AN all-woman collaboration has led to the launch of an inspirational children’s book by a former Greenhill pupil.

What’s a girl to do? was the dream of Tarmac Aberthaw’s environmental co-ordinator, Kara Bennett, originally from Tenby, and communications consultant, Nicola Jenkins – but it was after partnering with author Alison Powell and illustrator, Emily Jones, that the book was brought to life through the eyes of Ellie, a determined young girl who knows what she wants in life but faces negativity and obstacles along the way.

Kara said: “Having worked in heavy industry for years I’m disheartened to see just how few women consider it a career choice. This, coupled with the feedback from the schoolchildren we work with through our community outreach programme, was enough for us to want to do something about it.

“What’s a girl to do follows Ellie as she sets out on her quest to be an engineer – but the road isn’t easy. Her classmates think she’s odd, her best friend, Flo, doesn’t understand, her brother says she can’t, and her grandad is behaving strangely. Ellie doesn’t want to give up on her dream and the book sees if she can make it in a world that can be so negative.”

Penarth author Alison Powell has been involved from the project’s beginning and helped bring Ellie and her family and friends to life.