When is a collaboration not a collaboration?

At first glance, Courtenay author Jordis Tumby鈥檚 first children鈥檚 book, Of Bears at Fridges, Drinking Planes and Cinderella鈥檚 Shoe, would appear to be a collaborative effort between herself and Courtenay artist Uli Ostermann, who provided the illustrations for the book.

Things are not always as they appear, however. Tumby and Ostermann are one and the same.

鈥淸I use] Jordis Tumby as an open pseudonym to distinguish between [my] identities as an author and as a painter,鈥� explained Ostermann, in a press release about the launching of the book.

When she is not penning children鈥檚 novels, Ostermann is an internationally recognized artist and mother of three, whose pieces have been sold to collectors in Canada, the United States, and various European countries.

But her most recent project will appeal mostly to children.

鈥淭his book is about eight-year-old Sammy, who just had been told that the family will move away from London and to a new home,鈥� Ostermann said. 鈥淚n Sammy鈥檚 eyes a bombshell went off at the breakfast table, and so the book starts with a scream and a big bang caused by slammed doors.鈥�

The story addresses the fear of change that comes naturally with the unfamiliar and its challenges. It鈥檚 intended for children aged eight and older, and is set in London (England), Dresden (Germany), and B.C.

The 176-page hardcover version is fully illustrated, while the 148-page paperback edition contains three illustrations.

Of Bears at Fridges, Drinking Planes and Cinderella鈥檚 Shoe, is available at amazon.ca