Living on the edge of the woods in a small town in the U.S.A., I first starteddrawing when I was a little girl. Early visits to the library with my twin sisterSusan had librarians showing her story books to read, as she was a very giftedearly reader. While that was happening for her in the library, I was searchingfor books on how to draw and create toys and bits and pieces.Summertime activities in the nearby elementary school playground often hadcrafts to make. One of my creations was submitted into a little exhibition andtook first place! (It was a little vase made from a jar with twisted crepe paper indifferent colours showing my dad fishing under a tree beside a lake.)Later in elementary school, students were asked to paint a picture of theirfavourite holiday spot. Mine was of Lake Tahoe. It was selected to be sent forexhibition as well.I spent a lot of time daydreaming in school and, lucky for me, I followed myheart and my dreams, graduating from California State University, LongBeach with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Art.This led me to search for work in Australia, arriving here in 1974. Given acountry posting as a primary school teacher at North Richmond, N.S.W, Ifell in love with the bush, the birds and marsupials during many bush walksin the Blue Mountains. I travelled on bus-style holidays to see the Outback ofAustralia and beyond – rather a rough adventure in those days. Many yearswere spent teaching Art and Photography at many levels in the SutherlandShire of N.S.W.Spending some time as a relief teacher in Sydney’s Taronga Zoo educationalcentre teaching children about native Australian animals, their habitats, andhow to handle various creatures, led me to my familiarity with the animals andthe plight of the little Bilby. I’ve since always had a love for Bilbies. This broughtme to write a book for children, Whatever will be Bilby. This is my first book to bepublished. I hope every reader enjoys this story as much as I have writing andillustrating my favourite little marsupial, the Bilby.
