Announcing My Latest Picture Book: Reindeer Princess and the Snow Owl

A Picture the Book fairy tale by Sherri Eri

Inspired by real swordfights, icy landscapes, and a princess who refuses to back down.

When my illustrator, Nuratiqah Sabrin, said she wanted to paint a frozen landscape, I faced a challenge:

How do I turn snow into a story with real stakes?

A pretty backdrop wasn’t enough. I needed characters with purpose and a conflict readers could feel.

Without something deeper, the tale risked becoming sweet but forgettable. I wanted tension, courage in a feisty heroine, and something meaningful beneath the snow.

Research led me to northern landscapes where cold rules year-round, with animals built for harsh winters. Two animals stood out: Reindeer and Snow Owl.

Nuratiqah said, “If it’s a princess, Reindeer would be better.”

And suddenly, my heroine had stepped forward. Snow Owl stayed as her steady companion.

For the story’s shadow, I created a sorcerer determined to force the princess into marriage:

“A Sorcerer came and said, ‘Wear this ring.

Marry me, Princess, and make me your king!’”

The world was forming — but something felt incomplete.

That’s when an unexpected influence appeared.

During a safe-falling class, I learned that one of my trainers, Wilson Lim (a strength and conditioning coach and founder of AGILEBODIE) wasn’t just skilled in multiple martial arts, street dancing, and gymnastics. He also represented Singapore in Olympic fencing — and trained in medieval sword fighting while studying in a university in Scotland.

His talents reshaped the story.

Wilson shared photos and video clips that helped my illustrator draw action scenes. And his background shaped the words I, Sherri Eri, wrote for the clashes:

“… He lunged, he feinted, he parried, and prayed.”

And:

“Blades clashed and clanged in a dance of death …”

The Reindeer Princess became a fighter:

“When faced with foes, she learned how to kick,

To butt with her antlers, and to duck a slash quick.”

Snow Owl grew from gentle companion into protector:

“The Sorcerer slashed, but Snowy struck too.”

And the Sorcerer sharpened into a more menacing threat:

“Yet the Sorcerer appeared as if out of thin air,

Wielding dagger and sword and a piercing glare.”

What began with an illustrator’s wish for snow turned into a story of sorcery, courage, and cold steel.

The kingdom gained weight and movement — grounded not only in imagination, but in the precision of a real swordsman.

Reindeer Princess and the Snow Owl is the newest addition to my Picture the Book collection — stories written with rhythm for kids who listen, and colour for kids who see.”

It is now available in ebook and print.

Step into the adventure.

👉 Read Reindeer Princess and the Snow Owl today.

 

Sherri Eri is a Singapore-based children’s author and founder of Picture the Book. She writes inclusive picture books and audiobooks shaped by rhythm and carefully chosen words — so children can follow the story even if they can’t see the illustrations.