Jo van der Borgh grew up in South East London and spent most of her holidays on the Atlantic coast of South West Ireland in walking boots and boats. She has always had a passion for nonsense poetry and moral tales and when her job in the commercial world of property lost its appeal she packed it in to pursue a Masters in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature at Kingston University. She loves playing with language and will always find inspiration in the wild scenery of Ireland which she has since introduced to her husband and two children and continues to visit every year. Jo still lives in Greater London and is very excited to be publishing her first picture book with a friend from school, the wonderfully talented illustrator, Jo Beasley. Jo Beasley grew up in England and worked as a graphic designer before going backpacking around Australia in the nineties and ending up in New Zealand. She now lives in Auckland where she works as a freelance illustrator. Jo has two grown-up children and an utterly spoilt dog and cat. She is mad about animals and animal welfare and loves long walks through the bush with her dog Winnie. She keeps a watercolour sketchbook on the go for capturing the simple beauty in her everyday life. Jo can be found on instagram @jobeasleyillustration
A lighthearted tale with an important, pointed message. * Kirkus Reviews * The Terrakeet is a story of how legends are made, monsters are created and how bravery can lead you to unexpected friendships. I expect this book to be on high rotation in families and school where wordplay and kindness are important. -- Marie Alafaci * Magpie Magazine * The message of being afraid of those we do not know bears repeating, and this delivers the message with a bit of spine-tingling fear at the story’s beginning, followed by a welcome denouement. * School Library Journal *