A fun thing I meant to share here – Everyone Wants an Octopus Book! has hit shelves in Slovenia!
children’s books
A Publishers Weekly Review!
A bit of bookish highlight reel incoming … Everyone Wants an Octopus Book! was reviewed in Publishers Weekly! If not familiar, it’s the main US publication for all things book industry. In the US it’s a print mag and also a website, but be warned, without a subscription you can only a view a max of three articles a month (and of course I’m maxed out within minutes). So the other exciting news, and why it was reviewed in PW, is that Everyone Wants an Octopus Book! is going to be for sale in the US and Canada from 5 November 2024! Pre-orders are open via Barnes and Noble, Powell’s Books and more.
Cover reveal: Everyone Wants an Octopus Book!
Super excited to share the cover of my upcoming picture book, EVERYONE WANTS AN OCTOPUS BOOK!, illustrated by Makoto Koji and published by Hardie Grant/Bright Light Publishing!
So, what’s it about? Besides octopuses, of course!
Everyone Wants an Octopus Book! is a thought-provoking picture book about about how everyone deserves to see themselves in books.
Inky the octopus wants to read a book with a character that looks like them. With their best friend, Quack the duck, they scour every shelf, but all they seem to find are more books about ducks! Why aren’t there any stories with octopuses? They decide maybe it’s time for one.
It’s due out in early-March 2024 and pre-orders are open here. Can’t wait to share more as time gets closer!
Walking Your Human in Korean!
A big bookish highlight – my picture book Walking Your Human (illustrated by Gabriella Petruso, published by Larrikin House) has been translated into Korean, which means it’s now available in Korea!!
It’s been so exciting to hold a real life copy and pour over all the little details, discovering small differences from the original (language aside!). Things like spot gloss on the leashes on the cover, and the barcode on the back now being bone-shaped. Seriously cute! I hope lots of dog owners and lovers in Korea cross paths with this book, it’s been a fun ride seeing where it travels and lands!
Bookish bits and pieces
A few exciting Walking Your Human bits and pieces of late:
- Book subscription business Bubs and Books included Walking Your Human in their recent dog-themed book box! This is a monthly book box curated by a qualified Teacher Librarian (excellent for gifts) – you can check them out here.
- Bibliotherapist and kids’ book author Dr Zewlan Moor of Byron Bibliotherapy compiled a 2021 Standout Picture Book list, with the help of a bunch of authorly friends (pictured above). I contributed an absolute favourite of mine – quirky friendship tale A Pair of Pears and an Orange by Anna McGregor (published by Scribble), and was then honoured to see Walking Your Human there too, nominated by author Carla Fitzgerald. Check out the list here for some excellent reads from the past year!
- CBCA’s Reading Time newsletter also included Walking Your Human in a round-up of 2021’s best reads, as picked by their team of reviewers. On WYH: ‘full of humour, engagement and diversity in both people and dogs and there are many discussion points for younger readers’. Yay!
- A Korean translation of WYH is on its way – stay tuned for news, and I cannot wait to hold a Korean version in my hands (and take it out for celebratory Korean fried chicken or bibimbap!).
- Did you know WYH is available in paperback? It’s only $13.95 via Booktopia at the moment!
- Auction alert! Amazing author Zanni Louise’s huge auction to support the town of Lismore, NSW in its recovery from the devastating floods has so much to offer. I have a 3-book Tulip and Brutus book pack (with some merch and bug fun included), as well as three spots on One More Page podcast for kids’ book promo. Check out the huge array of items on offer here!