Jackie French AM is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator, the 2014–2015 Australian Children's Laureate and the 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. In 2016 Jackie became a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to children's literature and her advocacy for youth literacy. She is regarded as one of Australia's most popular children's authors and writes across all genres — from picture books, history, fantasy, ecology and sci-fi to her much loved historical fiction for a variety of age groups. ‘A book can change a child's life. A book can change the world' was the primary philosophy behind Jackie's two-year term as Laureate. jackiefrench.com facebook.com/authorjackiefrench Bruce Whatley is one of Australia's most highly regarded and talented authors and illustrators for children, both here and internationally. Since 1992 Bruce has written and/or illustrated over 90 picture books. In 2002 he paired with author Jackie French and illustrated Diary of a Wombat, which was the start of an extraordinary creative collaboration. www.brucewhatley.com