Join children’s book author, Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrator Ingrid Bartkowiak as they uncover the perfectly peculiar world of Australian animal families with their new book Peculiar Parents.

You’ll hear some of our favourite passages about eye-catching animal antics, bountiful burrows, magnificent mums and doting dads, followed by a hands-on craft activity

There will also be a special meet and greet with animals from the Canberra Reptile Zoo!

Spaces are limited, so bookings are essential.

About Peculiar Parents

Welcome to the perfectly peculiar world of Australian animal families!

Peculiar Parents introduces us to 60 Australian animal species, focusing on all things family—picking a mate, making a home, having babies, finding food and looking after one another.

You’ll meet parrots that play the drums and cuttlefish that can change colour, as well as dancing spiders, ravelling turtles, kissing lizards, plonking pobblebonks and many more amazing Aussie animals.

About Stephanie Owen Reeder

Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder is the author of over 25 books for children and adults. She has worked as a schoolteacher, a librarian, a book editor, a university lecturer and a Hansard Editor at Federal Parliament. Stephanie has won many awards, including the CBCA Book of the Year Award and the NSW Premier’s History Award. In 2019, Stephanie was presented with the CBCA Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature. Her latest children’s books include the Heritage Heroes compilation Courageous Kids and Their Amazing Adventures and the non-fiction picture book Australia’s Wild Weird Wonderful Weather.

About Ingrid Bartkowiak

Based in Meanjin/Brisbane, Ingrid Bartkowiak is an artist and illustrator who works primarily in watercolour. Her hand-painted work features native flora, fauna and fungi. Ingrid has a fascination with all things small and intricate, from tufts of moss on a footpath to the fungi sprouting from a wombat dropping. Ingrid has worked across a diverse array of projects, including picture book illustration, murals, packaging designs and even pet portraits.