How to Make a Bird

Meg McKinlay grew up in Bendigo, Victoria, in a book-loving, TV- and car-free household. A poet as well as a children’s writer, Meg developed an affinity with the Japanese language after going on an exchange year in high school, and went on to complete a PhD in Japanese Literature. Along the way, she worked a variety of jobs including swim instructor, tour guide, translator and teacher. These days, she lives with her family near the ocean in Fremantle, Western Australia, and is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Western Australia, where she has taught Australian Literature, Japanese, and Creative Writing. Meg divides her time between teaching and writing, a balance that swings wildly between chaos and calm. She is always busy cooking up more books and you can visit her on the web at www.megmckinlay.com

Matt Ottley has illustrated many books including the critically acclaimed CBC honour book, Luke’s Way of Seeing. He is passionate about wildlife, in particular snakes and spends all of his spare time trying to educate people about Australia’s wildlife. He lives in northern NSW. This is his first book with Lothian.