'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Monday 10 June 2013

Congratulations Hazel Edwards!

Hazel Edwards, author of the beloved Hippopotamus picture books, has been awarded an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) in the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Hazel is an award-winning author of more than 200 picture books as well as children's, young adult and non-fiction books including:

  • There’s a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Cake
  • My Hippopotamus is on our Caravan Roof Getting Sunburnt
  • Antarctic Dad
  • Stickybeak
  • Seiko the Watchdog
  • Professor Fred Hollows (Aussie Heroes)
  • F2m The Boy Within
  • The Mindreading Chook (Sleuth Astrid #1) (KBR review here)
  • Antarctic Writer on Ice
  • Authorpreneurship: The Business of Creativity

In addition to her diverse writing interests, Hazel is involved in numerous educational, mentoring and support roles within the literary community and elsewhere. These include:

  • Vision Australia’s ‘Feelix’ kits for blind pre-schoolers, since 2003.
  • Involved with the Visual Storytelling Resources Project, Victorian College for the Deaf developing Auslan versions of several titles.
  • Judge/Mentor, Tournament of Minds, since 1986; for gifted students.
  • Visiting Guest Author, The Royal Children's Hospital, Westmead Hospital and Mudgeeraba
  • Special School, Queensland.
  • Speaker at literary festivals and overseas events including the American Library (Paris),
  • Montessori School (Kathmandu, Nepal), Toronto Library (Canada), the Beijing University and Nanjing (both China). 


We have been delighted to have Hazel as a frequent visitor here at Kids’ Book Review in the past:

You can find out more about Hazel’s books, non-boring writer’s workshops, online mentoring for writers and other activities by visiting the Hazel Edwards: An Australian author website.

Congratulations Hazel and thank you for the wonderful contribution you make to the Australian literary community.