Alison Lester facts for kids

Alison Jean Lester AM (born 17 November 1952) is a famous Australian writer and artist. She has created more than 25 children's picture books. She also wrote two novels for young adults, called The Quickstand Pony and The Snow Pony. In 2005, Alison won a big award, the Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book, for her book Are We There Yet?: A Journey Around Australia. Her books are loved by children all around the world.

Early Life and Learning

Alison Lester was born in Foster, Victoria, Australia. She grew up on a farm that looked out over the ocean. She went to St Margaret's School in Berwick, Victoria. She lived there as a boarder, which means she stayed at the school. Later, she studied at the Melbourne Teachers' College. She earned a special diploma to teach arts and crafts to high school students.

Her Career as a Writer and Artist

Alison Lester taught for a while after college. Then, she started her own family and began writing books. She also worked as an illustrator, drawing pictures for books, for five years. Her very first book was published in 1986.

Alison Lester's gallery and bookshop in Fish Creek

Today, Alison Lester lives and works in South Gippsland, Victoria. She has her own gallery and bookshop in a town called Fish Creek.

She often visits primary schools to talk to students. Her picture books mix exciting imaginary worlds with everyday life. They encourage children to believe in themselves. Her stories also help kids celebrate what makes each person special and different.

Key Moments in Her Career

Alison Lester started illustrating children's books in 1979. In 1985, she wrote her first book, Clive Eats Alligators. For many years, she continued writing and illustrating. She also showed her artwork in different galleries.

She has traveled a lot for her work. In 1993, she was a guest speaker at a big conference in Manila. In 1999, she was a writer-in-residence at a school in Singapore. She also visited Auckland, Bologna, Boston, Seoul, and Tokyo to talk about her books.

A very special experience for Alison was traveling to Antarctica in 2005. She went as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow. This trip was for a project called "Kids Antarctic Art." She also went back to Antarctica in 2007 as a visual artist. In 2007, she traveled to the Arctic too, around Spitsbergen. These trips inspired her art and stories.

Her Books

Alison Lester has written a popular series of picture books about seven children. Each book is about one child and their favorite things. These books are loved by many young children. They have been printed in many different languages. Some titles in this series include: When Frank Was Four, Tessa Snaps Snakes, Rosie Sips Spiders, Clive Eats Alligators, Ernie Dances To The Didgeridoo, and Celeste Sails to Spain.

Some of her other well-known books are Imagine, The Journey Home, "Kissed by the Moon", Noni the Pony, and Magic Beach. Her novels for young adults, The Quicksand Pony and The Snow Pony, became best-sellers in Australia.

Awards and Special Recognition

Alison Lester's books have won many awards and honors.

• Her book Clive Eats Alligators was praised in the Australian Picture Book of the Year Awards in 1986.
• Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo was a finalist for the same award in 2000.
• The Journey Home was also honored by judges in 1990.
• Her novel, The Quicksand Pony, was named a CBCA Notable Book in 1997.
• In 2005, she won the Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book for Are We There Yet? A Journey Around Australia.
• From 2011 to 2013, she was the first Australian Children's Laureate. This is a special role to promote reading for children.
• She received the Dromkeen Medal in 2016 for her contributions to children's literature.
• In 2018, she won the Melbourne Prize for Literature, which is a big award.
• Alison Lester became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2019. This is a high honor in Australia.
• In 2019, her book Trick's Bad Day won the Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood.