The adventures of a Manx cat is the subject of a children’s book, written by first-time author Jane Leece.

A Tail’s Tale: An Adventure of a Manx Cat was written for Jane’s son Ben, and the cat is named after him.

Originally published as an ebook for Kindle, it sold as far away as South Africa, Australia and the United States.

Jane, who lives in Peel with husband Steve and son Ben, was encouraged to put it into paperback by a BBC scriptwriter who put her in touch with a publisher.

‘The story is about a Manx cat called Ben who goes on an adventure around the Isle of Man in search of his tail,’ she said.

‘He meets many friends along the way but ultimately he discovers that he is complete as he is and he’s exactly as life intended for him to be.

‘The moral of the story is to let children know that it’s okay to be different. Everyone has something unique about them and that’s what makes us special.’

The story is aimed mainly at children under 10 and it features illustrations by Julia Ashby Smyth.

‘Julia is an incredibly talented artist,’ Jane said.

‘Her work is extremely detailed and intricate. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her.’

Jane has written another six books, which are all ‘work in progress’.

A Tail’s Tale: An Adventure of a Manx Cat was published by Lily Publications in mid-January and is Children’s Book of the Month at WH Smith.

It’s also stocked at Manx National Heritage sites, at the airport and on board the Steam Packet’s vessels. And it is being sent out to other shops too. It’s priced at £5.75.