Award-Winning author/illustrator of picture books:

Leaf Tail, High Above the Sea, The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay, The Hunt, Sand Swimmers, Baby Bilby Where do you Sleep?, Mermaids Most Amazing, The Very Blue Thingamajig, Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie, Home, and author of chapter book, "What a Goat!" (Solo Series), Twilight Hunt and Fox and Fine Feathers.

Many of these titles have won national awards and been distributed internationally.

Workshop Presentations

Narelle offers a range of workshops and is happy to discuss a programme tailored to meet specific requirements and outcomes. Popular programme choices are as follows:

    Picture Book Demonstrations

• For years 1-7 and secondary English/Art students
• Demonstration of process from inspiration to final publication, including - writing, editing, planning a storyboard, research, design and preparation of artwork (including a demonstration of the linoprinting process)
• 4 x 45 mins per day. Max group size: 50
• Hands-on Workshops
• Writing (focus on narrative genre) with an emphasis on effective plot structure, word choice, and storyboard planning based on non-fiction or imaginary sources.
• Illustrating workshops featuring safe "white lino" printing - no sharp tools.
• Suitable for single classes or smaller groups of students, years 3 to 7.
• Author-Illustrator in Residence
• For primary students
• A combination of picture book creation demonstrations and hands-on workshops culminating in presentation of student writing/illustrations.
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• Bachelor of Education degree (Primary and Special Education, majoring in Design and Print-making)
• Classroom teaching experience in primary and special education settings
• Tutoring/lecturing experience in Language and Children's Literature Courses offered by the Faculty of Education at the University of Southern Qld
• Fifteen years experience in conducting writing, illustrating workshops and residencies for primary, secondary and adult groups, commissioned by schools, libraries, and literature centres throughout Australia and Singapore
• May Gibbs Fellowship based at the University of Melbourne, giving guest lectures to students of Education and Fine Arts (2001)
• Original illustrations exhibited at State Library of QLD, Illustration House, QLD, Dromkeen Children's Literature Centre, VIC, Books Illustrated, VIC, Fremantle Children's Literature Centre, WA.
• Twenty years of experience in conducting writing, illustrating workshops and residencies for primary, secondary and adult groups, commissioned by schools, libraries, and literature centres throughout Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing.
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Recent/Current Projects:

Narelle's latest picture book, "Fox and Fine Feathers"  was launched by the Governor-General of Australia, Ms Quentin Bryce (August 2009) and also appeared in the Governor-General's televised Australia Day address 2010. This contemporary Australian fable has been awarded Honour Book for the 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Awards. It has also been short-listed for the 2010 Qld Premier's Literary Awards.

Narelle's recent Australian  picture book, "Home" has won multiple awards and was recently part of the first birthday celebrations of the Brisbane City Council Brisbane Square Library where it is featured as part of the interior design. "Home" also appears on the side of an inner-city loop bus.

With the assistance of a grant from the LIterature Board of the Australia Council, Narelle is experimenting with collage incorporating her favoured linocut medium along with photographic elements and cut papers for the illustrations of a new picture book for young children to be published in 2012.

AWARDS given to a selection of Narelle Oliver titles:

• Fox and Fine Feathers (2009) Honour Book: CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2010. Short-listed, Qld Premier’s Literary Awards 2010.
  
• The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay (1993) (Short-listed: CBC Picture Book of the Year 1994, Young Australian Best Book Awards 1997, Canberra's Own Outstanding List 1998; Finalist: Kids Own Australia Literature Awards 1999)
• The Hunt (1995) (Winner: CBC Picture Book of the Year 1996; Short-listed: Young Australians Best Book Awards 1996,1997, The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature 1996)
• Sand Swimmers (1999) (Short-listed: CBC Eve Pownall Awards 2000, Qld Premier's Award,2000; Winner: The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Lit. 2000, Royal Zoological Society of NSW Whitley Award 1999)
• Baby Bilby Where do you Sleep? (2001) (Honour Book: CBC Early Childhood Picture Book of the Year 2002, CBC Eve Pownall Awards 2002; Short-listed: The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature 2002)
• The Very Blue Thingamajig (2003) (Winner: BILBY Children's Choice Awards Qld 2003; Short-listed: YABBA Children's Choice Awards Vic. 2004, KOALA Children's Choice Awards NSW, ACT 2004; CBC Notable Book 2004)
• Home (2006) (Winner: Patricia Wrightson Award, NSW Premier's Literary Awards, 2007; Short-listed: CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2007; Short-listed, Qld Premier's Literary Awards 2006; Short-listed, Wilderness Society Environmental Award for Children's Literature 2007)