From A to Z, encounter things & places both familiar & new, with facts about what they mean and where they come from.
You may be surprised to find they often have a little unexpected history...
An Alphabet of Fun Facts
A hardcover book with custom illustrations — written for children & all ages to enjoy (and learn something new)!
Vivid illustrations are great for playing “I spy…” and the text is perfect for read-alongs with young children. Older children (and adults!) can read on their own.
8” x 10” Hardcover
60 colorfully illustrated pages
ISBN 979-8-9896986-0-8
It Started on Kickstarter
The first edition print run of An Alphabet of Fun Facts was made possible by the incredible support of 86 people who backed my Kickstarter campaign, which ran from September 1, 2021 – October 1, 2021.
I am so incredibly grateful for everyone's support — financial and otherwise — for my project. It meant so much to me to have my family, friends, coworkers, travel buddies, and extended network come together to help me to pursue a passion project. I appreciate it tremendously, as an artist and as a person.
My project also received Kickstarter's Project We Love designation — only 10% of the 500,000+ projects get the badge, and they award it to projects that they want to "highlight as a brilliant example of creativity" so that was also a tremendous honor.
Inspired by the Story of Ketchup
A few years ago, I was eating burgers at friend’s house on the 4th of July when I wondered where ketchup came from. I associate tomatoes with Spanish and Italian food, but the word didn’t sound like it came from a romance language. So I guessed maybe it was rooted in German, and then I took to Wikipedia to find out the answer.
Imagine my surprise to learn that ketchup, the iconic American tomato sauce, started out as a Chinese / Malay fish sauce called “catsup”! (And that tomatoes are originally from South America.) I couldn't stop telling my friends & family what I'd learned, and it only made me wonder more.
When, in the long slog of the pandemic, I decided that I wanted to write & illustrate a book and that I would use the structure of the ABCs, I decided to include fun facts (because I am endlessly curious & love sharing what I learn), and my experience learning about ketchup immediately came to mind.
From there, I thought of more things I’d learned that had been a little unexpected in some way, and I filled out my alphabet, from A to Z.
I hope you enjoy indulging my curiosity (and, hopefully, your own!) as well as my desire to constantly try new things with this project — and that it inspires you to ask more questions & follow your creative impulses.
Books & Prints
About the Author
Katherine Conaway
traveler. writer. artist. always curious.
Katherine Conaway is a freelance writer, artist, and consultant. She’s been a digital nomad since June 2014, working remotely while traveling full-time. She has visited more than 55 countries so far, across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Katherine is passionate about art, culture, and education.
Clients have included Guardian Revival (mental health non-profit), Raw Materials (design agency), Bluffworks (men’s travel clothing), Public Persona (branding + design studio), Lauren Hom (letterer + illustrator), The New York Times, Under Armour, AERIN Lauder, and more. Before working in the creative industry, Katherine was a teacher at American schools in Casablanca, Morocco, and Sofia, Bulgaria.
Katherine is the author of An Alphabet of Fun Facts and coauthor of The Digital Nomad Survival Guide (on Amazon Kindle and in print). She has written & been interviewed about her travels, remote work, and digital nomad programs like Remote Year
