Category: Subjects & themes

Chris Nixon is the illustrator of the internationally renowned Jake series and Crocodile Cake but he’s so much more than that. He’s building a CV that includes public art, video direction and commercial illustration. Here are some notes about how he approaches each project and a video of Chris at work.

The final cover is in! Catch the first glimpse of The Last Viking Returns by Norman Jorgensen, in this amazing time lapse video by illustrator James Foley.

Based on the book Light Horse Boy by Dianne Wolfer, and using historical sources and Brian Simmonds’ evocative charcoal images, this is the story of Jim and his experience of the first world war.

Ezekiel Kwaymullina said My Country was inspired by his Nana and Gran, who passed on their love of country to him. The book has become a family affair with Ezekiel’s mother, internationally acclaimed artist Sally Morgan, creating the illustrations.

Debut author Zoe Thurner discusses Dress Rehearsal her novel for young adults …

A student poetry workshop organised by Fremantle Press and hosted by Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre has inspired students from Applecross Senior High School to keep writing.

Cheryl Kickett-Tucker’s slightly spooky children’s book Barlay! has an important message for young kids.

Sally Morgan edited the Waarda series and created the books’ distinctive front covers. Now she has written her own book for the series called The Magic Fair .

This is your second novel for young adults. What was easier, and what was harder this time around? I wish my second novel had been easier! Both were challenging and rewarding in different ways.

90 Packets of Instant Noodles author, Deb Fitzpatrick, was starstruck when Elizabeth Jolley marked her creative writing thesis. Years of hard writing and a stint living in a Costa Rican shack later, she’s releasing her first novel for young adults.

Students at Rosalie Primary School teamed up with illustrator Chris Nixon and Emerging Arts Professional Kiri Falls to create a series of book trailers based on Fremantle Press books.

Best selling young adult novelist Kate McCaffrey won over readers with her cyber bullying novel Destroying Avalon before reaching the North American market with her hard hitting second novel In Ecstasy. In Beautiful Monster she’s writing about eating disorders. Kate tells us why.

With foreign rights sales to Hachette in France and Scholastic in India, the popular Jake series is on the cusp of going global.

How far back does your interest in picture books stretch? I went to an exhibition of artwork from a picture book when I was in Year 2 at primary school. I loved seeing all of the artwork displayed. We spent a lot of time that year making our own picture books: planning them on huge […]

Where did the inspiration for your story come from? My inspiration for Beach Sports Car came from two sources – my childhood memories of Useless Loop and the inventiveness of my father.

Where did the inspiration for Shadow come from? Pat: We thought, if you were a young child who had moved towns and were lonely, wouldn’t it be good to have a secret creature to keep you company and protect you? Shadow is a friendly protective creature who loves Lilli and her mother and nanna. He […]

How did you become interested in becoming an illustrator? I was always interested. For as long as I can remember I’ve been into drawing. My mum enrolled me in art classes when I was five or six, and that was it, really. I did oil painting and went sketching outdoors, that kind of thing. When […]