Picture books

Leave a comment Posted on Authors, Book talk, collaborations, forthcoming books, Illustrators, Picture books

So looking forward to Satin coming out!

I am so looking forward to the publication next year of Satin, my forthcoming picture book with the wonderful illustrator Lorena Carrington, to be published by MidnightSun Publishing in March 2023. I am really excited about this book, which came about in the most magical way (which I’ll write about in another post, later), and which I think is going to be just loved by both children and adults.

Here’s the gorgeous cover:

And here’s the blurb:

Every morning early, when no-one’s about, Satin slips out of the forest and walks along the sleepy sunrise streets, looking for blue…

He’s collected all kinds of blues, from all kinds of places. He’s making something beautiful, with all those blues. But something’s missing, and he doesn’t know what it is. And then, one day, he comes to a street he’s never been in before. And what he finds there will change his lonely life forever.

A beautiful, haunting fable by award-winning writer Sophie Masson and acclaimed illustrator Lorena Carrington.

Lorena’s exquisite, superb creation of Satin’s visual world is just stunning in its depth and beauty, conveying a mix of natural enchantment and human warmth which goes right to the heart of the story. (Below is a sneak peek at the first page spread)

I am so happy that Lorena is co-creator with me on this gorgeous book, and so happy too that it was taken on by such a wonderful publisher as Anna Solding of Midnight Sun.

Leave a comment Posted on animals, Book talk, forthcoming books, Picture books

First advance copy of Cock-a-doodle-doo!

So lovely to get the first advance copy! Such a fun book to write and so good to see it brought to such lively and funny visual life by the fabulous Kathy Creamer! Gorgeous endpapers, too.

Published in June by Little Pink Dog Books. Available in all good bookshops and directly from the publisher.

Leave a comment Posted on animals, announcements, Cover reveals, forthcoming books, Picture books

Cover reveal of Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

I am delighted to reveal the fabulous cover of Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, my forthcoming picture book with Kathy Creamer, to be published by Little Pink Dog Books in June 2022. Isn’t it fantastic!

Here’s the blurb of the book:

Richie the rooster loved waking up the farm each morning. He loved it so much that he began to crow earlier and earlier. Again and again!  Stop, everyone cried. But Richie wouldn’t stop. Until one day…

A hilarious story about how sometimes you can have too much of a good thing, by the acclaimed author and illustrator team who also created See Monkey and Join the Armidale Parade.

This was a story that was such fun to write, and pure joy to see the wonderfully riotous, colourful and characterful visual world Kathy has created for the noisy but endearing rooster Richie, his long-suffering friends on the farm–and the sneaky intruder with the red coat 🙂 I think readers are going to have a lot of fun with it, too. Can’t wait till it comes out!

Find out more and pre-order the book at the Little Pink Dog Books website, here.

Leave a comment Posted on announcements, Authors, community arts, creative activities, Events, festivals, Multi arts, Picture books

Exciting event coming up in January!

I’m excited to be taking part in a fabulous event, Word.Play Presents the Jigsaw Cinema, which is a multi-arts production for children, with words, music and visuals. It’s based around children’s books, and one of my books, Join the Armidale Parade, illustrated by Kathy Creamer (Little Pink Dog Books), will be featured. The event will be held as part of Bellingen Shire Arts Week in both Dorrigo and Bellingen on January 11, 2021, and if you’re in the area, why not come along?

Here’s a description of the event:

Word.Play presents “The Jigsaw Cinema” – a storybook adventure! Live narration & music (composed & improvised) set to films of quirky peephole illustrations from our featured children’s books. Come & hear sound worlds collide, sonic textures, live projections, “jigsaw puzzle” films of our featured book’s illustrations – bringing an almost cinematic concert experience to life for audiences, young & old.Curiosity is awakened. What picture will be revealed next? Who is creeping in the moonlight? The instruments sound, another piece of the puzzle is revealed…

Author Sophie Masson brings your adventure to life as your live narrator. Sophie is joined on stage by director Maryanne Piper (clarinets, percussion, saxophone, whistles, electroacoustic sounds), Alana Blackburn (recorders, electroacoustic Sounds) & Damian Wright (Guitar – aka Bandaluzia Flamenco).

You can find out more here.

Leave a comment Posted on creative process, Creative work, New books, Picture books, video resource

Delighted to be featured on Story Scoop!

Delighted to be one of the featured creators in the latest episode of Story Scoop, the fabulous joint initiative between the Children’s Book Council of Australia, NSW branch and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators ANZ. Story Scoop episodes are in three parts, and in this one, it features author Oliver Phommavanh talking about his humorous middle-grade books in Middle Grade Magic, illustrator Serena Geddes talking about her creative process in Illustrator Corner, and myself, in Picture Book Nook, talking about the inspiration and creation of my latest, very seasonal picture book, Santagram (illustrated by Shiloh Gordon and published by Little Hare). Lots of fun to make the clip and lots of fun to be part of this project–thank you so much, CBCA NSW and SCBWI ANZ, for the opportunity.

Watch the video here:

Leave a comment Posted on author talks, Book talk, Celebrations, collaborations, Illustrators, launches, New books, Picture books

A House of Mud Virtual Launch videos available now on UPA website

We held the virtual launch of A House of Mud yesterday, and it was fabulous! The launch consisted of a live Q and A Zoom event (not recorded) plus a series of pre-recorded videos which you can view at any time. The videos feature Peter Creamer of publisher Little Pink Dog Books, myself, and illustrator Katrina Fisher, and also includes a reading by me, and a book trailer. You can view it all here: hope you enjoy!

1 Comment Posted on announcements, Authors, Awards, Illustrators, Picture books

Shortlistings for two of my picture books!

I’m thrilled to announce that two of my recent picture books have been shortlisted for the 2020 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards!

They are There’s A Tiger Out There, illustrated by Ruth Waters and published by Little Hare, which was shortlisted in the Birth to Three Years category; and and Join the Armidale Parade, illustrated by Kathy Creamer and published by Little Pink Dog Books, shortlisted in the Five to Eight Years category.

The Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards are announced every year and aim to promote quality Australian books that help children get the best, most literate start in life.

Each book is judged on its appeal to children, interactive quality and ability to assist speech pathologists and parents in communication and literacy development.

Winners are announced in November.

Leave a comment Posted on announcements, Authors, Book talk, Christmas, Cover reveals, Illustrators, Picture books

Announcing Santagram, my Christmas picture book!

It’s been under wraps for quite a while but now that it’s officially up on  the publisher’s website, I am delighted to  announce the forthcoming appearance of Santagram, my picture book with illustrator Shiloh Gordon, which will be published by Hardie Grant Egmont in October, ready for the Christmas market. And here is the joyful, lively, and characterful cover–isn’t it wonderfully appealing! Shiloh has created a fabulous visual world full of magic, humour and fun, perfect for a story that I so much enjoyed writing: it was just pure, playful pleasure! And what’s more–look closely at the cover, there is going to be a real letter and envelope with it! For someone who absolutely loves The Jolly Postman, that is a dream come true 🙂

 

Here’s the blurb for the book:

Santa’s mailbox is overflowing.

Santa loves getting letters, but the elves are FED UP with sorting through the huge piles of mail.
Surely an app would be better – quick, easy and heaps of fun! They’ll call it ‘Santagram’.

But once the letters stop arriving, will they be missed?

Can Santa use social media? And should he? This is a Christmas story with a twist that will have the whole family laughing out loud.

 

The book can be pre-ordered at lots of different bookshops and retail outlets, check the list out here.

 

 

Leave a comment Posted on Authors, Creative life, forthcoming books, Picture books

First advance copy of A House of Mud!

I am one very lucky author: last month I got my beautiful first advance copy of The Snowman’s Wish, my picture book with Ronak Taher, to be published by Dirt Lane Press in July. And today, I got my gorgeous first advance copy of A House of Mud, my picture book with Katrina Fisher, to be published by Little Pink Dog Books in August!  (The book can also be pre-ordered at that link).

A House of Mud is a gorgeous production, with lively, warm and characterful illustrations by the very talented Katrina Fisher and fabulous design and layout by the wonderful team at Little Pink Dog Books. It’s very special too because the story is based on our own real-life experience years ago of building our beautiful mudbrick house near Armidale in northern NSW—an experience which included the lively involvement of our young children—and our family dog, Tess!
Seeing A House of Mud become a picture book has long been a dream of mine and I am delighted  to hold it in my hands at last, and turn its pages while still living in the very same lovely hand-made house that inspired it!

Below you can see some of the wonderful internal pages–includes some great endpapers for which Katrina used photos of some of David’s actual plans for the house!

 

Leave a comment Posted on announcements, author talks, creative activities, Picture books, Readings, video resource

I’ll be part of the lineup for CBCA Lunchtime Storytime next week

I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be part of the lineup next week for the fabulous CBCA NSW Branch Lunchtime Storytime readings on Facebook. I’ll be reading Once Upon An ABC, my picture book with illustrator Christopher Nielsen(Little Hare) and though I’m a bit nervous about it, I’m really looking forward to it! Tune in at the CBCA NSW Facebook page on Friday June 5 at 12pm to hear my reading live: but if you miss that, the video will also be available for later viewing on the page or on the CBCA NSW website. (Availability ends by July 31).

And check out all the other great authors and illustrators who will participate that week too, as well as those who took part in the weeks before.