Cover reveal! Wildlife Compendium of the World

I'm delighted to reveal the cover to my upcoming tome, Wildlife Compendium of the World! This book was some years in the making and is a true labour of love. What a joy it was to research and write about these extraordinary animals from every continent on Earth, and to draw each one in all their incredible, adorable, unique and sometimes terrifying glory!

Dorrie - cover reveal!

After the huge joy of writing on the life of May Gibbs (Mamie, A&R/HarperCollins Children's Books Australia, 2018), it made perfect sense to craft the story of Dorothy Wall – multi-talented artist and book creator, whose similarity to May is astonishing yet her life and works are far less known. You may know her as the creator of Australia’s iconic cheeky larrikin – Blinky Bill.

Plume Bookplates! Free download

Plume is bringing back the bookplate! He’s made one for Festival Seeker, but also Global Nibbler and World Explorer!

If you’d like a free pdf download of each one, just click the Festival Seeker image above.

Happy Pluming!

Wonderful Shoes on Play School Story Time!

Emma and I are overjoyed to have Wonderful Shoes join the stable of gorgeous picture books on Play School Story Time!

Read by the divine Fifi Box and her daughter Trixie, the book is retrieved (along with an adorable pair of shoes) from the Magic Story Drawer, then read with plenty of stamp-stomping and click-clacking and tip-tapping, of course! 

We even get to see Trixie's favourite shoe - the cutest pink heart boots. And her favourite shoe from Wonderful Shoes? The boots that go click-clack (a girl after my own pink heart).

This Story Time will appear on ABC Kids (free-to-air) on 19 October at 7.20am, or you can see it now on iView.

Huge thanks to Play School and the ABC, and to Windy Hollow Books. What a joy it is to have Wonderful Shoes shared with children all over Australia. 

See more about Wonderful Shoes right here, and download the book's colouring pages here.

Plume Festival Seeker Colouring Pages!

Hey, kids - do you love to colour in? I know I do! In celebration of the release of Plume: Festival Seeker, I've put together this ultra cute batch of colouring pages for you to enjoy.

Just click the book cover below and you can download a PDF to print out.

You can also see a little video of Plume dancing right here!

Have fun! And don't forget to check out Festival Seeker right here - or see it instore at any of the fabulous bookstores around Australia and New Zealand. For those of you in the UK - the book is out 13 October and 8 November in the USA and Canada.

 

Happy book birthday, Plume Festival Seeker!

 

Happy book birthday, Plume: Festival Seeker!

Join our intrepid little voyager in his latest adventurous romp—this time enjoying the myriad spectacular festivals around the world!

A riot of colour and light and joy, experience Holi in India, Up Helly Aa in Scotland and Carnival in Rio, among many other exciting celebrations.

Festival Seeker releases today in Australia/New Zealand - 13 October in the UK and 8 November in the US/Canada. Available in stores and online.

See more right here!

Plume: Festival Seeker in the Geelong Advertiser

COVER REVEAL - Plume: Festival Seeker!

 

Cover reveal—Plume: Festival Seeker!

 

The third title in the series, and with its holographic rainbow cover, Festival Seeker celebrates - what else? - 'celebrations' themselves!

 

Throughout the year, the world is plump with astonishing festivals and Plume loves them all. Journey alongside this adventurous, color-loving penguin as he jumps aboard the Albatross Express to take part in a range of enchanting events across the globe.

 

Stare in wonder at the Up Helly Aa fire festival in Scotland and the freaky Day of Masquerade in Costa Rica. Get messy at the squelchy Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea or La Tomatina tomato battle in Spain.

 

Throw a rainbow of color during Holi in India or enjoy a celebration of gifts, sweets and kindness at Eid al-Fitr in Algeria.

 

A year of wonder and excitement culminates in Plume's favorite festival of them all - Christmas. Will his penguin friends join him for the celebrations?

 

Out 5 October in Au/NZ, 13 October UK, 8 November USA/Can.

 

Stay tuned for some festival fun in the lead-up to pub date. And don’t forget you can make every author’s dreams come true and pre-order the book instore or online. 

 

I can’t wait to share this celebratory book with you!

WIN! An art supply pack with Plume: Global Nibbler

 

COMPETITION IS CLOSED

Life in Antarctica can sometimes feel a little black and white - just ask Plume, our favourite globetrotting penguin. Travelling around the world on the Albatross Express, Plume is ever on the hunt for exciting new experiences, grand adventures and stacks of colour!⁠
⁠
This school holidays, to celebrate Plume's latest travels in Plume: Global Nibbler, we're running a colouring competition for little adventurers! Add a splash of colour and flavour to Plume's tasty food adventures and you could win an arts supply pack valued at $100. ⁠
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Click here to download the colouring sheets and find out how to participate!⁠

 

CBCA Conference, Canberra

Well, it feels like life is kinda sorta getting back to some semblance of normal. Events are unfolding and people are actually going, OMG. A book reading here, a signing there, a children's book conference and lunch and coffee and gadding about a little. 

I feel like a grizzly bear waking from a long winter nap, cautiously poking my head out, drawing in fresh, blossomy air.

I presented twice at the Children's Book Council's Canberra conference - readings/fireside chats Friday night and a panel today, alongside The Inimitables - Bruce Whatley and Dub Leffler - two divine humans. Also spent long overdue time with my beloved publisher Lisa Berryman (HarperCollins Children's). I then lunched with local darling, Leanne Barrett (had been years!) and I have to say - I am full. Uplift, encouragement, support, inspiration, FUN! This is what we want and need.

I might even make this Going Out business more of a priority. A new dawn!

Plume Global Nibbler Tour + Reading

 

You know you're caught in a whirlind when you cover 7 bookstores in 8 hours in the inner city of Sydney, then 8 bookstores in 8 hours in Melbourne the very next day! What a super cool time I had on this mini book tour for Plume: Global Nibbler. Huge thanks to the lovely Kirstie and Kasi and the team at Hardie Grant Explore, for organising.

I not only met some truly gorgeous people, but what a treat it was to visit stores I've never seen, and return to those I've always loved - decades later. Thank you to each and every store for your support and warm welcome. 

I left a rather large batch of signed book copies in my wake (also Plume World Explorer and other books, too) in every single store, and below you'll find a list of each one, so pop in and snaffle one of these limited signed copies while they last.

Here are a handful of pics - I worked my tail off to get these photos, I'm posting some! LOL. The last one is Plume spotted in the wild at Sydney airport.

Happy Book Birthday, Plume: Global Nibbler!

And we have lift-off!

Plume: Global Nibbler publishes today with Hardie Grant Explore - taking off to a bookstore near you, and if the store is too far away, it's also online!

Join Plume as he boards the Albatross Express and takes off in search of some of the finest cuisine from around the world. There's sushi and kebabs and pad thai, and of course, pizza! Can Plume tempt the tastebuds of his Fussy Eater penguin friends with this gastronomic tour de force?

A wonderful way to introduce children to the wonders of our world, this second book in the Plume series highlights new sights and sounds, but also flavours - and is an entrancing way to help little ones explore life-enriching diversity.

Ava is prepped for take-off - I wonder which dish will be her favourite?

If you live in Canberra, I'll be at Harry Hartog Bookstore in Woden Plaza on Saturday 28 May, installing a fab Plume window. Do pop by and have a look! There'll also be signed books for sale.

See more about the book right here. For those in the UK, publication date is 26 May, and in North America, publication date is 7 June.