Aaron Blabey facts for kids

Aaron Blabey (born 1 January 1974) is a super popular Australian author. He writes and illustrates amazing books for kids. Before becoming a famous author, he was also an actor!

Aaron Blabey is known for creating three best-selling book series. These include Pig the Pug, The Bad Guys, and Thelma the Unicorn. His books are loved by millions of readers around the world.

As of late 2022, Aaron Blabey has about 35 million books in print. His books have spent over 120 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. That's a really long time!

Who is Aaron Blabey?

Aaron Blabey was born in Bendigo, Australia, on January 1, 1974. He married Kirstie Hutton in April 2000. They have two sons.

Aaron also supports The Alannah and Madeline Foundation. This group works to keep children safe from violence.

From Actor to Author

Before he started writing children's books, Aaron Blabey was an actor. He appeared in many TV shows and movies during the 1990s and early 2000s. He even won an award for his acting in a TV show called The Damnation of Harvey McHugh in 1994. He stopped acting in 2005.

After acting, Aaron focused on painting for a few years. He had six art shows across Australia between 2004 and 2006.

Starting His Writing Journey

In 2006, Aaron decided to write children's picture books. His first book, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, came out in 2007. This book won an award from the Children's Book Council of Australia in 2008. It was also recognized by the Smithsonian Institution.

His second book, Sunday Chutney, was also very popular. It was shortlisted for an award in 2009. Another book, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, won several awards too. It was even chosen by musician Nick Cave to be recorded for a story website!

Aaron's book The Dreadful Fluff won an award for its amazing cover design. His book The Brothers Quibble was read by over 500,000 children at the same time in 2015.

His Amazing Book Series

Meet Pig the Pug

Pig the Pug is a picture book series about a dog who is a bit rude and selfish. The first book was a big hit in Australia. It has been translated into many languages and sold worldwide.

The series includes many books like Pig the Fibber, Pig the Winner, and Pig the Elf. These books have sold millions of copies, especially in the USA and Australia. The final book in the series, Pig the Rebel, came out in 2022.

The Magical Thelma the Unicorn

Thelma the Unicorn is another popular picture book. It's about a simple pony who dreams of becoming a unicorn. This book, along with its sequel The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, has also sold millions of copies.

Guess what? Netflix made an animated musical movie based on Thelma the Unicorn! It came out on May 17, 2024. Aaron Blabey helped make the movie as an executive producer.

The Hilarious Bad Guys

In 2015, Aaron Blabey released the first books in his graphic novel series, The Bad Guys. This funny series is about a group of scary-looking animals. They are Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha. They try to change their bad reputations by doing good deeds.

The Bad Guys became a #1 best-seller on The New York Times list in 2019. By December 2022, over 25 million Bad Guys books were in print worldwide.

The Bad Guys Movie!

DreamWorks Animation turned The Bad Guys into an animated movie! It premiered in the United States on April 22, 2022. The movie had famous actors like Sam Rockwell and Awkwafina.

Aaron Blabey was an executive producer for the movie. It was a huge success, opening at #1 at the U.S. box office. It was also one of the highest-earning animated films of 2022.

A special holiday show called "A Very Bad Holiday" was released on Netflix in November 2023. And there's more good news! A sequel to The Bad Guys movie is planned for August 1, 2025.

New Series: Cat On The Run

In 2022, Aaron Blabey announced a new book series called Cat On The Run. The first book, Cat of Death!, came out in 2023. This series is set in the same world as The Bad Guys. It's about the world's most famous cat video star. She tries to prove she's innocent after being framed for a crime.

Awards and Recognition

Aaron Blabey has won many awards for his work:

• 1994: Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a TV Drama.
• 2008: Children's Book of the Year Award for Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley.
• 2012: White Ravens Award for The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
• 2012-2015: Ambassador for The Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
• 2013: Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature for The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
• 2013: Best Designed Children's Cover of the Year for The Dreadful Fluff.
• 2016: INDIE books award for Best Children's Book for The Bad Guys.

List of Books

Aaron Blabey has written and illustrated many books. Here are some of his popular ones:

• Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley (2007)
• Sunday Chutney (2008)
• The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon (2011)
• The Dreadful Fluff (2012)
• Noah Dreary (2013)
• The Brothers Quibble (2014)
• Pig The Pug series (starting 2014)
• Thelma the Unicorn series (starting 2015)
• The Bad Guys series (starting 2015)
• Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas (2015)
• I Need A Hug (2015)
• Don't Call Me Bear (2016)
• Busting! (2017)
• Guff (2017)
• Cat On The Run in Cat of Death! (2023)