Born out of my research for Stellarphant, this is a true history of animals involved in space travel.
Before humans ever left the planet, animals boldly went where no man had gone before. Even now, these unwitting test pilots and space travellers outnumber their human counterparts.
From microscopic tardigrades to a pregnant cockroach, from last-minute mutts to unhatched chicken eggs, these animals and their stories are weird, wacky and wonderful. Chock-full of extraordinary facts and fun, this is an absolute must read!
My picture book BIGFOOT VS YETI is on the WA Premier’s Book Awards shortlist! Congrats to the other shortlistees in the Children’s Book of the Year category:
Creature Clinic by Gavin Aung Than
Everglade 1: Rise of the Witch by Kitty Black
One Day by Shirley Marr and Michael Speechley
The Surface Trials by H.M. Waugh And congrats to all the other shortlistees! Western Australia is overflowing with local talent. Thank you to the judges and the State Library of WA for holding the awards.
The shortlists for the NSW and Victoria children’s choice book awards – the KOALAS and YABBAS – were released today. I’m stoked to see that two of my books were shortlisted in the Picture Story Book category!
Big thanks to all the young readers who nominated my books for the awards, and to the teachers and librarians who organised voting in their schools!
And congrats to everyone with a shortlisted book. There are so many great ones on the list this year. You can see all the shortlisted books in the poster below.
Eagle-eyed viewers will notice that I got to do the artwork for this year’s poster; it was heaps of fun to have Stella from Stellarphant doing a spacewalk with the mascot of the YABBAs (a mouse) and the KOALAs (a koala of course). See below for the full art.
Okay, I realise I just had a new book out on April 1st. That wasn’t an April Fools’ joke, it’s an actual book called Fuzzball and you can grab it in bookstores now!
But I have another book coming out in May, and I’m launching it in Fremantle, Melbourne and Brisbane! Details below.
Oh No! is a very silly picture book about ‘onomatopoeia’ (sound effects) – although in this book they are more appropriately called ‘oh-no-matopoiea’ (the sound of things going very badly).
It’s a super fun read-aloud that is sure to get kids giggling!
Join me to launch the book in April and May.
FREMANTLE launch: Sun April 26th
Join me in my hometown to launch my new picture book! We’ll be joined by author/illustrator extraordinaire Sean E Avery – get set for an epic illustrator duel.
DATE: Sunday April 26th WHEN: 10:30am WHERE: Paper Bird Books, 42 Henry St, Fremantle TICKETS: Free! RSVP: essential, via humanitix
MELBOURNE launch: Sat May 23rd
Melbourne, it feels like it’s been ages and I’ve missed you. We’ve got the hilarious Adrian Beck joining us for this one – and another epic illustrator duel (provided I survived the one with Sean back in Freo).
DATE: Saturday May 23rd WHEN: 2:00pm WHERE: The Little Bookroom, 8 Village Ave, Brunswick East TICKETS: Free! RSVP: essential, via humanitix
BRISBANE launch: Sun May 31st
Brizzy, you get a launch too! My bud Pete Carnavas will be joining us for the illustrator duel – but don’t let his calm, wise visage fool you. He is truly a lethal opponent. His pen is mightier than the sword, but that doesn’t change the fact he has a sword (who needs a sword?).
DATE: Sunday May 31st WHEN: 2:00pm WHERE: Where The Wild Things Are, 191 Boundary Street, West End, Brisbane TICKETS: a family pass including the book is $25 RSVP: essential, via trybooking
Fuzzball is the latest junior fiction novel in the Paw Prints series from Walker Books.
It’s written by the awesome Nathan Luff and illustrated by me.
Here’s the official blurb:
When Luca’s mum and dad give him a special present for his birthday, he hopes it’s the pet dog he’s been waiting for. Instead, he gets Fuzzball. But a guinea pig can’t play fetch, go for walks or learn fun tricks like a dog can. Just when Luca is ready to give up on Fuzzball, he finds something that Fuzzball CAN do …
This was a dream to illustrate – it’s such a funny story from Mr Luff. I hope you enjoy it! Available now from bookstores across Australia and NZ. Links below.
The amazing team at Barking Gecko Arts have adapted my picture book Stelllarphant for the stage. I am so excited for everyone to see this … I’ve been checking out the rehearsals and it’s going to be epic!
From the official blurb:
Join Stella, an elephant who dreams of becoming an astronaut, as she builds her own spaceship and proves that anyone can reach for the stars … this uplifting 55-minute production for children aged 6-12 and their families is packed with heart, humour, and imagination. Perfect for the April school holidays.
Photo: Daniel J Grant
The run opens with general public shows at Subiaco Arts Centre, followed by school group shows around the metro area and regional WA. Full dates below.
What a wonderful bit of news – my book Bigfoot vs Yeti: a Love Story is on the Notables list for the 2026 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Picture Book of the Year Award!
There are so many wonderful books on the list; congrats all! Check out the list below.
The shortlist will be announced on March 31, and the honour books and winner will be announced on August 21 at the start of Children’s Book Week.
“pure joy … silly, expressive and full of laugh out loud moments. This was reread twice in one sitting because they wanted to look again. One of our favourites!” – @playful.childhood, Instagram
You can find a copy at your local indie bookshop or online – links below.
Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas
🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia/NZ edition, published by Scholastic Australia, Feb 2026 ISBN: 9781761725296 (hardback)
James Foley 