Caption Contest: Oh Baby! The A to Z

In need of a little cuteness for the afternoon? Feast your eyes upon these pages from our absolutely adorable Oh Baby! The A to Z.  Leave a comment with your caption for these gorgeous animals, and you'll be entered to win a copy of Oh Baby! in hardback or board book.

Learn more about Oh Baby! The A to Z here, and don't forget to leave your caption entry in the comments below.

Lane Smith Reminds Us Why We Love Picture Books

In this trailer for Lane Smith's classic, It's A Book, even the most technologically-minded folks are reminded of the joy of reading.

A Day in the Life of Author-Illustrator Jedda Robaard

Author-illustrator Jedda Robaard walks us through her day. Learn more about Jedda's marvellous Tom and Tilly here.

Spotlight: James Foley On What You Should Never Feed A Lion

Western Australian author/illustrator James Foley is always on the go, presenting at schools and libraries and running fun workshops at bookshops in WA. Here's a sneak peek inside his studio, along with a few very important Top 5s. 

1. Top 5 Things You Should Definitely Not Feed A Lion: 

• a house
• a bomb 
• the principal 
• the Eiffel Tower 
• a toilet 

2. Top 5 things children tell me I definitely should feed a lion: 

• a house 
• a bomb 
•  the principal 
• the Eiffel Tower 
• a toilet 

Top 5 Things you definitely should not feed small children or lions: 

• Well you should never feed small children to lions, and you should never feed lions to small children.
• BUT, you can try feeding larger children to lions (it's more of a satisfying meal) and you can try feeding a single small lion to a group of children (I don't think they'd be able to polish off more than one lion but it depends on the size of the group and the size of the children).
• Small children and lions should also never eat chewing gum, or anything else that will stick to their hair or their mane - or their parents' hair or mane.
• Small children and lions should never eat anything they find down the back of the couch.
• Small children and lions should never eat tuna mornay. (It just tastes really gross).
  
  

3 Things every hungry lion should have: 

• good table manners 
• a large supply of digestive biscuits 
• a well-stocked litter tray 

Learn more about James, lions, and little boys who are handy with a toothbrush here.

Author and illustrator Chris Raschka explains the significance of picture books

Author and illustrator Chris Raschka explains the significance of picture books.

Chris Raschka most recently illustrated A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout. 

"A superbly noisy celebration of language that's sure to convert even the most reluctant poetry readers." - Booklist (starred review)


Learn more about A Foot in the Mouth here.

Author Betsy Franco discusses how picture books bring people together

 Author Betsy Franco discusses how picture books bring people together.

Somebody's House, by Katrina Germein and Anthea Stead

Here’s a sneak peek inside one of our lovely new May titles, Somebody’s House, written by Katrina Germein and illustrated by Anthea Stead. It’s a vibrant, active book full of questions and wonderings, perfect for early readers. 

At the bottom of town lies a long looping street. I wonder who lives here. Who will we meet?







 

Ever wonder how artists get that perfect colour? Anthea snaps photos and keep track of hues she loves, from a rich, purply eggplant to the subtle green of a particular leaf. 







 
Best-selling picture book author Katrina Germein writes stories that delight children and adults alike. In 2011 Katrina's book My Dad Thinks He's Funny was short-listed for children's choice awards across Australia as well as being Highly Commended in the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. Aside from writing, sunshine makes Katrina happy and so does swimming in the sea with her three children. 


Anthea Stead is a graphic designer and illustrator who grew up in Sydney's western suburbs. She graduated from Sydney College of the Arts with a BA in Visual Communications and from there designed magazines both in Sydney and the UK while freelancing on the side as an illustrator. Anthea lives on the south coast of NSW with her husband and daughter. Somebody's House is her first book.