Hello, almost Spring! book production, events, Book Week, book gobbling, costumes, illustration, apps, everything!

Hello, peeps. How is your winter going? Cosy? Good. Perfect book-reading weather (though which weather is not perfect for book reading?).

It's been a heads-down time of late, so I'm coming up for air before diving back in again. I'm squirrelling away on Book 2 of my junior fiction series, Evie and Pog, before diving into my next NLA book with Stephanie Owen Reeder. Then it's on to Book 3 of Evie and Pog, which I hope to finish mid-January, and somewhere Christmas might be (I said might be) wedge in between!

I'm also resurfacing because this is my favourite time of year - so much happening, especially CBCA Book Week. There's a heap of glorious KidLit events happening, too. See my recent post on the opening of the Story Time Australian Children's Literature Exhibition right here.

I'm starting this post with Story Box Library. I have always loved what they do. I still remember when Nicole Brownlee started the site, and it continues to go from strength to strength. It was a joy and an honour to film with them at the National Library of Australia recently, where I recorded two story readings--one of them Mamie. (Will reveal the second one soon!)

I recently gifted a SBL subscription to my little great niece Lexi, so she can see her great aunt reading Mamie (of which she has a copy) and so she can enjoy the jam-packed line-up of story readings. I love that her mum and dad know how important books are for little ones. Anyhoo, I can't recommend SBL heartily enough--for both schools and home. What a treat to immerse in brilliant stories, read by a cornucopia of talent.

Here is my Mamie preview, below, or you can view it on the SBL site right here. We also filmed a little bonus video where I show original artwork and talk about the production process behind the book. You can see it, and my SBL Testimonial, right here.

The Helper Monkeys story in Funny Bones anthology

OUT 5 NOVEMBER 2019

I'm absolutely delighted to have a story in this superb (and funny!) anthology, edited by Kate and Jol Temple, and Oliver Phommavanh, featuring over 100 stories from children's authors, illustrators and comedians all over Australia. I mean, it's over 700 pages thick! And very, very best of all, the royalties from sales go to War Child Australia.

War Child is an international relief and development agency dedicated to providing immediate, effective and sustainable aid to children affected by war. War Child was formed in 1993 in response to conflict in the former Yugoslavia, and has since expanded its work to conflicts worldwide. War Child Australia is an all-volunteer organisation that was established in July 2002. Since that time, War Child Australia has been committed to providing aid to young victims of war all around the world.

For more about the book, click the cover above.

My story, The Helper Monkeys, has its own official Twitter account (as featured in the story). So if you, yourself, are one day interested in getting your own Helper Monkeys (I take no responsibility for what might happen if you do), you will need to follow the account, pronto.

@Helper_Monkeys

I hope you snaffle a copy or twenty of this wonderful book. Perfect stocking stuffer for Christmas! and for such a worthwhile cause.