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Happy Barry Capybara – out Nov 1st

Here’s my new picture book Happy Barry Capybara, out on November 1st with Scholastic!

“Nothing ever bothered happy Barry Capybara.
He was chill when it was chilly, out on the savannah.
Hanging with his friend, the yellow-headed caracara.
No, nothing ever bothered happy Barry Capybara.“

Happy Barry Capybara is the most chilled-out creature on the savannah. So Harry, the naughty monkey, decides that he wants to try to bother Barry. But nothing ever bothers happy Barry Capybara!

Check out the book trailer here:

Thanks to my brilliant editor Laura Sieveking, and to Astred Hicks for the fantastic book design!

Pre-order Happy Barry Capybara

Out Nov 1st, 2024

🌏*Signed copIes* – PAPER BIRD

🇦🇺🇳🇿 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

Get ready for Spontaneous Stories

I’ve got a brand new session planned for the Awesome Arts festival this year called SPONTANEOUS STORIES.

Bring your weirdest and wackiest ideas for stories, because we’ll be mashing them up into the funniest Franken-tale you’ve ever heard – which I will illustrate, live!

It’s 50% workshop, 50% performance, 110% improv, 25.3% carbohydrates, and may contain traces of tree nuts. You’ll even be able to download the story as a pdf from my website afterwards.

DATE: Thursday September 26th
WHEN:
– 10:30am -> 12:00pm (SESSION SOLD OUT)
– 12:30pm -> 2:00pm (new session added)
WHERE: State Library of Western Australia, Perth
BOOKINGS: essential. Buy tickets here.

Gastronauts re-released in full COLOUR

Originally published in 2018, Gastronauts is back with a new full colour edition!

With colouring by Paulina Gamez and new covers designed by Rebecca Mills, this new edition is disgustingly good.

It even comes with an extra bonus story!

Secret Agent Mole sneaks into Germany

It’s my first ever book published in Germany!

In Deutschland, Max Mole is known as Max Maulwurf, and book 1 is called Die Fischtäbchen-Falle – ‘The Fish-Finger Trap’.

Book 2 will be out in Germany in October. Rather than The Boar Identity, it’s called Die Astronauten-Attacke – ‘The Astronaut Attack’.

Thanks to Karibu for publishing, and Matthias Wieland for translating!

Here are some of the German internals so you can see how the words and sound effects translate (SCHLÜRF! PLATSCH! SPRITZ!):

Brobot re-released in full COLOUR

Originally published in 2016, Brobot is back with a new full colour edition!

With colouring by Paulina Gamez and new covers designed by Rebecca Mills, this new edition looks deliciously schmick.

It even comes with an extra bonus story!

Events for March

To get email notifications of future events, you can either:
– head to my blog and subscribe to new posts via the little box on the right.
– sign up for my newsletter, The James Foley-o, and get all my news and events in a quarterly email.

Mar 16 – ‘Right Way Down’ book launch

Join us to celebrate the launch Right Way Down, a collection of children’s poetry from 38 brilliant WA writers!

Following the launch: books will be available for purchase, enjoy light refreshments, browse the artwork of Briony Stewart, meet the book’s editors and illustrator, and grab a signature from one of the many contributors (including me!).

This event is a collaboration between Alphabet Soup Books and Fremantle Press. The book is sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Tickets to this event are free but essential (numbers are limited).

DATE: Saturday 16 March, 2024
WHEN: 3-5pm
WHERE: State Library of WA, Perth CBD
AGES: all ages
TICKETS: FREE, bookings essential

Sally Tinker is back … in full colour!

Sally Tinker, the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve, is back!

She first appeared in my debut graphic novel – Brobot – released in 2016. The book was printed in black and white and just 112 pages long. Three sequels followed: Dungzilla, Gastronauts and Chickensaurus – each longer and more ambitious than the last – plus some full-colour short stories in The School Magazine. And that was it … or so I thought.

Then the wonderful team at Fremantle Press said, “Hey James … how about we rerelease the Sally Tinker comics in full colour?”

My instant and highly professional reply was, “heck yes!”

Then I looked at my diary and saw how busy I was already. I wouldn’t have time to colour them in. “Oh bottom,” I exclaimed in measured tones.

So Fremantle said, “what if we get some artists to help?”

And I remarked, “that’s a flippin’ excellent idea!”

So Freo asked an up-and-coming artist called Paulina Gamez to do the colouring, and the ever brilliant Rebecca Mills to redesign the covers. I reformatted the School Magazine stories to fit inside the new editions. And before we knew it, we had four revamped and beefed up graphic novels to release!

First up is Brobot on April 3rd, followed by Gastronauts on June 1st. Both feature new covers and extra stories. (No official release dates on the colour editions of Dungzilla or Chickensaurus, but rest assured they’re in the works). If you enjoyed Secret Agent Mole then you should love these comics too!

Pre-order your copies at the links below.

Brobot: now in colour!

Published by Fremantle Press, 3rd April 2024.
ISBN: 9781760993115 (paperback)

Buy online:

🌏 *signed copIES* – PAPER BIRD

🇦🇺 🇳🇿 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

Gastronauts: now in colour!

Published by Fremantle Press, 1st June 2024.
ISBN: 9781760993122 (paperback)

Buy online:

🌏 *signed copies* – paper bird

🇦🇺 🇳🇿 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

Secret Agent Mole book 3 is almost here

It’s not an April Fools’ prank … Secret Agent Mole book 3: Dr Nude is coming on April 1st.

Here’s the official blurb:

Dr Nude’s anti-gravity Doomsday Device is ready to blow. Max and the team have to stop it or the entire Earth could be split in two … and then they’ll never get their secret agent licences!

But first, our heroes need to sneak into a fancy-dress party. Will they have good disguises? You bet. Will the disguises work? Probably not, no. Is Max prepared for what he’ll find in Dr Nude’s lair? Goodness no. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure you’ll be prepared either, dear reader. You have been warned.

Time to rock and mole!

Hats off to the brilliant Hannah Janzen for the epic cover design, to my wonderful editor Laura Sieveking, and to the whole Scholastic Australia team. I’m so proud of how this series has turned out!⁠

Pre-order Secret Agent Mole book 3:

🌏 *SIGNED COPies* – PAPER BIRD

🇦🇺 🇳🇿 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

🇦🇺 🇳🇿 BOOKTOPIA

🇦🇺 QBD

🌏 DYMOCKS

Secret Agent Mole, now available in the UK

That’s right! Max Mole and the team are reporting for duty in the home of James Bond – the United Kingdom.

It’s the very first time I’ve had one of my books picked up by a UK publisher and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Big thanks to Scholastic UK.

Please share the news with your friends and family abroad!

You can find Secret Agent Mole: Goldfish-Finger at the following UK stores:

Secret Agent Mole book 2 out now!

It’s official … Secret Agent Mole book 2: The Boar Identity is now in bookshops.

Freo book launch

We launched the book in secret agent style this past Saturday. Thanks to the incredible staff at Paper Bird Books in Fremantle for hosting; to the 99 to my 86, Renae Hayward, for prepping the snacks; and to all who braved the wild and wooly weather to come celebrate with me.