Special thanks to Jackie French for answering 5 questions about her recently featured book – Diary of a Wombat

Jackie French is the Australian National Children’s Laureate for 2014 and 2015. She is also an historian, ecologist, dyslexic, and a passionate worker for literacy, the right of all children to be able to read, and the power of books. Jackie’s writing career spans 25 years, 148 wombats, over 140 books, 36 languages, 3,721 bush rats, and over 60 awards in Australia and overseas. – From Jackie’s Homepage

Jackie’s Homepage: http://www.jackiefrench.com

#1 – What is the background behind Diary of a Wombat? What led you to writing this story? & #2 – What research into wombats did you to do to characterise your main character, Mothball?

I’ve studied wombat ecology for 40 years. Mothball in Diary is based closely on a real wombat, as are the other books though Christmas wombat is supposition: what would happen….

#3 – How do children in countries other than Australia respond to Diary of a Wombat?

We have been amazed how many cultures understand about a small stroppy animal. It is in over 30 translations so far.

#4 – From feedback from children/parents – do you think people have different perceptions of wombats from your book?

From my work with wombat research I’ve found that few people know much about wombats; that most preconceptions are inaccurate- including some of those in the field of wildlife.

#5 – Are you working on any new projects/books you can tell us about?

You may also enjoy The Hairy Nosed Wombats Find a New Home with Sue Degenarro,  or The Secret World of Wombats. You’ll also find photos and much more information on the web site www.jackiefrench.com

[Image Credit: http://www.jackiefrench.com ]