ACT Literacy Award 2026 - Winner!

Huge congratulations to author, Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrator, Ingrid Bartkowiak on winning the ACT Literary Award for

Peculiar Parents

a hardback PB, for readers aged 6-12 years, published by NLA Publishing

Peculiar Parents explores the weirdly wonderful mating and parenting behaviours of sixty Australian native animals. It won the Children's Nonfiction Award in the ACT Literary Awards 2026, run by MARION Writers.

Peculiar Parents is also shortlisted for the Eve Pownall Award in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2026 and can be purchased HERE.

New PB for Stephanie Owen Reeder and Ingrid Bartkowiak

Congratulations to author Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrator Ingrid Bartkowiak on the publication of

Peculiar Parents

a hardback non fiction picture book for ages 6-12, published by NLA Publishing

01 July 2025

Peculiar Parents explores the charmingly funny and perfectly peculiar world of 60 Aussie native animal mums and dads, including how they pick a mate, make a home, have babies, find food and look after their families.

Book Launch - Join Stephanie Owen Reeder and Ingrid Bartkowiak as they launch Peculiar Parents at 10.30 am on Saturday 5 July at the National Library in Canberra. There'll be book readings, craft activities and live animals from the Canberra Reptile Zoo!

Drum-playing parrots… I say!