The Bird in the Herd: Shaping an Australian Farm Story

Kathryn Apel is a born-and-bred farm girl who’s scared of cows. She lives among the gum trees, kangaroos and cattle on a Queensland grazing property. Kat’s writing is a blend of humour and heart. Many of her picture books are inspired by the misadventures of life on the land. There are often cows. Kat’s books have received recognition in numerous awards, with Bully on the Bus winning the Australian Family Therapists’ Award for Children’s Literature, and awarded an American Notable Social Studies Trade Book. Kat loves pumping poetry to build writing muscle and spark creativity. 

Renée Treml has written and illustrated several picture books for very young readers, including Sleep Tight, Platypup, Ten Little Owls, and Let’s Go, Little Roo. She is the creator of the Sherlock Bones graphic novel series which highlights her love of museums and natural history, while her newest series, The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea, is based just a tiny bit on her own childhood.