Yesterday was a wonderful day.

While awaiting the imminent birth of my third child (any day now) I decided to take a hike on the Bay Walk in Sydney’s Inner West.  (My mum had called me the day before and mentioned that a long walk around Centennial Park had kicked off her labor with my sister forty-something years ago.)  It was a glorious day, the sun was shining, my eight-year-old was charging ahead on her bike, my three-year-old resting contentedly in the pram and even though I am currently the size of a whale, I was very much enjoying getting some exercise and fresh air with the family.

So when a text arrived from my illustrator Leigh Hedstrom, with a link to the ‘just announced’ CBCA Book of the Year Notables list, I tried not to get too excited.  It’s probably just a link relating to a mutual friend, I told myself, or perhaps one of Leigh’s books with another author…

So it was a wonderful and much unexpected surprise to see that our latest collaboration, Emily Eases her Wheezes had made the ‘Notables’ list in the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, alongside 15 other beautiful new Australian books.  It was also pleasing to hear that the CBCA President commented that the category was particularly strong this year.  We were listed alongside books by the major publishers like Penguin, Walker Books and Allen & Unwin.

Congratulations to all the other authors who made the Shortlist and the Notables list.

As expected, many of Australia’s favourite authors and illustrators are there: Jackie French, Margaret Wild, Libby Gleeson, Alison Lester, Aaron Blabey, Freya Blackwood, Robert Ingpen and Stephen Michael King, but a special mention should go to new authors such as Clare Atkins and Lesley Gibbes – what an incredible achievement for them!  Congrats!

You can see the full CBCA Book of the Year, 2015 list here.