"What should my resolution for 2026 be?", I mulled as I cooked dinner last week. *Relentless Positivity* were the words that flashed in my mind. Not being an optimist by nature, I was somewhat excited by the prospect of experimenting with a different mental mode for the ensuring 12 months but then, I read the news ... It's not going to be easy, I realised. The world events inspired me to get clinical about positive thinking; what it means in practice and how to deal with a mi

Watch our latest podcast exploring ideas, inspirations and creativity What is the source of ideas and creativity? "Where do your ideas come from?" This is one of the most common questions Darren and I (and no many other creatives) get asked. The motivations tend to vary. Aspiring or practising creatives are always curious to learn and perhaps get inspired through the approach others take, while the audience are usually interested in getting deeper insights into works they lik

I remember reading a case study on Madonna at university. Believe it or not, this was for my Master's Degree in Commerce …   The central theme was that Madonna was one of the few pop music stars who had managed to carve out a decades long career in what is usually a fiercely trendy and youth oriented scene. This was due to one thing that Madonna did better than any other pop singer at the time: Every ten years or so, she completely reinvented herself.   I remember saying to m

A strange thing has been transpiring across the beaches in the Eastern Suburbs these past two years...

Willow the Wonderer gets a first look at his new home for the next four months! When was the last time you wrote a letter? A handwritten letter that is sealed in an envelope and sent on its way with a stamp? I can't recall either ... The rise of emails and messaging services have been slowly but surely putting an end to the art and business of letters. But just as pundits were calling the demise of the Post Office, these age-old institutions found a new calling: eCommerce. Th

Book Week has arrived! This is a week long celebration of children's books and reading. One of the most cherished events of Book Week tends to be the Children's Book Character Parade. It can also be one that has parents reaching for the panic button, especially if the school note about the event has been languishing at the bottom of the backpack and only handed in the weekend before (true story). Last year, much to our delight, we heard from two parents who had to tackle Wil

Let me state it right at the start - The trope we refuse to repeat in children's storybooks is: Boy meets girl - they fall in love - and they live happily ever after…   Replace the genders as you please ... but you get the gist. This trope is not only common but also persistent and pervasive - in books and across every popular art form like movies, music/songs, etc. Prefer to watch a video of this blog? Click or scroll to end. What's behind its enduring appeal? Let's be hones

Guess what the postie delivered a few days ago? We weren't quite sure ourselves when the tightly wrapped parcel arrived a few mornings ago, which added nicely to the excitement of unwrapping the mystery box. We weren't disappointed either; nestled within countless layers of cardboard and padding were the advance copies of the bilingual - Simplified Chinese and English - edition of Willow the Wonderer picture books! Bilingual Simplified Chinese and English Edition of Willow t

Willow the Wonderer now comes with its own 'Early Childhood Learning Hub' The wonderful world of Willow the Wonderer just became even brighter today with the launch of our " Early Childhood Learning Hub ". First Reading of Willow the Wonderer at the Crescent Head Playgroup. Photo credit: Susan Snape The Early Childhood Learning Hub contains a wide array of learning guides and teaching resources to accompany our Willow the Wonderer picture books, which not only impart seeds o