All Aboard!

About the Author

Jackie French AM is an author, historian, ecologist and honorary wombat, part time. She has written over 300 books, with over 100 awards and shortlistings in Australia and overseas. Some of her books have been bestsellers and others have been eaten by the wombats. She has been Senior Australian of the Year, Australian Children's Laureate, Australian Literacy Ambassador, and is an Adjunct Professor of the University of Queensland in 'any area you want to be' because she works in so many fields. As well as successfully campaigning to change the way young people are taught to read and preserving authors' and publishers' copyright, she works with literacy programmes in Australia and overseas and has set up a conservation reserve in the valley that is her home, for the wombats and many endangered species. The wombats were not grateful. Wombats never are. She is still not dead. Jackie also really loves trains, and Central Station. You can contact Jackie on Facebook: @jackiefrenchauthor, X: @jackie_french and her website: www.jackiefrench.com

Martina Heiduczek grew up in a small village on the Baltic Sea in Germany. Here you could find her galloping with flying pigtails through the forests on her Shetland pony, drawing or reading. These days she lives in Australia and works as an illustrator. Her illustrations are a mixture of digital and traditional media. With a passion for colour and textures, she aims to create happy images to evoke emotion and thought in young and old minds alike. She has received numerous awards for her books, including, What do you call your grandma? (2022 CBCA shortlisted in Early Childhood category), We Are Wolves (2021 Winner ABDA Best Designed Children's Fiction Book), What do you call your grandpa? (2021 CBCA Notable Book) and Duck, Apple, Egg (2020 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards shortlisted in Birth to 3 Years category). You can contact Martina on her website: www.martinaheiduczek.com and Instagram: @martina_illustrates