A few years ago Astred Hicks visited The Book Cow and gifted us some exquisite window art for the launch of Swifty: The Super-Fast Parrot. We are very excited to welcome Astred back to kick off Book Week celebrations and the launch of her new book, This Bird, Spotting Birds that Share Our Urban Spaces! Astred will begin her artwork at 9am and you are welcome to come by and observe her in action. She will finish drawing around 12pm when we'll have a book chat and signing. We look forward to seeing you!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Discover the birds that share our urban spaces.

What’s so fancy about this bird? What’s so clever about that bird? Perhaps it’s a weightlifter, a marathon flier, an artist, or even a liar.

You don’t need to go far to see intriguing birds, even in the city. From colourful parrots to artistic bowerbirds and fancy fairy-wrens, there’s lots to notice in our local backyards, streets and parks.

Written by Astred Hicks in collaboration with bird scientist Dr Holly Parsons, and featuring Astred’s distinctive and engaging illustrations, This Bird features fun facts about some remarkable Australian native birds and hints on where (and how) to find them!

Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 6 to 12.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

"Charming, eye-catching, fresh and informative. This Bird explores iconic Australian birds as well as some of the more overlooked species, sharing fun facts and important stories as they go."
– Sami Bayly, author of The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals

"Sometimes experienced birders can forget what first sparked our interest in birds. This beautiful book is a delightful reminder of the wonder that birds inspire in us. It finds the sublime in the everyday encounters we have with these endlessly fascinating creatures that we can see literally right outside our windows."
– Sean Dooley, BirdLife Australia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR

Astred Hicks is a publishing triple threat. She is a best-selling illustrator, highly awarded book designer and emerging author who has worked for Australian and international publishing houses with a particular focus on mid-grade fiction and children’s non-fiction. Most recently, she was awarded the Honour Book in the 2023 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards for Evie and Rhino, she won the Best Designed Children’s Book award in the Australian Book Design Awards for No Words and was shortlisted for the 2022 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards in Children’s Fiction for Exit Through the Gift Shop.