Who is Jackie French?
Jackie French is an Australian author of more than 200 books for children and adults, best known for Diary of a Wombat, a 2002 picture book illustrated by Bruce Whatley. She was Australian Children's Laureate in 2014 and 2015.
Diary of a Wombat tells, in a wombat's own words, about her days of sleeping, eating and scratching, and her campaign to train the humans who move in nearby to give her carrots. It became an international bestseller.
French lives in the Araluen Valley in New South Wales, where wombats and other wildlife share her land, inspiring many of her stories. She has also written widely about gardening and the environment.
History and dyslexia
Her historical novels, such as Hitler's Daughter and the Matilda Saga series, bring Australian and world history to young readers. Hitler's Daughter won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year for younger readers.
French has dyslexia and has spoken widely about overcoming it, encouraging children who struggle with reading. As Children's Laureate, she promoted reading for all children.
She was named Senior Australian of the Year in 2015, recognising her work in literacy and children's books.
Did You Know?
Diary of a Wombat has been translated into many languages and led to several sequels about the same wombat, Mothball.