Briony Stewart facts for kids

Briony Stewart is an Australian writer and illustrator who creates amazing books for children. She is known for her imaginative stories and beautiful artwork.

Briony Stewart's Books

Briony Stewart has written and illustrated many popular books. Her stories often take readers on exciting adventures or help them understand big feelings.

The Kumiko Series

Briony Stewart's first book was Kumiko and the Dragon. It was published by University of Queensland Press after she won a special writing award. This book was inspired by her Japanese grandmother.

Kumiko and the Dragon won the Aurealis Award for Best Children's Short Fiction. It was also named a Notable book by the Children's Book Council of Australia in 2008.

Two more books followed, making it a trilogy (a series of three books). These were Kumiko and the Dragon's Secret (released in 2010) and Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers (released in 2011). These books continue Kumiko's fantasy journey. They also include ideas from Japanese folktales and myths. In 2012, Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers won the Queensland Literary Awards in the Children's Book category.

Picture Books and Collaborations

In 2012, Briony Stewart published her first picture book, The Red Wheelbarrow. This book was also published by University of Queensland Press. It is a wordless picture book, meaning it tells a story mostly through pictures, without many words. It was inspired by a famous poem and shows the beauty in small, everyday moments.

The Red Wheelbarrow was a notable book for the Children's Book Council of Australia. It was also chosen by the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY) for a special project. This project, called the "silent books project," was a traveling exhibition that started in Rome in 2015.

In 2014, Stewart released another picture book called Here in the Garden. This gentle book helps children understand feelings like loss and grief. After her own children were born in 2015 and 2017, Briony Stewart started working as an illustrator for other authors. She illustrated a series of three picture books written by Australian comedian Jimmy Rees.

Magoo and Other Works

Briony Stewart has also created her own picture books about a playful dog named Magoo. The first book, We Love You Magoo, won the 2021 Honour Book prize from the Children's Book Council of Australia.

She also created Accidentally Kelly Street, a picture book based on the 1993 song by the band Frente!. The book uses the song's lyrics, written by the band's bassist, Tim O’Connor. Many people, including singer Angie Hart and radio hosts Myf Warhurst and Zan Rowe, have praised the book.

In 2022, Briony Stewart and author Sherryl Clark won the Prime Minister's Literary Awards in the children’s literature category. They won for their junior fiction verse-novel called Mina and the Whole Wide World.