Castlemaine artist and children’s book illustrator, Liz Duthie, is celebrating the fact that her first professionally published picture book, Wombat, has been listed among Children’s Book Council of Australia notable books for 2022.
Established in 1946, the CBCA presents awards annually to books of literary and artistic merit, for outstanding contribution to Australian children’s literature.
Selection as a ‘notable’ book is the first step towards being recognised as CBCA Book of the Year. The CBCA will announce its shortlist for the awards on March 29, and the winner and honour books will be announced in August.
Wombat, written by established author Christopher Cheng and published in 2021 by Walker Books Australia, was nominated for a CBCA Eve Pownall Award, which recognises books that have the prime intention of documenting factual material with consideration given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style.
This honour follows a commendation in the 2021 Children’s Zoology Category for the prestigious Royal Zoological Society of NSW Whitely Awards, awarded annually for outstanding publications that profile the unique wildlife of the Australasian region.
“I am so honored and excited that Wombat has been recognised in these special awards,” Duthie said.
“It was a huge amount of work, but I loved every minute of it, and it was an amazing opportunity.”
Wombat was published in July last year as a hardback and will be released this month as a paperback in most bookshops.
