The beautifully-illustrated book, called Peggy’s Amazing Ironbridge Adventure, is aimed at primary school pupils and has just arrived on the shelves of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum’s shops and other Shropshire retailers.

It is a follow-up to a highly popular publication about the Wenlock Olympian Games which sold around 6,000 copies last year.

Author Jocelyne Adams and illustrator Isobel Bushell have again joined forces to produce the tale about Peggy the piglet.

Jocelyne, who lives near Bridgnorth, explained that her first collaboration with Isobel had been a runaway success and the pair had spotted another gap in the market.

“Our book about Peggy taking part in Shropshire’s Olympian games was the first of its kind and was amazingly popular. Everyone took Peggy to their hearts and we had lots of requests for a follow-up from youngsters and adults alike.

“We discovered that there was not a children’s book about the opening of the Iron Bridge so set about creating one and it is really exciting to be publishing her next adventure.”

Much Wenlock-based illustrator Isobel said that they were delighted to have worked with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust.

She commented: “We wanted to continue the theme of local history made fun. We know that the Gorge played a vital role in the worldwide industrial revolution so we wanted to ensure all our facts were correct, even though the story is aimed at quite young children.

“I have also worked really hard to make the illustrations authentic, down to the last detail.”

Traci Dix-Willilams, operations director at the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, added that all their bookshop managers were thrilled the idea of a new children’s book which brought the story of the Ironbridge Gorge to life.

“We sold lots of copies of Peggy the piglet’s Olympic adventure so expect this follow-up to be even more in demand – we love it.”

The book, which tells the tale of how Peggy attends the official opening of the Iron Bridge in 1781, is published by Much Wenlock-based Ellingham Press and printed by Graphics and Print, of Telford, so is a wholly Shropshire-based project.

It will also be sold at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum’s sites and shops around the county.