Flora: Australia's Most Curious Plants is just a couple of months away (1 October) and while you wait, why not put together the cover in this online puzzle? And if you're super keen for an internals peek, put together this full spread in the second puzzle! FLORA COVER... Jigsaw Puzzle WILDFLOWER SPREAD... Jigsaw Puzzle ..read more

Wildlife Compendium of the World (Hardie Grant Explore, 2023)  Has won for Non-Fiction Children's Book at the ACT Literary Awards, 2024 ..read more

I’m beyond thrilled to reveal the cover for FLORA: Australia’s Most Curious Plants – a long, long-awaited companion to FAUNA: Australia’s Most Curious Creatures. This book has been a dream of mine for many, many years, and it was a true passion project to finally piece the wonders of our botanical world together.  As ever, books take a village. Huge thanks to the @nationalibraryau, to my incredible publisher Lauren Smith, managing editor Amelia Hartney, editors Kath Kovac and Tricia Fitzgerald, image coordinator Madeleine Warburton and the glorious First Nations peoples who added so mu ..read more

Wildlife Compendium of the World (Hardie Grant Explore, 2023)  Notable Book,  CBCA Book of the Year Awards, 2024 Longlisted, ABDA, Book Design Awards, 2024 Shortlisted, ACT Literary Awards, 2024 (winners announced 27 May) Dorrie (HarperCollins Children's Books/Angus&Robertson, 2023)  It's been so exciting to have some of my books longlist and shortlist these past months. Thank you to the awards organisers and judges. It's always the loveliest thing to be recognised by our peers ..read more

Mega thanks to the #Bookstagang_BestOf2023Aussie team for this gorgeous nod for Dorrie! Just thrilled to see her recognised in this way, and so happy to be alongside these other fab books.  If you love kids' books, give these book-loving instagrammers are follow... @canyoutellmeastory @get.kids.booked @artsplorers_au @aussie_kids_books @ohcreativeday @lovefourreading @bookieboo.au @flipwithjoy    ..read more

Today we launched Plume: Christmas Elf, hosted by the glorious Peter, Hannah and the team @ The Book Cow - Kingston!   We had a beautiful spot in leafy Green Square, with stacks of candy canes, goodie bags and the cutest mylar balloons (which were a huge hit!).   Thank you thank you to everyone who came along and braved that truly melting humidity this morning. I was terrified the book pages would curl in protest, but it was such a magical, fun time, with lots of laughter and candy-cane-sweet moments. Thanks to my beautiful industry friends for the love and support - some gal ..read more

The A Kids’ Year series has been translated into Simplified Chinese and I’m over the moon.    Starting with An Aussie Year in 2013 (EK Books), the series is still going strong. Knowing Chinese children can now explore these countries through the eyes of children their age, is a joy for me. We spent four years in Beijing when our kids were young, and I developed a real connection to Chinese children during our time there.   The books come in a paperback set with a collective sleeve. It also includes a concertina scrapbook for kids to draw and write stories in – perhaps of ..read more

Well well well - my first book launch in many years. Any excuse to have a Christmas party, I say! Plume and I hope you can join us at @thebookcowkingston on Sunday 15 October at 11am, to celebrate the fourth book in the Plume series - Plume: Christmas Elf (@hardiegrantbooks). There will be a book reading and signing, goodie bags and festive mylar balloons for the kids, and a balloon wall and photo props to have your photo taken with Plume - yes, he will be there! Kids will take home colouring sheets, and there's a lucky door prize of some of the treasures found in the book. Spots are lim ..read more

I loved visiting National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature Inc. recently and writing up this blog post on the legacy of May Gibbs at the Centre. Click here to read the entire piece ..read more

Thanks to Dionne and Nic at the ACT Government Education Directorate for organising my two recent school visits for the Chief Minister's Reading Challenge, and for their hard work every year on this amazing initiative. It's an honour to be an ambassador for the Challenge (since 2016).  Visiting schools is a wonderful opportunity to connect with children and talk to them about books and literacy. I'm ever inspired by their inherent understanding of story, visual literacy and creative potential. Is your school involved in the Challenge? A fab write-up rom the Directorate: Tania ..read more