Mike Lucas (Author) Originally from the UK, Mike moved with his family to Adelaide in 2010. He started his writing career writing funny poetry anthologies and visiting schools and libraries to encourage children to create their own silly rhymes. He has had work published in various magazines and anthologies. In 2017, Mike published his first picture book, Olivia's Voice, which became a Notable in the 2018 CBCA Awards, followed by Vanishing and Nothing's Perfect. As well as being a writer, Mike also owns a bookshop in Adelaide, Shakespeare's Bookshop in Blackwood. In 2017, he was the lead organiser of the first ever Adelaide Festival of Children's Books. For five days a week Mike works as an engineer and has very little time for sleep. Daron Parton (Illustrator) Award-winning New Zealand illustrator Daron Parton was born in the UK, married a Kiwi and moved to New Zealand in 1995. He has been working as an illustrator since 1990 and is also an illustration tutor at Auckland University of Technology. Daron's books include The Ultimate Survival Guide to Monsters Under Your Bed and A Crocodile in the Family.
Lucas cleverly includes details that can lead to broader conversations (a line about fitting insulation might spark a discussion about the environmental impacts of our homes), while Daron Parton's illustrations offer delightful details [...]--WA [PRINT], The West Australian, [AUDIENCE: 205,782, ASR: AUD 564] ...while the brilliant pictures give a real sense of being on the go in this exciting project.--QLD [PRINT] Toowoomba Chronicle A perfect book for budding engineers and those children interested in working in the building trade, or for those who just like to build.--NATIONAL [ONLINE] Glam Adelaide A step-by-step look at how a house is constructed from digging the foundations and laying the bricks through to fitting the drains and painting the walls.--NATIONAL [PRINT], Good Reading Magazine, [AUDIENCE: 8,000, ASR: AUD 1,667] Forget wooden blocks, engineer Mike Lucas talks kids through the real thing with bright, engaging illustrations.--Carina Bruce, VIC [PRINT], Herald Sun, [AUDIENCE: 306,571, ASR: AUD 3,265] This is a simple but clever read-aloud picture book moving step by step, page by page through the process of building a house.--REVIEW [PRINT], Sunday Telegraph, [AUDIENCE: 378,449, ASR: AUD 7,191.5]