interviews

Aunty Patsy Cameron, Reena Balding and Belinda Casey on In the Kelp Forest

Posted on June 10, 2026June 8, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

Today we’re chatting to the three creators of this stunning picture book, In the Kelp Forest, written by Aunty Patsy and Reena and beautifully illustrated by Belinda.

Aunty Patsy Cameron grew up on Flinders Island and can trace her Aboriginal heritage through her mother’s line to four Ancestral grandmothers; Pleenpereener, Wyerlooberer, Teekoolterme and Pollerelbrener. At the head of her family is Teekoolterme’s father, the revered Pairrebeenne/Trawlwoolway Clan leader, formidable warrior and seer, Mannalargenna.

Reena Balding grew up in Tasmania and left to travel the world where she worked for a newspaper in Turkey and became a yoga instructor in Bali. Now living with her family in Hobart, Reena publishes books for the Australian government and writes for children and adults.

Belinda Casey is a proud great granddaughter of legendary Tasmanian Aboriginal woman, Fanny Smith, whose traditional homeland is Tebrakunna Country in North Eastern Trouwerner/Tasmania. Belinda’s art practice honours the legacy of her ancestral grandmother and the strength and resilience of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, their culture and connection to Country.

From the publisher:

In the Kelp Forest explores the beauty and strength of Country beneath the waves and celebrates the living kelp forests, their creatures, and deep Cultural knowledge of Tasmania’s First Nations people. Kelp forests have intricate lives and play a key role in the balance of our oceans and seas. Myerlee, the giant kelp, sways beneath the waves, her forests alive with creatures that make her their home. Myerlee lives with the elements, shelters life, provides sustenence to those on the land and in the ocean and whispers her secrets to those who will listen.

Magabala Books provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

How did you collaborate on the writing of In the Kelp Forest? Did you work on it together or was there some back and forth between you on the text?

Aunty Patsy and Reena: We started by meeting on Country on a beach on the east coast of Tasmania. Aunty Patsy pointed out which parts of the kelp are good to collect. Then we talked about kelp and the different properties and importance of kelp. We also made various things out of kelp. Reena researched the different species of kelp and the life cycle of kelp and talked to kelp experts about what to include. Aunty Patsy researched the historic records of how kelp had been used and the different words for sea animals that lived in or around kelp forests. Then we put it all together.

What’s one thing you would like kids to know about kelp in Australian waters?

Aunty Patsy and Reena: Tasmanian Aboriginal people have used bull kelp (myerlee) for many, many years to make into useful things. The kelp is washed up onto beaches where it can be collected. When it is still wet and pliable it can be cut and made into baskets to carry water in. And also made into … shoes! There are historic records of people wearing a kelp shoe when they had a sore foot. We experimented with a piece of kelp and some string to see if a shoe really could be made from kelp, and it worked!

When fresh, kelp can be roasted over coals and eaten as a rich source of nutrients. This includes medicinal uses such as iodine that is good for your thyroid.

The book includes words from Oyster Bay nation language, Coastal Plains nations language, and Tyereelore language. How did you gather these words? Do you speak any of these languages yourselves?

Aunty Patsy: I grew up on Flinders island in eastern Bass Strait where Tyereerlore language was passed down across the generations for some shells and resources. I also have direct ancestral connections with Oyster Bay and Coastal Plains nations and use their words recorded in the 1800s in my writing and on occasions such as presenting Welcome to Country and when referring to place names and names for plants and animals.

Can you tell us about the watercolour illustrations for In the Kelp Forest?

Belinda: I had a marvellous time creating the illustrations for In the Kelp Forest. I’m a painter and usually work on quite large-scale canvases in oil paint and mixed media … I hadn’t really painted with watercolours before, so I more or less taught myself how to use them throughout the creation of the book. I chose watercolour for their portability but also their suitability to the book’s watery theme. I also love bluey greens, so I relished the opportunity to go crazy with my favourite colours! I broke my painting hand four weeks into the project, so while I was out of action I went and stayed at Bicheno on the east coast of Tassie for a few nights and photographed the kelp washed up on the beaches. I also videoed the kelp holding fast to the rocks and observed how it moved in the water. I then took my research material (plus a few specimens that I had collected) back to my studio and created the drawings partly from these images and partly from my imagination!

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

Aunty Patsy: I am currently working on ideas for another children’s story about the moon and its significance to the lifeworld of Tasmanian Aboriginal people from deep time to the present day.

Reena: I would love to write a book about Tasmania’s weird and wonderful facts and stats. I also think there need to be more books about fascinating plants. Basically, there are too many ideas for non-fiction kids books and not enough time to write them all!

Belinda: I’m currently working on a series of large-scale mixed-media paintings inspired by objects found along the coastline of Bruny Island, so in a way I’m continuing with the watery themes of In the Kelp Forest. ☺️

In the Kelp Forest is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Visit the publisher’s website for a look inside the book!

Find out about other books by Aunty Patsy Cameron

Visit Reena Balding’s website for more about her and her work

authors, interviews

Sharon Dalgleish on Saving Shark Pup

Posted on May 27, 2026May 15, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

Sharon Dalgleish has over 50 published books for children and worked for many years as a librarian, and then as a teacher. She now spends her days writing stories, non-fiction and poetry for children.

Sharon lives in Sydney with Maisie, her rescue dog/office assistant. Today we’re chatting with Sharon about her picture book with Amandine Thomas: Saving Shark Pup: The Incredible True Story.

A head and shoulders photo of Sharon Dalgleish.

From the publisher:

When a great white shark pup washed up on Manly Beach, the local community rushed to the shark’s rescue, eventually releasing it back into the ocean. Great white sharks are vital for the ocean ecosystem, and yet despite this, their beauty and mystery are rarely celebrated. This glorious picture book is a lyrical and emotive account of the shark pup’s journey back to the ocean, interspersed by fascinating facts about great white sharks.

The cover of a nonfiction picture book, Saving Shark Pup.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

Saving Shark Pup is based on an actual rescue. How did you first hear about the shark pup that washed up on Manly Beach?

I was living in Manly when the shark pup washed up on the beach, so it was like it happened right in my own backyard. My daughter and her friends were at the beach and saw it all. They phoned to tell me – but I was at work and couldn’t rush to the beach. So, they sent me video updates!

The shark (nicknamed Fluffy) made me think differently about sharks and stayed in my heart for years. As I walked along the beach up to the headland lookout each morning, I would scan the ocean, wondering if it had survived and where he might be now. Great whites can live for over sixty years, so I’ll be looking for a long time!

I was sure someone would write Fluffy’s story. But no one did. Eventually, I sat down to try to capture his story on the page myself … hoping my words would inspire others to think differently about sharks, too.

The book includes facts about great white sharks as well as the tale of the shark pup’s rescue. How did you do your research about great white sharks?

I read everything I could find about great white sharks, in books and on scientific websites. It was particularly hard to find information about how great white sharks are born! Scientists are still trying to discover this. The best part of the research was making contact with and interviewing one of the aquarists who rescued the shark. She stayed by his side throughout the rescue – over twenty-four hours in the water with no sleep and wearing heavy equipment. She also read my final manuscript to make sure all the facts were correct. And she was VIP guest at the book launch party!

Did you work with the illustrator Amandine Thomas in the creation of the book? Or did you each work on the text and illustrations separately?

Amandine created her amazing art after my text was completed. When I first saw her art, I couldn’t believe how she had captured the colours, emotion, movement and even the sounds of the rescue. And how she has added so much to the story with every spread showing a different angle or perspective. We have never met in person (she is in Melbourne and I am in Sydney) but she did come to the book launch party via video! It was so special.

You’ve dedicated the book to the Sea Life Sanctuary Rescue Team. Can you tell us about that?

They worked with extraordinary teamwork, trying different ideas and never giving up. By the end of the rescue, they were overwhelmingly exhausted but also in awe of being in the presence of such a majestic animal. Great white sharks can be dangerous. And this one was stressed and in a confined space. But not once during the rescue did any of the divers feel threatened by Fluffy. They felt honoured to be able to help this magnificent wild creature. To me they are heroes!

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I’m working on another nonfiction picture book. I adore poetic, lyrical writing. But I love silly humour, too. So, I’m having loads of fun working on a few funny picture books. I’ve also drafted an outline for a Chapter Book series. It’s about a character who always gets things wrong. I’ve written the first book and now planning the next two books.

Saving Shark Pup: The Incredible True Story is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Take a look at some pages inside Saving Shark Pup

Download Teachers’ Notes

Visit Sharon Dalgleish’s website for more about her and her books

Visit Amandine Thomas’s website for more about her and her art

authors, interviews

Astred Hicks and Holly Parsons on This Bird

Posted on May 20, 2026May 12, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

A photo of Astrid Hicks holding up her book This Bird. — Astred Hicks

A head shot of Holly Parsons — Astred Hicks

Astred Hicks is a best-selling illustrator, highly awarded book designer, emerging author and complete bird nerd. She is excited about noticing the world around her and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Dr Holly Parsons is a bird-loving scientist who spends her days studying the amazing Australian bird life that lives in our towns and cities, and sharing her passion with everyone she meets.

Today we’re thrilled to have Astred and Holly visit Alphabet Soup to talk about their book This Bird: Noticing our Urban Birds.

From the publisher:

What’s so fancy about this bird? What’s so clever about that bird? Perhaps it’s a weightlifter, a marathon flier, an artist, or even a liar. You don’t need to go far to see intriguing birds, even in the city. From colourful parrots to artistic bowerbirds and fancy fairy-wrens, there’s lots to notice in our local backyards, streets and parks. Written by Astred Hicks in collaboration with bird scientist Dr Holly Parsons, and featuring Astred’s distinctive and engaging illustrations, This Bird features fun facts about some remarkable Australian native birds and hints on where (and how) to find them!

CSIRO Publishing provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

A double spread inside This Bird showing the White-plumed honeyeater — This bird has a sweet tooth: White-plumed honeyeater (from *This Bird*, illustrations by Astred Hicks).

What first sparked your passion for birds?

Astred: When I was a kid, my mum was an entomologist (insect scientist) and a birdwatcher who encouraged my siblings and me to notice the wriggly, buzzy, flappy world around us. Our unofficial family crest is a cicada shell, and we would proudly wear them as badges whenever we found one – and still do!

When I had a kid of my own who was even more fascinated by the natural world, I spent even more of my time noticing it. Books, zoos, museums, science fairs, nature walks, parks, hikes, you name it, we did it. Through all this, birds became wonderful flying jewels that captured my gaze and left me wondering. I wanted to see more, find out more, and appreciate the unique lives in my neighbourhood.

Holly: When I was growing up, my dad was always pointing out wildlife and encouraging us to keep our eyes open to what was around us. I already loved animals, so that really stuck with me.

Later, when I went to university and studied biology, I discovered I especially loved ecology, learning about how animals live and interact with the world around them. Then a bird research project came along, and I decided to give it a go.

That’s when everything clicked. I realised how much was going on around me that I’d never noticed before. Every bird behaves a bit differently, and I became really curious about what they were doing and why. That curiosity eventually turned into my job!

How did you decide which birds to include in This Bird?

Astred: It wasn’t easy! That’s for sure! When I first came up with the book, I had a list of birds I thought were fascinating and wanted to write about, like the satin bowerbird (this bird is an artist), powerful owl (this bird is strong) and yellow-tailed black cockatoo (this bird is a cruncher). My publishers, CSIRO Publishing, brought on board ornithologist, Holly Parsons, to consult on the book (and basically make sure I wasn’t just faffing on about how much I love birds). Holly sent through a short list of suggestions, like silver eyes (this bird is a tiny traveller) and spotted pardalote (this bird is a digger), and I instantly knew she got it and that this was going to be a brilliant working relationship. And it was!

But getting the list right turned out to be tricky and a lot of fun.

We had a Google spreadsheet to narrow down the list. I called it ‘The Thunder Dome’; two birds entered, only one left. We needed a good mix of small birds, birds of prey, water birds, and night birds because there are so many birds living in urban areas.

When writing the book, many of my content decisions were informed by my years of experience as a book designer. I wanted the book to be read in several ways: cover-to-cover, dipping in and out, or one spread at a time at bedtime. Non-fiction book design is a real art, so being able to build a design-led, guided reading structure into my manuscript before the actual design started was something I was really excited about.

Holly: We had a lot of fun choosing the birds! We started with a big list and then kind of “battled it out,” putting birds head-to-head and asking, which one would kids be more excited to spot? Which one is weirder? It got a bit competitive!

In the end, we mostly chose birds that live in towns and cities, including some that people might not have heard of yet but could still find nearby. We also made sure to include different types of birds from across Australia, so readers get a mix of shapes, sizes, and habitats.

The hardest part was deciding what to leave out. There’s so much to say about every bird, but we focused on the most interesting and noticeable things, like behaviours you can actually see, or clues that help you recognise them. We wanted each page to feel fun and surprising, not overwhelming.

Do you have a favourite Australian urban bird? Why is it your favourite?

Astred: I do! It’s the yellow-tailed black-cockatoo. Their slow, gliding wingbeats, mournful cries, and seasonal appearance make them feel so magical to see in the wild.

Holly: I actually have two favourites for very different reasons! One is the Superb Fairy-wren, which I studied during my PhD (which lets me put Dr in front of my name – a bird nerd Dr!). They might be small, but they have huge personalities. The bright blue males are so colourful and they live as little families with the brown females and young birds, but what I love most is how busy and social they are – you’ll often see them hopping around in these groups, constantly chatting to each other.

My other favourite is the Powerful Owl. They’re Australia’s largest owl, and I find it amazing that such a big, powerful predator is living in some of our east coast cities. In a way, they shouldn’t really be able to survive in urban areas, but they do, and that makes them incredibly special.

What’s one thing you wish all young readers knew about Australian urban birds?

Astred: They are living their lives alongside you, with rich experiences and many things happening. They deserve space and respect as well.

Holly: I’d love young readers to know that birds are sharing our cities with us, and they’re noticing us just as much as we’re noticing them. Once you start paying attention, you realise cities are full of wildlife. Each capital city in Australia has HUNDREDs of different bird species you can spot. And the really exciting part is that people can make a difference. Small actions like planting native plants or keeping cats indoors can help birds thrive. Everyone can do something for the birds that share their spaces.

A double page spread from inside the book This Bird. — This bird loves cities: Peregrine Falcon (from *This Bird*, illustrations by Astred Hicks.)

Do you have a tip for someone who doesn’t know much about our urban birds yet but would like to start noticing/birdwatching?

Astred: Begin by looking up, then look down. It may sound funny, but looking up helps you spot birds like the swallow dipping and diving for insects over the football oval. But looking down can reveal larger birds by their droppings. Tawny frogmouths are difficult to see in trees, but you might find them by spotting white droppings at a tree’s base. Listening for birds and learning their calls can always help you discover the variety of species living nearby.

Holly: Start by slowing down and really looking and listening. You don’t need any special equipment. Pick one bird you see often and watch what it does – where it goes, what it eats, whether it’s alone or in a group.

All these birds are going about their daily lives, just like you are. They are finding food, talking to each other, looking after their families. When you start noticing that, it becomes really fun, almost like you’re watching little stories play out.

Even a really common bird like the Australian Magpie can be fascinating if you take the time to watch it closely. The more you notice, the more interesting it becomes.

This Bird: Noticing our urban birds is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS:

Take a peek inside the pages of This Bird

Download the Teachers’ Notes

authors, interviews

Claire Saxby on Storm

Posted on May 13, 2026May 11, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

A head and shoulders photo of Claire Saxby

Claire Saxby is an award-winning author and has lived in many places through Australia and beyond. She writes about nature, about history and more.

You might have read some of her books already, like Tree, Iceberg or Great White Shark. Claire is passionate about encouraging curiosity and wonder. Today we’re chatting to her about Storm, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft.

From the publisher:

A storm is brewing. It begins with a puff. Then another. A flutter, a ripple, a shiver show where the breeze blows … An evocative exploration of the birth of a thunderstorm and the effects of wind and weather on the natural environment. Combining deep scientific research, lyrical language and stunning illustrations, Storm is the next exploration of the natural world from the CBCA award-winning team of Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

Storm features lyrical language and poetic techniques like alliteration, assonance and personification, among others. You are a published poet and author. How do you decide whether a piece of writing works best as a poem or a lyrical picture book?

This is such a great question! Thank you. I feel like poems are a bit like a photograph and picture books are more like a movie. So if there is a single idea or image I’m trying to catch, then it’s likely to be a poem. If there’s a story, if there are twists and turns, escalations and solutions, then it’s likely to be a story. Within Storm, there are written stories, but there are also visual stories. Working with Jess on many books, I know how much space I can leave for her to create her visual narratives and can be sure that my word stories will work with her visual ones. But poem or story, I draft and redraft until I am confident that it’s the right words in the right place, each word working as hard as it can to create word pictures in a reader’s mind.

How did you come to write this book? Is it based on a storm in a place you’ve been to or know well?

Jess and I had worked on three books in this series: Iceberg, Tree and Volcano and we considered them to be showcasing Water, Earth and Fire, so it seemed a natural next to write Storm. I gathered a rockpool from here, an escarpment from there, a sandy beach from another place, and a shallow reef from another beach (the little green fish that appears in Storm is from this reef) and sewed them all together in a single story. After I’d written it, I moved to a beachside town and my closest beach features all of these elements! So it could have been written about my local beach, but I hope that means that readers will recognise elements of their local beach.

Jess Racklyeft has illustrated your work before. Did you and Jess communicate while you were writing Storm? (Did you know there would be fantastic fold out pages in the centre of the book showing the storm at its peak or was it a surprise when you first saw the finished book?)

All of the books in this series have foldout pages, but I never know which part of the story will become doubly wonderful in this way. Jess and I do talk about the general idea for a story, then Jess very generously steps back and lets me write. When I’m done, I step back and let Jess work her magic. It’s a very rewarding way to work, I love it. Of course, there’s a whole, almost silent, publishing team behind the making of these books and the books are the best they can be because of their insight and skilled guidance.

How did you go about editing your drafts before you submitted this manuscript to your publisher? Is it different from the way you edit your poetry?

I call my first draft a ‘0 draft’ because it’s not even good enough to be called a first draft! It’s more a rambling, stop-start-stop again document that I keep working on until I find a possible direction for a story. Then I begin a First Draft … and a Second Draft and … well you get the idea. When I reach a spot where the story could go one way or the other, then I start a new document. That way if it all goes wrong, I can go back to that previous draft and choose a different direction. It is both easier and harder with poetry, because there are even fewer words to make work well and that means adjusting each word, each line, each stanza until it sings. Sometimes I cross out words, put arrows moving words around, cut some out, add more. I do multiple drafts for both, and generally it’s not until draft 3 or 4 that a poem or story really starts to take shape.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

Ooh, okay. I have two books coming out next year, one about a hat-wearing caterpillar (yes it’s a real one) and the other about two explorers and the story is told in parallel. Jess is busy illustrating the explorers, and the caterpillar book is my first with this illustrator and it is BEAUTIFUL! I have two new picture books in research stage – which is the stage BEFORE a 0 draft, so I have no idea really what they will be …

Storm is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

See some pages inside Storm

Download the Teachers’ Notes (see below the book’s cover)

Visit the author’s website for more about Claire Saxby and her books

Visit the illustrator’s website for more about Jess Racklyeft and her books

authors, interviews

Helen Milroy on Dingo’s Dream

Posted on May 6, 2026May 5, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of a children's storybook: Dingo's Dream

A head and shoulders photo of Helen Milroy.

Helen Milroy is a storyteller and artist, and the author and illustrator of many books. She is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia, but was born and educated in Perth. Helen has always had a passionate interest in health and wellbeing, especially for children. Today we’re thrilled to be talking to Helen about her book Dingo’s Dream, part of her Tales from the Bush Mob series.

From the publisher:

Dingo dreams that someone is in distress, but who? Dingo checks on everyone in his community, then searches all over the countryside until he stumbles across his homeland he hasn’t visited for many years and is now an empty landscape … There is a strange animal stranded at the bottom of a ravine.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

In your Tales from the Bush Mob series, each book centres a particular animal. What gave you the idea for the storyline for Dingo’s Dream?

Our dingoes have had a tough time in history and are often cast in a bad light. But dingoes are beautiful animals and share this country with us. Dingoes also have their country just like us but are often pushed away into other areas. I am also fascinated by the mournful howl of the dingoes at sunset and wondered what this was about. This became the stimulus for the story. What happens to country when our dingoes are not there to sing at sunset?

I do think our country calls to us, we are the children of mother earth and we need to hear her call.

This is the sixth book in the series. How do you go about creating your illustrations? Now that you’re up to Book Six, has anything changed about the way you approach the illustrating process?

Because this is a series, I can reuse some of the habitats such as Dingo’s den and other parts of country so it does make it a bit easier. But I also want to include other aspects and different landscapes for kids to see as well as introduce new creatures such as the Tasmanian Devil, so kids get to see the vast array of native animals that live here. I hope I have got a bit better at illustrating but I also don’t want to lose the naivety of the first book.

The colourful illustrations are rich and striking and give a real sense of place. Are your illustrations inspired by a particular place/landscape?

I really try to draw the colours of the landscape, particularly the north-west of WA which is beautiful. If I am flying over country I love to look out the window and see the patterns in the earth. When i am walking in country, I try to capture the experience and richness in the illustrations.

The Bush Mob friends all work together on a rescue and they each have their own strengths they bring to the group. Do you have a favourite animal in the Bush Mob series?

To be fair, I love them all but yes my favourites are dingo and willy wagtail. Dingo is kind, gentle and strong. He looks out for everyone. He reminds me of a big dog I had as a child who was always by my side and I felt like he was a companion but also a guardian. Willy wagtail is a feisty little bird with great courage and I always love watching the willy wagtails in my garden. They really do talk a lot so hence they play such an important role in bringing bush mob together in the first book.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I still have another nine bush mob stories I have written which feature different animals so I really hope I can bring them all to life. I also have a sequel for Lofty the Emu as I think he was a great character to work with. In this story he doesn’t need his paraglider anymore but he does learn some really important game skills from some other members of bush mob, so stay tuned!

Dingo’s Dream is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS:

Check out all of the titles in the Tales from the Bush Mob series

Download the Teachers’ Notes for Dingo’s Dream

authors, interviews

Seetha Dodd on Myra in the Middle

Posted on April 22, 2026April 10, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of Myra in the Middle by Seetha Dodd with illustrations by Peter Cheong.

Seetha Dodd loves wordplay, humorous rhyme and lyrical prose. Drawing on her Malaysian–Indian heritage, and themes of family, identity and belonging, Seetha writes stories that empower children to challenge stereotypes and to celebrate uniqueness in all forms. She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with her husband and three children. Today we’re chatting to Seetha about her junior fiction novel: Myra in the Middle, illustrated by Peter Cheong.

From the publisher:

Seven-year-old Myra likes maths, football and things staying the same. She lives with her mum, dad, Muthashi (grandma) and big sister, Anya. Her world flips upside down when her family welcomes a new baby. Myra is now a middle child – and everyone knows middle kids always get forgotten. On top of that, Myra tries out for the school’s soccer team, only to be put in the midfield. She can’t show off her skills when nothing exciting ever happens there! What will it take for Myra to feel marvellous in the middle?

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

With the arrival of a new baby brother, Myra finds she is now the middle child in her family. Did you have siblings growing up? Are you a middle child yourself?

I am a middle child! I have an older sister and a younger sister. Just like Myra, I was nervous about the arrival of a new baby into the family. But as time went on, I realised how lucky I was. When you’re in the middle, you can learn from your older sibling and then try to be a role model for your younger sibling. It’s a unique position that also teaches you how to be adaptable and to see things from other points of view.

The book highlights the importance of names – the naming of Myra’s baby brother, getting someone’s name right/mixed up, the meaning of people’s names, even the names of the soccer teams Myra plays for and against. How do you go about choosing names for your characters in your writing?

I spend a lot of time naming my characters! I chose the name Myra for a few reasons. I wanted the title to have alliteration, so her name had to start with the letter M. Myra is a name that exists in many cultures, but as an Indian name it means ‘beloved’ – isn’t that beautiful? Then it made sense to have her sister’s name start with the letter A, and her brother’s name start with the letter Z, so even with their names, Myra, with the letter M, is in the middle.

Naming her friends was fun – I try not to make any of my characters’ names too similar, as it might get confusing. For example, I wouldn’t use another M name like Mia or Mariam, to make sure Myra stands out. I love searching for the perfect name – baby naming books are great for ideas.

As Myra points out, ‘names are very important’ and I especially love the part in the book where Myra and Muthashi discuss the meaning of their names.

Myra loves maths and draws pie charts and Venn diagrams to help her to think more deeply about the things that matter to her right now. Her sister Anya loves words and wordplay. Are you more of a words person or a numbers person yourself? Or both?

I have always been a words person first. I like trying to arrange words into a beautiful sentence, or into a funny rhyme. I also love poetry and how the words can have many layers of meaning. But I do also like using logic and mathematics to put things in order and make sense of a problem or a feeling, just like Myra does. Maybe you have done this too – perhaps a list of pros and cons when you’re making a decision, or using probability to discuss whether something is certain or unlikely. Venn diagrams are my favourite – they are the perfect combination of mathematics and language.

Myra’s grandma (Muthashi) prepares special foods for the family, which Myra finds comforting and familiar when she’s feeling lost in the middle of all the recent change. We hear about murukku, coconut candy, omelette, chicken curry, the best way to eat jelly slice … and more! Did you put all your favourite foods into the book? Do you like to cook like Myra and Muthashi?

I love cooking (and eating!) tasty treats. Most of the food in this book is inspired by my grandmother (Muthashi), who had a wonderful appetite for food and for life. She always cooked with love in her heart. I think this was her secret ingredient that made everything taste better.

If you would like to make coconut candy like Myra and Muthashi, there is a recipe here.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I have a picture book about dogs and cats coming out in September. It’s a fun, rhyming story with a gentle message about accepting those who are different to us. I am also working on an idea for another junior fiction novel. Right now, it is just a spark (which I suppose is how all ideas start out) but I hope to turn it into a story. I do need to find the perfect name, though!

Myra in the Middle is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Read the first chapter of Myra in the Middle

If you live in NSW, go along to the book launch on April 26, 2026!

Visit Seetha Dodd’s website for more about her and her books

Visit Peter Cheong’s website for more about him and his books/illustrating

authors, interviews

Maddy Mara on The Lonely Lunch Club

Posted on March 25, 2026March 25, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

Two women standing side by side smiling at the camera. — *Maddy Mara (Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger)*. *Photo by Les Hallack*.

Maddy Mara is the pen name of Melbourne-based creative duo Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger. You might have read Maddy Mara’s books in these popular series: Dragon Girls, Forever Fairies, Itty Bitty Kitty and Jet Set Pets! Hilary and Meredith have been collaborating on children’s books for nearly two decades. Hilary is an author and former publishing director; Meredith is the author of countless books for kids and young adults, and teaches English as a foreign language. Today we’re chatting about The Lonely Lunch Club, Maddy Mara’s junior fiction book in the Your Next Read Silver series, with fun illustrations by Laura Stitzel.

The cover of a junior fiction novel: The Lonely Lunch Club by Maddy Mara and illustrated by Laura Stitzel.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a review copy of this book.

From the publisher:

Do you like FRIENDS, SCHOOL and FUNNY STORIES? Then this book is YOUR NEXT READ. One lunchtime, Benji goes to the worst bench in the whole school instead of playing footy. There he meets a girl named Alice and a spider named Mabel. And Mabel needs their help! But can Benji and Alice do it alone?

Maddy Mara is your pen name, and you are two writers creating one story! How do you go about working together on a book?

Yes, people are often surprised to learn that Maddy Mara is actually two people. We are Hilary and Meredith, but we write under the pseudonym (a fancy word for pen name) Maddy Mara. We love working together! For us, it’s like getting paid to do a school project with one of your best friends, who also happens to be smart, hardworking and funny!

When we’re working on a new book, we always start by talking about our ideas. We have a lot of ideas –some of them are terrible and some of them are great – so this is a fun part of the process. Once we’ve agreed on the rough shape of the story (it needs to be something we are super excited to work on), then we think about the characters, and what might happen to them. We also workshop what the story or series might be called – we love bold, catchy names (Dragon Girls! Itty Bitty Kitty! Jet Set Pets! The Lonely Lunch Club!). We then plan out what will happen in each chapter before we get writing (mostly this works, but sometimes we need an emergency meeting with strong coffee if it doesn’t).

It changes from project to project, but usually Meredith goes first, and Hilary goes next. Then we send the story back and forth quite a few times until we love it and can’t quite remember who did which bits. It really is a team effort.

Alice and Benji make friends with an alien butt spider called Mabel. Is an alien butt spider a real spider!? How did you find out about this spider?

It is a real spider! Using the alien butt spider was Meredith’s idea, and we basically chose it because it’s such a cool and funny name for a cool and funny spider. We also we didn’t want to pick a dangerous spider (kids, don’t go looking for spider friends!). The Latin name is Bijoaraneus praesignis which isn’t quite so snappy …

The great thing about the books we write is we have to discover interesting things about the world (like, is a great white shark faster than a killer whale? Or, what spiders have cool names and live in Australia?). But because we write a lot of fantasy, we also get to make things up (like, can a sea dragon roar fire underwater? We say YES!).

How do you add humour to a story? Is it part of the storytelling from the beginning? Or do you go back and add it in after you’ve written the story?

We always like to use humour in our stories, as a treat for our readers and to help them keep reading. We find that humour often comes from characters doing unexpected things (like, an adorable little kitten thinking she’s a brave tiger in Itty Bitty Kitty). The Lonely Lunch Club story starts with Benji doing something unexpected (not playing footy, like he normally does) meeting Alice doing something unexpected (hanging out with a spider, on the worst bench in the school). We then have an unexpected connection between these two kids, who don’t have anything in common except that they want to look after Mabel, the alien butt spider.

But we also rework all our stories to make them funnier as we go along – the final draft is always funnier than the first. A good example of this is when Benji and Alice are discussing what the coolest thing to find in your lunchbox might be. We had a lots of different ideas for this before we picked the one that ended up in the book: a bar of chocolate vs a bar of gold.

How did each of you like to spend your lunchtimes when you were in primary school?

Meredith wasn’t sporty, so she definitely wasn’t playing footy at lunchtime. But she did like doing handstands against the wall, and skipping and playing hopscotch. Hilary did gymnastics when she was a kid, so there was a lot of cartwheeling and backbending going on! But we both loved walking and talking with friends at lunchtime – and all these years later, we still do!

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

We are always working on lots of things at the same time. We love to keep busy! We have just finished writing a second book for the Your Next Read series because writing The Lonely Lunch Club was so awesome. The new one is completely different – it’s set deep under water and (top-secret hint) features an excitable octopus. We also have some new Dragon Girls books that we’re working on (this series is now up to book 22!). And we have a brand new series called Max Beast, which is about a kid who finds a magical amulet that transforms him into a great white shark (and then other creatures in future books). It’s jam-packed with action and humour and lots of animal details. Max Beast is coming out in Australia in June, so look out for it!

The Lonely Lunch Club is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS!

Visit the author’s website for more about Maddy Mara

Visit the illustrator’s website for more about Laura Stitzel and her books

Download the Teachers’ Notes

authors, interviews

Fiona Wood on The Boy and the Dog Tree

Posted on March 11, 2026March 9, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of the novel for children: The Boy and the Dog Tree by Fiona Wood.

Fiona Wood is an award-winning writer of books for children and teenagers. Her books have been published in Australia and internationally. Today we’re pleased to be talking to Fiona about her latest novel: The Boy and the Dog Tree.

UQP provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

From the publisher:

Instead of the whole family moving to a new city, Mitch and his sister are staying with their gran, while their parents have been delayed working on other side of the world. Mitch is struggling to fit in at school, with the resident Grade Five bully picking on him. The one thing that would make his life better is a dog, if only he could persuade his parents. Then Mitch discovers an old oak tree that seems to growl. And one night, a huge, strange dog-like creature emerges from the trunk. His name is Argos. He has been bound in the tree by ‘history, mystery, magic and chance’ …

How did you come to write a story about a dog magically entwined with a tree?

A very helpful tree suggested the story to me. I live near a park that has some long avenues of oak trees, and one of these trees has a gnarled and twisted trunk that reminds me of a dog. I started asking myself why a dog might be bound within a tree. By whose magic had the dog been put there? And for what purpose? How did it happen? When did it happen? Chewing over questions is a great way to start building a story.

When you add magic into the everyday world, how do you make it feel believable for readers?

If you introduce a magical creature into a realistic setting, the first task is to make the world seem real. If it does, then by association everything that happens in that world feels real too.

It’s also important that the main character in that world has a believable initial reaction to the magic. So, Mitch finds it hard to believe when a tree seems to be murmuring or growling, and then calling to him in his sleep, and even harder to believe when Argos, a huge magical dog-like creature emerges from the tree. As improbable as it first seems, Mitch does come to believe what he can see with his own eyes. And ideally the reader will believe Mitch.

Other characters’ reactions also support the believability of the magic. For example, Regi, Mitch’s sister, realises that Mitch can hear what Argos is saying, though she cannot. She also notices Argos’s magical smell.

Finally, the magical creature itself must feel real. The writer’s job is to allow readers to imagine what Argos looks like, how he sounds, what sort of personality he has, and how we might react if an Argos came into our life.

Is the park where Mitch visits the dog tree based on a real park?

It is imaginary, but it has elements of a few parks in Melbourne/Naarm including Hedgeley Dene Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens and Fawkner Park.

Did you have a dog when you were growing up? If you did, was it your idea of the perfect dog?

I did not have a dog when I was growing up, and it was a thorn in my side. My brother and I pleaded and complained to my parents for years to no avail. I was allergic to the pet guinea pig offered in substitution. I truly longed for a dog as Mitch does in the story.

So, I made sure my children had a dog growing up. He was a much-loved family member, very far from perfect, quite naughty in fact, but adored by all of us.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I’m working on a story that has Mitch’s friend Dido as the main character. In The Boy and the Dog Tree, Argos tells Mitch that Dido is a witch, though she doesn’t know it yet. What would it mean to be a witch in a perfectly ordinary family? How does Dido find out that she is a witch and what might she do with this powerful identity? What are the upsides and downsides of having a particular power? More questions to chew over.

The Boy and the Dog Tree is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Read the first chapter of The Boy and the Dog Tree

Do you live in Melbourne? Go to the book launch on 14 March 2026!

Download the Teachers’ Notes for this book

Visit Fiona Wood’s website for more about her and her books

authors, interviews

Fionna Cosgrove on All That Slithers

Posted on March 4, 2026March 4, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of a collection of horror short stories by Fionna Cosgrove: All That Slithers.

Fionna Cosgrove stands in front of a wall with bright horizontal stripes.

Fionna Cosgrove is a Western Australian writer with a taste for the wonderfully macabre. Her writing has been published in The School Magazine and anthologies, and she’s also the author of the Twisted Trails series for young readers and Sadie and the Secret of the Swamp. Today we’re chatting to Fionna about her latest book, a short story collection for older readers of horror stories: All That Slithers, with illustrations by Stiff Ives.

Fionna provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

From the publisher:

All That Slithers is a collection of unsettling and creepy short stories; a kaleidoscope of quiet dread, ghastly ghouls, and neon-tinted terror! In this hauntingly playful collection, monsters lurk in the most wholesome of places, systems hum with quiet resistance, and the safest routines conceal the strangest truths. Each story is calibrated for curious minds: creepy enough to raise goosebumps, curious enough to feel cosy. Suitable for humans (and others) 10 and beyond!

Of all the book genres out there, why do you choose to write horror stories? Did you also read horror when you were growing up?

I don’t necessarily think we choose what we write. I think we naturally gravitate towards certain things, and I think my brain, and by association, the rest of me, has always been interested in the paranormal, the bizarre and the unexplained. I grew up, thanks to my Dad, loving shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark? and the The Twilight Zone, Unsolved Mysteries and Fact or Fiction. All of these shows had the best twists. They would lure you in thinking you knew where the story was going, only to throw a complete left hand turn right at the end and have you gobsmacked at the big reveal. I think I love that side of horror the most; the weird side. The side that kind of begs you to believe there’s more in this world than you can see, and nudges your flight response just enough to be fun, but not enough to traumatise. There’s also nothing quite like that feeling when you’re right on the edge of your seat, perhaps only surpassed by that feeling when you finish a story and have to take a moment to comprehend what you just read.

Growing up, Goosebumps [the series] was just released and it went bananas! It was on every kid’s table at school and everyone was talking about the latest release, but … I never really read them. They still hold a super nostalgic place in my heart, and I have since read many, and adore them, but my sister was five years older and was already reading Stephen King and Christopher Pike – the heavy hitters of horror in the 90s. As a result of always wanting to impress her, I skipped Goosebumps and went straight to her Point Horror and Christopher Pike books (avoided her King books though, thank goodness). And even back then, with all of those horror books, the ones that resonated for me were always the paranormal ones. I never really loved the stalker books or mystery killers, what I loved were the cosmic travellers, or the ghosts, or the possessed perfumes … nothing much has changed. So, yes, I did read horror as a kid, but even then I had a specific flavour that I liked, and that’s still my favourite to this day.

Have you ever written a story that got too scary/gory and had to tone it down? Have you ever scared yourself while writing a horror story?

Yes. To both. In my collection of short stories, All That Slithers, there’s a story called ‘Irene’s Eye-Scream Parlour’ and originally the final scene was really gory. There was mention of juicy optical nerves, intestines, splintered bones as toothpicks and several other references to body parts. In some ways I wish I had kept more of it in, as I think sometimes I underestimate what kids can handle (and what they enjoy), but when writing kids stories, I prefer to stay on the side of caution and figure I’d pushed that story far enough without needing the extra gore. Still, if anyone wants a copy of the original … just sing out! haha

And yes to scaring myself. I wrote another story in All That Slithers called ‘Sundowner’ at night on my bed. My favourite place to write is on my bed at night with the window open next to me so I can have moonlight filtering in. It’s quite a serene environment – unless you’re writing about haunted ships and ghostly sailors. I creeped myself out so much during that story I had to shut the laptop and continue writing during daylight the next day. I think because that story was inspired by Batavia, a real life shipwreck off the coast of WA, it hit harder, and I felt like I could actually be invoking something real from my words. Whereas usually, when I’m making stories up from my head, I figure I am somehow more in control … whether that’s true or not, I have no idea.

Each of the stories in your book (13 stories, plus a bonus 14th) feature two metres at the start to rate its horror level. How do you decide the rating of each story? Do you have test/sacrificial kid-readers?

I have several sacrificial kids 😈 and adults haha. I sent my stories to a handful of adults that write for kids, and also to several friends that have kids. It’s funny though, because everyone’s reactions to these stories are so different. I have a friend who’s daughter reads all of my stories, and she is never scared by anything. If anything, she gets bored unless there’s a significant amount of gory body parts. While on the flip side, there are some adults – like my Dad – who disliked any of the stories that edged too far into the horror world. In the end, I took on board everyone’s feedback, but then had to really follow my gut. I tended to rate the more light hearted stories higher on the snack scale, and the ones that tackled more serious concepts, closer to the meaty side. And then with the ghost metre, I rated the stories that veered more towards entertaining and funny closer to the ghost, and ones that moved into darker territory and featured darker, perhaps scarier entities, closer to the demon side. But reading is so subjective, what one person finds scary, the next may laugh at. So in the end, it really is just my best guess.

A poster explaining Fionna's metres or scales to measure the scariness and monster-loadedness of a short story. — *Fionna’s metres (scales) to gauge the scariness & monster presence in her stories.*

Do you come up with your twist in the tale before you start writing, or during the writing process? What makes a good twist?

For the most part, it’s the endings that come first, and then, as a lover of the twist, I have to figure out how to lead the reader astray at the beginning, so the twist really lands. The fun part for me is figuring out how the story begins, and what I can weave into the scenes so that the twist lands in a way that makes the whole story suddenly shift. For example, with the bonus story, ‘Hush’, I knew the overall concept of what I wanted to write, but I wasn’t sure how to write it in a way that would really surprise the reader. That story for me, was the darkest, and aimed to have the biggest twist – whether I landed it or not is up to the reader!

I think a good twist makes the reader want to go back and read the story again. It’s one they never see coming that makes them want to look for the breadcrumbs, to analyse their own mind, and wonder why they thought the story was going somewhere else to begin with? A good twist reframes the entire story. And on an audible level, a twist that makes you gasp is always a winner! One of my favourite twists ever was in the story ‘Neato Burrito’ by Josh Allen in his book Out to Get You: 13 Tales of Weirdness and Woe. Besides being the most awesome name for a short story ever, I never saw the twist coming, and when it landed I was equal parts horrified and massively entertained.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

Currently I’m working on short stories for the Micro Terrors podcast, which is a kids horror podcast for ages 8 and up that I am a secondary writer on. It’s based in the US and the stories are a mixture of bizarre, funny, unsettling and creepy. It’s one of the most fun projects I’ve ever worked on. As well as those, I’m writing several novellas for my Twisted Trails Series, hoping to package them up into a Seasonal Screams Omnibus ready for a Halloween launch – each novella will take place during a festive season. I’ve just finished drafting Love Letters which is the Valentine’s novella, and aim to have either two or three more completed by Halloween – with one obviously taking place on Halloween.

In addition, I’ve been looking at starting a cosy fantasy snail mail club (but make it strange, obviously!). The world is called The Land of Grim (working title) – think trolls that harvest magical flowers, mermaids that prefer to swim in swamps, goblins that are grumpy government workers, and sirens that have taken over the open ocean as pirates. I’m currently in the process of commissioning art, writing up stories, and just generally over thinking the whole thing. ETA on that project is ‘who knows’.

There’s also a pretty special poetry book coming up in late April that I can’t wait to get my hands on 🕷️⭐!

All That Slithers is out now! Look for it at your favourite online bookshop, local library, or Fionna’s website!

AWESOME EXTRAS

Download Fionna’s Inspiration Spinner template for writing your own stories

Visit Fionna’s website for more about her and her books

authors, interviews

Niraj Lal on Behind the Screens

Posted on February 25, 2026February 20, 2026 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of a Behind the Screens by Niraj Lal and illustrated by Aśka — Behind the Screens by Niraj Lal, illustrated by Aśka

A photo of Niraj Lal. Photo credit: Winifred Cunningham — Behind the Screens by Niraj Lal, illustrated by Aśka

Behind the Screens: How the Internet Works & How to Make it Work for You by Niraj Lal, Illustrations by Aśka (University of Queensland Press, $19.99) The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

Dr Niraj Lal is a researcher, writer and presenter. He is the host of the ABC’s Imagine This kids’ podcast, and he’s passionate about making science work in society’s interests. He has a PhD in physics, has appeared on Play School and Catalyst, and has won numerous awards. Today we’re chatting to Niraj about his new book: Behind the Screens, illustrated by Aśka.

From the publisher:

This book answers questions like:
– If YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are all free, how come their owners are some of the richest people on the planet?
– Why is it so hard to stop scrolling?
– How do I know who to trust on the internet?
– How can I avoid being tracked by tech companies?

There’s a lot to love online! What’s your favourite online activity?

Doomscrolling while on the dunny. Nah joking! (Though I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do it … )

The thing that really gives me a kick is organising online to catch up offline – with my futsal team, school mates, and a weekly crew that goes swimming in the bay on Friday mornings.

What’s your favourite offline activity?

Getting into the bush and the ocean with my kids, partner and mates. Growing and harvesting food from the garden or things we’ve foraged, fished, or hunted.

Why does it feel so hard to step away from a screen (or put down your phone or device)?

Because every time you put your phone down, there are thousands of the world’s best paid engineers trying to make you pick it back up again! And our brains are really soft – we’ve evolved to have an almost limitless capacity for affirmation and validation and connection with people we know, and a deeply hardwired attraction to dings, and red notifications, and emojis. App developers have figured ways to hijack these ancient reward pathways to keep us super engaged.

Do you think AI could ever really replace/replicate Niraj Lal?

How do you know this is not an AI version of Niraj Lal writing this right now?

Lol … I’d like to think not, but with sufficient AI training on things I’ve said and written and done in the past, I’m sure some future version of ChatGPT could replicate me pretty convincingly.

This is a little terrifying.

There are breakout boxes in the book, where we hear from kids who share their comments and give opinions on tech issues. How did you gather their responses?

By going into schools, and chatting with young people and their parents, right across Victoria and Queensland. I reckon the kids’ comments and opinions are one of the best bits in the book! Super insightful, savvy and articulate.

A double page spread from the book showing a comment from a kid in a breakout box shaped like a speech bubble. — A comment from Olive, 12. (Pages 92&93 from Behind the Screens.)

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

New seasons of ABC Imagine This, being a science producer for a really cool film called Phenomena by Josef Gatti and Rob Innes (coming out soon!), a possible sequel to Behind the Screens, and my day job in renewable energy. Mainly trying to keep balance in the great dance of life – I take a bunch of leave without pay to be able to hang out with my kids more and stay human as much as possible.

Behind the Screens: How the Internet Works & How to Make it Work for You  is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Take a look inside Behind the Screens

Download the Teachers’ Notes

Visit Niraj Lal’s website for more about him and his projects

Visit Aśka’s website for more about her and her books & illustrating