop, Simon & Schuster, or visit wdog.com.au.

Book Details:• Title: George Goes to the Farm• Author: Sinead Saint• Publisher: Wild Dog Books• Release Date: 2 July 2025• ISBN: 978-1-74203-701-1• Age Range: 3 – 8 years