My Elephant is Blue

While the world went crazy, illustrating this book was a peaceful and calming experience for me.  

It's about heavy feelings yet the text is gentle and light. Written by one of favourite authors,
Melinda Syzmanik.

I am the Universe

Winner of 2021 NZSA Heritage Literary Award, the NZ Booklovers Award
and the PANZ Book Design Award for Best Children's Book.

This has been one of my favourite books to work on, from writing to design, every step has felt like it really was sprinkled with star dust! I spent ages on the illustrations but loved every minute of it. 

A finalist in the NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

What an honour (and lovely surprise) !

Who Stole the Rainbow? A Mystery Thriller

The sky was grey but the sun was smiling when a razzle-dazzle rainbow beamed a big HELLO!
Then the cloud grew, the wind blew, the rain cried and the rainbow was gone.

Its a crime story with a mystery to be solved but really its a book about science. The video link via a QR code in the book provides further scientific information.

Who Stole the Rainbow?

Stripes! No, Spots!

Finalist in the Children's Choice Awards!

Tiger and Leopard have a disagreement over aesthetics – what looks best, stripes or spots? The book is set in an Indian jungle and I wanted to include every shape of tree that I could imagine, although I really did restrain myself (a tiny bit).  I've been working on this book all year and now finally, we're ready for the wild release party! 

The Boring Book – NZ Children's Book of the Year Award!

So, my book ended up winning the NZ children's book awards. Quite unexpected but amazing! Here's a link to the judges comments: "The Boring Book is praised by the Award judges as a remarkable work that exceeds any expectations of its genre." 

WAHOO!

Here's a list of awards that 'The Boring Book' has received, so far: 
Ibby Honours List 2016
White Raven 2014
New Zealand Post Margaret Mahy Book of the Year 2014
Winner Best Picture Book Category, New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2014
Storylines Notable Book Award 2014

Am so happy with my new book. Illustrating and designing it was the most enjoyable job ever! It entertained my nerdy fascination with the 'book within a book' concept. Weirdly though – fiction became reality when the words I was illustrating began demanding to be characters in the book.

Illustrations from 'Hill and Hole'- the end papers are my favourite!

Hill and Hole was written by Kyle Mewburn — designed and illustrated by me!

It won the Russsell Clark Award for best illustrated children's book from LIANZA , 2011 as well as the best designed book from BPNZ, in 2011. It was the first time a children's book had won the award.

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All colours are friends of their neighbours
and the lovers of their opposites.
~ Marc Chagall

Craft books for children

I have a truly enjoyable job, designing toys! The books were on the Storylines list of notable books for 2010 and finalists in the PANZ book design awards.  You can buy them ( real cheap!) now at http://stitchfriends.bigcartel.com/