For 25 years, Bermudian artist Joan Aspinall had artwork sitting around in drawers doing nothing. One day she decided it was time to take it all out and do something with it.

The result is 'Shoo Cat Shoo' — a 40-page, tongue-in-cheek tale of adventure and disaster with the fussiest cat in the world, written and illustrated by Ms Aspinall, which she sums up as, "A picture book for a child, but a story for an adult who wants to remain one."

"Bermudians will like it for its satirical edge, tourists will like it for the paintings of Bermuda scenes and landmarks, and children will like it for the images of 'Tuppie' the cat," Ms Aspinall says.

The author-illustrator describes her book as "a rollicking, fun-filled adventure" starring her real-life black and white cat Tuppie who romps more than the Island in search of good food, creating havoc wherever he stops. The text has been written for local appeal.

'Shoo Cat' is a reversal of the normal book-creation process, in that Ms Aspinall has utilised her vibrant Bermuda art images, normally sold at Harbour Nights and retail outlets, and placed her cat in the scene. Tuppie travels from St. George's to Dockyard, catching ferries, visiting the Aquarium, Swizzle Inn, and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, all of which are easily recognisable in the book.

"The pictures did all the work, so dropping the story line in was easy," Ms Aspinall says. "The semi-cartoon style used in some of my Bermuda scenes was perfect for book illustration. In fact, it looks as if they were designed for the book."

Those familiar with the artist's work will recognise not only designs featured on her textile products and tote bags, but also the watercolour, 'Scent of Summer', first produced in 1993, which now graces the front cover of 'Shoo Cat Shoo'.

"That image has gone all more than the world on T-shirts, and was even printed in needlepoint," Ms Aspinall says. "I called the products 'Tuppie Wear'."

Affiliated with the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the writer-illustrator originally created 'Shoo Cat Shoo' for its 2005 conference in Los Angeles, where it was viewed by the president, Linn Oliver.

"She loved the art, but felt it had too much text, and saw it as a picture book for four year-olds, but the text is anything but that," the writer/illustrator relates. "The text is on another level. It has a tongue-in-cheek approach to our unique society, and spans several subjects, ranging from children, to adult and tourism."

Through her affiliation with SCBWI, Ms Aspinall said she had always been against self-publishing.

"The organisation disapproves of authors who self-publish, and does not recognise such publications, but if a book is exclusively Bermudian, there is no other way," she says.

What changed her mind was attending the Writers Digest Conference and Book Expo America earlier this year in search of an agent for two novels she has also written. There she was exposed not only to the largest selection of books and publishers in the world but also to an abundance of printing firms from the Far East, including Singapore.

When a publisher from the latter country contacted her in Bermuda, she decided to work with the firm, and is delighted with the quality of its work and the vividness of its colours, which she describes as "wonderful".

There has, however, been a problem with the projected delivery date of the finished product to the Island in time for Christmas sales, so Ms Aspinall is working on alternate arrangements to service purchasers.

"I will be selling 'Shoo Cat Shoo' gift certificates which include mailing the book to the recipient in Bermuda or abroad. Each book will be dedicated to the recipient, and signed by me, and numbered as a limited, first-edition printing," she says. "For anyone wishing to send a Bermuda gift to friends in the UK and Europe, 40 signed copies are already in the UK ready for mailing. The price of £10 or $20, includes handling and mailing to UK addresses, with a slight extra charge for addresses in Europe. Each book contains a special Christmas letter, which will be addressed to the recipient with the gift sender's name."

'Shoo Cat Shoo' will be sold in Hamilton at the Bermuda Bookstore and Brown & Co., and retail for $16.95, and a copy is now available at the Youth Library.

The author will be present at the Bermuda Bookstore on December 14, and at the City Market at Bull's Head on Saturdays.

No stranger to writing, Ms Aspinall has won several awards for her entries in The Royal Gazette Christmas short story contest, one of which, 'The Tree Frog and the Poinsettia' will appear in fully-illustrated book form in time for next year's Christmas market.

"It is an incredibly beautiful story, and should be handed down as part of our heritage," the author says.

Noting that 'Cat Shoo Cat' is the first in a four-part series of Tuppie's adventures, Ms Aspinall says the second one, 'Road Toad', is du0e to preview in mid-2008. A 'Shoo Cat Shoo' calendar and colouring book are also in the pipeline for next season.