Peter Carnavas
Peter Carnavas writes and illustrates stories for children. He has created over twenty books, many of which have been shortlisted or won awards. His work has been translated into many languages across the world and he has presented at many festivals and schools around Australia.
Peter’s first book,Jessica’s Box, was released in 2008, while he was working as a primary school teacher. Many picture books followed, includingLast Tree in the City,The Children Who Loved BooksandBlue Whale Blues. During these years, he also worked with other authors, most notably as illustrator for Damon Young’s series of children’s books.
After focusing on picture books for nearly a decade, Peter released his first novel,The Elephant, in 2017. The story, about a young girl and an elephant that nobody else can see, was shortlisted for five national awards and won the Children’s Book Award at the Queensland Literary Awards.The Elephant has since been sold to over ten territories across the world.
My Brother Ben, a novel about brothers, birds and boats, was released in 2021. The book was shortlisted in several national awards, was named a CBCA Notable Book and won a NSW Premier’s Literary Award, as well as a Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year award.
Peter’s third novel,Leo and Ralph, tells the story of Leo and his best friend, an imaginary alien called Ralph.Leo and Ralphwas awarded an Australian Book Industry Award and the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Children’s Literature.
In 2026, Peter releasedKid, a novel about a young goat who discovers the meaning of family.
Peter lives in Brisbane/Meanjin with his family.
Thank you for hosting me at your school. The following is a list of details which will be helpful for you leading up to my visit.
Session times
I deliver 4 x 45min presentations or 3 x 1hr presentations in a school day. The session times can be decided by the school, according to what fits with the regular timetable. I aim to arrive 45 minutes before the first presentation.
Grouping
My presentations are designed for all primary levels and the students may be grouped as conveniently as possible for the school and the school timetable. It makes sense to have children of similar age in the same sessions (eg. P-1, 2-3, 4-6) however I understand if this cannot be arranged. I tailor each session to suit the children’s age but I have also presented to many mixed age groups as well.
Group sizes
A standard session size is somewhere between 50 and 100 students but this can be negotiated to suit the school. Just let me know if you’d like to fit more in.
Space
Any space that comfortably fits the children is fine. Some of the new school halls are wonderful but the really big ones feel a little more suited to a basketball match than an author visit. Having said that, whatever works for the school will be fine with me.
Requirements – students
Every student should arrive with:
- lead pencil
- paper (A4 sheet or sketchpad)
- something to lean the paper on (eg. book, folder, clipboard)
Requirements – Pete
- old-fashioned whiteboard (I use this a lot)
- table/desk to put things on out the front
- data projector (I bring my presentations on USB or laptop as backup)
Do teachers need to stay?
Yes. Students always get more out of the sessions when teachers stay and, even better, participate in the sessions. This enables teacher-students conversations and activities to follow later on. Also, some of the content is subtly aimed at teachers, too.
Aim of presentation
My aim is to get children excited about books – reading them, writing them, illustrating them and talking about them. I also hope they learn a bunch of concepts and techniques associated with putting a story together.
Presentation Outline
(Most sessions follow a similar structure but are adapted to age groups)
- Telling Stories with Pictures - A fun and interactive introduction to the ways in which pictures tell stories, told through live cartooning.
- Story Ideas – Quick and simple ways to think of your own story ideas, focusing on characters and problems.
- Draw a picture – Step-by-step demonstration of how to draw a picture, then turn it into an illustration. Everyone can do it – it’s just circles, lines and dots!
- Let’s read! – A reading of one of Peter’s books.
- Making a book – the steps taken to make a book, including ideas, roughs and storyboards.
- Questions – What car do you drive and how much money do you make?
Testimonials
Wow, what a fantastic and engaging speaker Peter Carnavas was! Our students really enjoyed the mix of "author stuff" and "illustrator stuff" that he brought to the session, and all afternoon I had teachers across all stages telling me how fantastic he was. It's very clear that he comes from a teaching background. He gave students clear instructions, and had the perfect level of student interaction to keep them interested. I'm keen to use some of his creative writing games with my students in library lessons in the future. Ever since he visited, his books have been flying off the shelves. Would highly recommend to any school!
Campsie Public School - September, 2026Peter Carnavas was a highlight of Brisbane Grammar School’s Book Week celebrations this year, captivating an audience of more than 220 students and parents at the Book Week Breakfast. His engaging and insightful presentation perfectly complemented the CBCA theme, A Symphony of Stories, as he shared his journey as an author and illustrator and celebrated the power of reading and storytelling.
Peter also spent time with the Year 5 and 6 cohorts, taking students behind the scenes of the creative process and demonstrating how stories are built from simple ideas into compelling narratives. His interactive and enthusiastic approach inspired students to think creatively and embrace their own storytelling potential.
The impact of Peter’s visit has extended well beyond Book Week itself. Students and parents continue to talk about his warmth, humour and creativity, and his visit has left a lasting impression on our reading community. Peter's passion for stories helped make this year's Book Week celebrations truly memorable.
Brisbane Grammar School - August, 2026We booked Peter to visit because we were reading his book Leo and Ralph as part of our reading program. Both the teachers and students were full of praise for his sessions. They particularly enjoyed hearing about character development and learning how to transform an ordinary idea into an exceptional story.
Peter shared how he uses illustrations and contrasting words to create unique and engaging characters. Students loved learning how to draw simple characters and then use descriptive language to develop both their characters and story settings. His presentation was inspiring, creative, and highly engaging, leaving students excited to apply what they had learned in their own writing.
Coomera Anglican College - August, 2026Pete Carnavas is the consummate professional. We cannot recommend him highly enough. His willingness to be part of the fun of our Symphony of Stories Saturday was the stuff of legend. Beyond that his presentations to Year 3-6 at the Rockhampton South Library the following Monday to Thursday covered all aspects of story development and illustration. These presentations were followed by sessions working with a quartet of RYO musicians to tell the story of his novel 'Leo and Ralph' through music. Students from all schools were enthralled.
Rockhampton Youth Orchestra Inc - August, 2026Peter kept the students very engaged by telling his stories and including the students in his story telling. Peter's calm manner ensures students remain focused and take away new knowledge about writing stories. They especially loved hearing about Peter's new book and seeing the process and decisions that need to be made.. title, colours etc
Buddina State School - May, 2026
My Sister is a Superhero
My Totally Awesome Story
My Mum is a Magician
My Dad is a Dragon
My Brother is a Beast
My Brother Ben
Leo and Ralph
Jump and shout!
A Quiet Girl
The Elephant
The Last Tree in the City
Jessicas Box
The Important Things
The Great Expedition
Sarah's Heavy Heart
Mr Darcy
The Children Who Loved Books
Mr Darcy; The Dancing Duck
The Boy on the Page
My Nanna Is A Ninja
Jonathan
Oliver and George
My Pop is a Pirate
What's In My Lunchbox
Mr Darcy and the Christmas Pudding
Blue Whale Blues
Queensland
Speaker type
- Author
- Illustrator / Designer
- Cartoonist
Audience
- Prep - Year 2
- Year 3-6