News

Signed books for your little ones

March 26, 2020

As a children’s book creator, I actually make very little from the sale of books in bookstores. Most of my income is made from talking about my books, running workshops in schools. Understandably, every single booking has been cancelled till at least August, along with my other job, creating sets for school plays. The launch for my newest book Jump! has of course been cancelled too, but I would still love for it to get out in the world. It’s a picture book about a strange little creature confronting his fears. Bullying and acceptance are also themes, but it’s chiefly about resilience, which is perhaps rather appropriate at the moment. There are also free Teacher’s Notes on the Ford Street Publishing website (www.fordstreetpublishing.com) which of course can be used by anyone for ideas on activities and discussion. As we all go into lockdown, sharing books with our kids will help the weeks ahead go that little bit faster, plus of course enhancing all the benefits that come from reading. The Ford Street website and many bookstores have links for ordering books, but I would like to offer an extra little service. Contact me and I’ll sign a brand new, out-of-the-box copy with a special message of your choice for your special little one or ones. It will be $5 postage or, if you live within 2 km or so of the Harold Holt Pool, Glen Iris, Melbourne, I’ll deliver it myself (from 1.5m away!) The walk will do me good! Ford Street has heaps of great books, most with Teacher’s Notes if you’d like them. I’ve also got three other picture books that I can sign and deliver: The Perfect Leaf – a story about imagination and play, with hidden creatures on almost every page for kids to find. (The younger ones often spot them before adults, so there is a cheat-sheet in the Teacher’s Notes to help you find them all!) A book to take outside and lie on the lawn with, watching for animals in the clouds. Tulip and Brutus – written by Liz Ledden, a fun story for lower Primary students about a stink bug and ladybug who discover, in times of trouble, that they have more in common than they realise. Pippa – written by Dimity Powell, a lovely tale of a plucky little pigeon who wants to fly the nest, but feels trapped by her over-protective parents. Perhaps a starting point for younger kids of a discussion about why we (parents) can’t let them out to play, and that it’s ok to feel frustrated and itch to get out. All books are $24.95 hard cover, or $16.95 paperback. Add $5 for postage if needed. EFT details will be sent when you get in touch. Free postage for 3 or more books, or 10% discount if you’re local enough for me to drop them in. Stay safe, and keep reading!

Jump! - but no way out.

March 25, 2020

It's been over 5 years since the launch of The Poppy, and I wasn't sure I'd ever feel as excited by another book that I created, or as happy with the final product, as I was with The Poppy. It was pretty special to me in lots of ways. But then, a bit over a year ago, a story about a tree fern morphed into something very different, Paul Collins of Ford Street Publishing said 'How about something a little dystopian?' (music to my ears!) and a strange little chimera of chameleon, dragon and puppy emerged from my pencil. Stumpy was born, and as his world grew up around him, his story became so much more complex and interesting than I had ever originally imagined. I've been so lucky in my illustration work with so many wonderful authors, but Jump! is possibly my favourite. Of course, there are bigger things happening right now. There will be no launch party for Jump! or school visits or library events. Stumpy is lying unpacked in boxes, although he is appearing on the shelves of book shops. And what better time to get books? What better time to curl up with a book and your kids at home, unable to go to the playground or even visit their friends? Stumpy's story is one of the little guy finding resilience, facing his fears, sometimes failing, but not giving up. It's the story of finding an unexpected strength and talent inside. This is the perfect time to pull out dog-eared old favourites, and buy new books, perhaps even Jump! You can order online from Ford Street or from your local bookshop. Or you can get in touch with me and I'll sign a copy just for you and post it. (RRP plus $5 packaging and post). There's also the hide-and-seek fun of The Perfect Leaf and the stinky playfulness of Tulip and Brutus. Or just get in touch and tell me which favourite old story of your family's has been pulled out for bedtime reading. Me? I've pulled out Varmints, by Helen Ward and Marc Craste, a story of dark times and great hope. Beautiful! Stay safe, and keep reading!

Not yet - but soon!

January 30, 2020

Hi all (assuming there's anyone out there. Do drop me a line if you are.) It's been a busy 12 months with picture books at Ford Street, so what better way of starting 2020 than with yet another one. It's my first authorstrator effort (author/illustrator, for those who didn't get it) for a while, and unlike The Poppy and The Perfect Leaf, it doesn't have a botanical theme to go with my surname. In fact, it's quite unlike anything I've done before. Here's a teaser, and you can see there's no forests or bugs or French villages or even dinosaurs (gasp!) but something quite out of this world. I won't reveal the name yet - oh, why not, it's on the Ford Street website! It's called Jump! (The exclamation mark is part of the name, not just me getting overly excited.) To be released in March, I believe, and I'll have a proper launch soon after. Have a look at Ford Street and you can see my plucky little hero on the cover. He's a Quig. Of course.

Tulip and Brutus is out and about

November 17, 2019

It doesn't seem that long ago that we were at Ford Street for the launch of Pippa, and here we are again to launch another Ford Street title - Tulip and Brutus! What a treat to work with Liz Ledden on her first picture book. We met for the first time at the launch, Liz resplendent in her insect dress, and were treated to bug and beetle cupcakes, chocolate crickets, (we're talking the real insects here - not yummy) and a stack of kids. In case it hasn't clicked yet, it's a story about bugs - well, bugs and beetles, for the scientifically pedantic, ladybugs being beetles, and just as stinky as stink bugs, which are really bugs. A funny, stinky story for younger readers, it's a great Christmas gift idea! See if you can work out which species I used for the illustrations. (Yes, I'm scientifically pedantic!)

Pippa is flying!

September 10, 2019

She's off! My latest picture book - Pippa - is off and flying. Written by the gorgeous Dimity Powell, Pippa is a plucky pigeon with big dreams and ambitions. But she's just a little pigeon, and there's danger out in the big, blue world. Her parents' endless warnings just make her that much more determined to escape their well-meant but claustrophobic embrace, so one day, she leaps into the unknown. What a treat for an illustrator - to look at the world from a pigeon's point of view. I had great fun with the marvelous aerial angles Dimity's text afforded me, plus her wonderful villains. The reviews have been incredible, so we hope the sales will match! Pippa is out now, so drop everything and race to your nearest bookstore and buy multiple copies! Actually, a quiet meander over the weekend to your local store to buy a single copy would be ok too, but if you love picture books, do check it out. I've got another picture book at the printers, and have just completed the art for yet another (which I wrote as well!) Thank you to the wonderful Paul Collins at Ford Street Publishing for keeping me so busy, and the extraordinary authors who keep coming up with such beautiful ideas. More book launches over the next few months ...

New website and art for sale!

March 7, 2019

Welcome to my new-look, mobile-friendly, finally-in-the-21st Century website! (Actually I loved my last one but it had been around for a while.) I've got a new book about to come out so watch out for Pippa, but right now you can check out a new feature. Go to Original Artwork and you can see that I've got art from my books for sale. There are some I can't part with and some that are on loan to libraries etc, but so many have just been sitting in the dark on my art shelves that I thought it would be better for them to be seen by someone who would like them on their wall. I actually don't have much of my own stuff up - I've seen them enough! So for a really unique gift from a book you like, or just an image you like, have a browse. It's not all up yet, but I'll be adding pics over the next few weeks. If there is an image from a book you would really like, but it's not up, it's worth getting in touch to see if it's available. Sometimes I just need a nudge to let something go.