Deborah Niland facts for kids

Deborah Mary Niland OAM (born in 1950) is an amazing artist from Australia. She was born in New Zealand. Deborah is famous for writing and illustrating children's books.

Some of her most loved books include Annie's Chair, When The Wind Changed, Mulga Bill's Bicycle, and Chatterbox. In 2006, her book Annie's Chair won a big award: The Children's Book of the Year – Early Childhood.

About Deborah Niland

Deborah Niland and her twin sister, Kilmeny, are the youngest of five children. Their parents, D'Arcy Niland and Ruth Park, were also famous Australian authors. Deborah was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She grew up in Sydney, Australia.

Deborah and Kilmeny both went to the Julian Ashton Art School in The Rocks, Sydney. There, they learned how to draw and paint in a classic style. Their teacher was J Richard Ashton.

Both sisters started their art careers by working for themselves, which is called freelancing. In London, they began illustrating books for Transworld Publishers. Their first full picture book, The Little Goat, came out in 1971.

Deborah and Kilmeny worked together on thirteen books. Their most famous project was illustrating Mulga Bill's Bicycle. This book is based on a poem by A. B. (Banjo) Paterson. It was first published in 1973 and has been popular ever since! You can still find new copies of it today.

Deborah also worked with other authors. She illustrated When The Wind Changed (1980) and Roger Bandy (1977) for her mother, Ruth Park. She also illustrated books for Jean Chapman. Deborah has written and illustrated many of her own books too. These include Annie's Chair (2005), The Big Green Thing (2008), and Let's Play (2007). Throughout her career, Deborah has illustrated more than 50 books!

Besides books, Deborah has drawn funny pictures for magazines. She worked for The Australian Women's Weekly for over ten years. She also drew for magazines like Cleo, Family Circle, and Reader's Digest.

When Deborah creates her art, she uses many different materials. These include pens, ink, coloured pencils, and paints like acrylic and watercolour. She also uses digital tools on a computer.

Deborah also creates paintings for art shows and galleries. She has won several art prizes. These include the Robert le Gay Brereton Prize for Drawing. She also won the North Sydney Art Prize in 2009. Her artwork is kept in many private and public art collections.

Books by Deborah Niland

Written and Illustrated by Deborah

• My Spaghetti ABC (2021)
• It's Bedtime William! (2010)
• When Coco was a Kitten (2009)
• Double Trouble (2008)
• The Big Green Thing (2008)
• Annie to the Rescue (2007)
• Let's Play! (2007)
• When I was a Baby (2006)
• Annie's Chair (2005)
• Old MacDonald had an Emu (1986)
• ABC of Monsters (1975)
• Birds on a Bough (1975 with Kilmeny Niland)

Illustrated by Deborah

• Ho Ho Ho There's a Hippopotamus on our Roof Eating Christmas Cake (2018)
• This Little Piggy Went Singing (2014)
• This Little Piggy Went Dancing (2013)
• The Tall Man and the Twelve Babies (2010)
• Hooray! There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Having a Birthday Party (2010)
• Grandpa Baby (2009)
• Chatterbox (2006)
• Guess What? There's A Hippopotamus on the Hospital Roof Eating Cake (1997, 2007)
• Look, There's A Hippopotamus in the Playground Eating Cake (1994, 2006)
• Hey Hippopotamus, Do Babies Eat Cake Too? (1992, 2007)
• James (1991)
• Families Are Funny (1990)
• My Hippopotamus Is On Our Caravan Roof Getting Sunburnt (1989, 2006)
• The Very Sniffy Dog (1989)
• All Australian Funny and Frightful Verse (1987)
• The Tall Book of Tall Tales (1985)
• Haunts and Taunts (1983)
• The Jacky Dandy Song Book (1982)
• Kneedeep (1981)
• The Zoo Alphabet (1980, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Fairy Strike (1980)
• When The Wind Changed (1980)
• There's a Hippopotamus On Our Roof Eating Cake (1980, 2005)
• The Drover's Dream (1979)
• Velvet Paws and Whiskers (1979)
• Tell Us Tales (1978, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Miss Strawberry Verses (1978)
• Roger Bandy (1977, 1987, with Kilmeny Niland)
• The Sugar Plum Songbook (1977)
• The Sugar Plum Christmas Book (1977)
• Tell Me Another Tale (1976, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Tumbling Jack and Other Rhymes (1976)
• The Gigantic Balloon. (1975, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Stuff & Nonsense (1974)
• What Am I ? (1974, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Animal Tales (1974)
• Tell Me A Tale (1974, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Mulga Bill's Bicycle (1973, 2007, with Kilmeny Niland)
• The Farm Alphabet (1973, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Riverview Kids (1971, with Kilmeny Niland)
• The Little Goat (1971, with Kilmeny Niland)
• Travelling Songs of Old Australia, (1966 with Kilmeny Niland, uncredited)

Awards and Recognition

Deborah Niland received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2020. This award is given for great service to children's literature in Australia. It's a very special honour!

She has also won many awards for her picture books.

Annie's Chair

(Written and Illustrated by Deborah Niland)

• 2008 Winner KOALA Children's Choice Awards, Picture Storybooks
• 2008 Short Listed YABBA Children's Choice Awards, Picture Storybooks
• 2007 Short Listed BILBY Children's Choice Awards, Early Readers
• 2007 Short Listed YABBA Children's Choice Awards, Picture Storybooks
• 2007 Winner COOL Children's Choice Awards, Picture Storybooks
• 2007 Short Listed KOALA Children's Choice Awards. Picture Storybooks
• 2007 Koala Top 10 KOALA Children's Choice Awards, Picture Storybooks
• 2006 Winner Speech Pathology Australia, Best Book for Language Development: Young Children
• 2006 Winner CBCA Book of The Year: Early Childhood

Chatterbox

(Author Margaret Wild, Illustrator Deborah Niland)

• 2007 Shortlist CBCA Book of The Year: Early Childhood
• 2007 Honour Book CBCA Book of The Year: Early Childhood
• 2007 Winner CBCA Junior Judges Project: Early Childhood
• 2007 Winner YABBA Children's Choice Awards: Picture Storybooks
• 2007 Winner KOALA Children's Choice Awards: Picture Storybooks

When The Wind Changed

(Author Ruth Park, Illustrator Deborah Niland)

• 1996 Winner BILBY Award
• 1986 Winner YABBA Award
• 1981 Winner NSW Premier's Literary Award, Ethel Turner's Prize,

Mulga Bill's Bicycle

(Author A. B. Paterson, Illustrators Deborah and Kilmeny Niland)

• 1976 IBBY Certificate of Honour
• 1974 Winner Visual Arts Board Award
• 1973 Winner ABPA Book Design Award