28 February, 2011

Congratulations!

A fantastic win for Shaun Tan!

He is taking home an Oscar in the category of Best Animated Short Film in today's Academy Awards.
His film was based on his very popular children's book, The Lost Thing.



Shaun Tan is an outstanding artist and deserves all the acclaim he receives now and in the future.
He inspires many, many new and established illustrators and artists with his superb work..

Grandpa Baby

How exciting to see a copy of the Portuguese edition of a favourite book of mine, Grandpa Baby!
Here is the cover.


And the title page...



Written by Margaret Wild and illustrated by me, this Portuguese edition is published by Editora Fundamento, Brazil.

22 February, 2011

12 February, 2011

The Bandicoot

The sweet bandicoot is a small Australian marsupial whose varieties are unfortunately in decline. They have fallen prey to domestic cats, foxes and dogs. Once they were commonly found in suburban gardens foraging for slugs, worms, snails and other pests. They have been known to add a little meat to their diets when in captivity.

The Long-nosed Bandicoot is found in Eastern Australia and this is the type I chose to illustrate in a light-hearted way for my book The Drover's Dream, published in 1979.

Illustration Deborah Niland:  The Drover's Dream  (Collins 1979)



These days the bandicoot is a protected species. Let's hope the numbers will increase, especially the particular varieties that are endangered.

Illustration Deborah Niland:  The Drover's Dream (Collins 1979)