scholastic – James Foley

New books for 2026

I’ve got four new titles coming out next year!

Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas

First cab off the rank – the sequel to my very silly picture book about a super chill capybara. It’s out in February through Scholastic.

Pre-order now:

🌏 SIGNED COPIES (PAPER BIRD)

🇦🇺🇳🇿 Booktopia

LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

Paw Prints: Fuzzball

This one is part of Walker Books’ Paw Prints series – junior fiction books by funny authors and illustrators. Fuzzball is written by Nathan Luff, illustrated by me! Out in April.

Pre-order now:

🌏 SIGNED COPIES (PAPER BIRD)

🇦🇺🇳🇿 BOOKTOPIA

Oh No!

This is something different for me – a funny picture book about onomatopoeia (i.e sound effects)! Out in May through Penguin.

Pre-order now:

🌏 SIGNED COPIES (PAPER BIRD)

🇦🇺🇳🇿 Booktopia

New book #4

I don’t have a cover to share with you yet, but I can tell you it’s a non-fiction follow up to my most popular book, Stellarphant. It will be my very first non-fiction book! More news on that soon.

Secret Agent Mole coming to Spain and Catalonia

In confidential spy news, my graphic novel Secret Agent Mole is now out in Spanish and Catalan!

Thanks to the Spanish and Catalonian publishers and translators – I can’t wait to see how they turned out!

Catalan edition

Published by Barcanova, 6th March 2025;
translated by Ada Gutieras
ISBN: 9788448964498

ORDER NOW (CATALAN)

Spanish edition

Published by Anaya Infantil y Juvenil, 6th March 2025;
translated by Jaime Valero Martínez
ISBN: 9788414342893

ORDER NOW (SPANISH)

Happy Barry Capybara is out now!

If you like funny, animal-based rhyming texts with added fart jokes, then boy do I have a book for you. ⁠
⁠
My new picture book – HAPPY BARRY CAPYBARA – is officially out today! ⁠

I know some people pre-ordered, or grabbed an early copy through a bookshop or Scholastic Book Fair. If you’ve already bought a copy, thanks heaps! I hope you enjoy it.

If you haven’t grabbed a copy yet, ask at your local bookshop or click the links below.

Buy Happy Barry Capybara

Out now!

🌏*Signed copIes* – PAPER BIRD

🇦🇺 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

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

April school holiday events

I’ve got three events coming up this April school holidays.

Details below!

Apr 6 – Right Way Down book celebration

Come and help celebrate the release of Right Way Down, a brand new ⁠children’s poetry collection from WA authors.

WHEN: Saturday April 6th, 10:30am
WHERE: Rankin Gardens, car Hamersley Rd and Rokeyby Rd, Subiaco, WA
BOOKINGS: FREE but required, via eventbrite.

Hear me read Stellarphant on Nova with Nathan, Nat and Shaun

Yesterday I got to hang out with Nova Perth’s breakfast team and talk about my favourite part of the year, Children’s Book Week! I also got to chat a bit about the making of Secret Agent Mole, and read Stellarphant aloud on air (with running commentary from the team – you won’t find that in an audiobook).

Thanks heaps for having me in the studio, Nathan, Nat and Shaun! And huge thanks to Chasze the tradie for helping me out when I’d left my phone at home. Champion.

Click the link below to listen to the chat.

INTERVIEW
Book Week 2023 (mp3 file)
Nova 93.7 Perth Breakfast show
with Nathan, Nat and Shaun

Declassified: Secret Agent Mole, Book 2!

I can finally reveal the next instalment in my graphic novel series, Secret Agent Mole! Book 2: The Boar Identity, is scheduled for release September 1st, 2023.

When Star Division discovers a magical meteorite with anti-gravity powers, Dr Nude will stop at nothing to get his naked little hands on it – including brainwashing a Star employee! This important mission features a secret mountain base, an exploding rocket and a flying pig with no clothes on. Can Max Mole, Helena Hippo and June Bug stop Dr Nude’s evil plans? I hope so, otherwise we’re all doomed! It’s time to Rock and Mole!

Pre-order your copy today!

Written & illustrated by James Foley

🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia/NZ edition:
Published by Scholastic Australia, 1st Sept 2023
ISBN: 9781761200168 (paperback)

🌏 *SIGNED COPIES* – PAPER BIRD

🇦🇺 🇳🇿 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

Casa Del Libro (Catalan)

Psst… There are Book Launches coming up too!

Aug 19: Sydney
Aug 26: online
Sept 2: Freo

For more details on these events, head to the blog.

It’s (nearly) time to rock and mole! Make sure you dive into Secret Agent Mole, Book 1: Goldfish-Finger before the release!

Secret Agent Mole, book 1 is declassified as of today!

My new graphic novel series Secret Agent Mole is finally out in the world as of today! Book 1: Goldfish-Finger is available wherever you get your books, (including the latest Scholastic Australia book club catalogue).

We had the WA launch last weekend at the Perth Festival family day, in the beautiful grounds of the Fremantle Arts Centre. Somehow our venue reached capacity, and we sold a massive stack of signed books! Thanks to everyone who came along. Here’s some pics from the morning.

My wife launched her new book at the festival, too; it’s called Say Hooray and it’s illustrated by Rebecca Mills. Renae and Rebecca and I were gifted with the most incredible hand-painted gingerbread biscuits made by local bookseller Kristy Diffey. Check these out:

They were almost too good to eat … almost. Thanks so much, Kristy!

A huge thanks to the team at Scholastic for making this book with me – thanks Andrew, Sharon, my editor Laura Sieveking and our brilliant designer Hannah Janzen. It’s turned out so great. Now, on to book 2!