Joe the Fisherman is the first book of the series ‘What Do the Grown-Ups Do?’ The stories are based on life in the north-west Highlands of Scotland in a village called Badaneel and follow three local girls as they investigate the world of grown-up jobs. Designed for children aged 5-10 years, their aim is to help children understand different jobs and educate them about working life in a light-hearted manner. Whilst in story format, they are also factual, based on a real place, written about real people. Joe the fisherman lives next door. A great strong man with a cheeky grin, Joe has fished for prawns all his life, just like his father before him. Joe the Fisherman tells of Joe’s life aboard and the pros and cons of being at sea. Like many of the local creel fishermen, they fish using sustainable techniques. Joe tells the girls how to stop catching crabs in their lobster pots, how to prepare bait and how to maintain the creels.

Other books in the series include: Papa the Stockfarmer, Sean the Actor, Fiona the Doctor and Richard the Vet. “My children constantly ask, ‘What do the grown ups do at work?’ It was this interest that sparked the idea for the books. Whilst they love to play, they are equally eager to tag along with the adults, learning new things,” says Mairi, about her inspiration for the series. “I thought it would be useful to educate them about the workplace and broaden their ideas for their life ahead. Although the message is educational, it is designed to be fun too,” she said.