Local Dundalk author launches exciting third chapter of hit ‘She Team’ trilogy

The latest children’s book by retired Dundalk teacher, Susan McGovern will be launched on Tuesday 21 October at 6pm in Roe River Books, Clanbrassil Street. Called The She Team Plus One, it is the third in a trilogy of She Team books, the first two being The She Team, followed by The She Team Does Lockdown.  

The She Team is so called because it consists of four female cats Smig, Trig, Ebi and Roisin and a female dog, Mags, who come together and form a team because they have all been abused in various ways by different people and they want to get back at these people and prevent them hurting other animals.  

The Plus One in the latest book is Smokie, the most recent addition to the McGovern menagerie.  Like all the other cats, Smokie is a female and is quite a character.  All three books of the trilogy are authentic because the characters of all six animals are based on past or current family pets who are all rescue animals and the three main human characters, Diarmuid, Eoghan and Éanna are based on Susan’s three grandsons of the same names. 

The animals in the three books do differ from the real animals in one way - they each have a superpower which helps them to carry out the work of the She Team. For example, Mags, the dog, can understand what humans and other creatures are saying when she puts her paw up to her left ear and she can be understood by humans and other creatures if she presses harder on her ear.  A very useful superpower. 

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In The She Team Plus One, Smokie has been made homeless by the death of her owner and comes to the O’Brien household looking for help.  The cats are jealous and are not interested in helping her, but Mags is kind-hearted and encourages them to give her a chance.  

It is Smokie’s cleverness and intuition which finally wins them over when she saves the life of one of The She Team.  The Mammy and Daddy are initially reluctant to take another animal into their home, but when Smokie carries out a brave action which has a huge impact on the family, this changes everything.