Elizabeth Honey grew up on a farm, went to Swinburne art school, had adventures abroad and a variety of jobs before becoming an illustrator, then also a writer, for children. She lives in Richmond, Melbourne in a house of books: picture books, poetry, art (Matisse particularly) and weird books. Fortunately, her retired graphic designer husband is also a bibliophile. They have two grown-up children and a granddaughter in Amsterdam. All her life Elizabeth has zoomed around on her bike - not a lycra rider, just a charging-round-the-place rider - and that vibrant bike city in the Netherlands has become an inspiration. She's also passionate about streets for people not cars, public parkland and place-making, and an abiding passion is habitat for wildlife, for the survival of our unique animals.