Judy Horacek facts for kids

Judy Horacek (born 12 November 1961) is an Australian cartoonist, artist, and writer. She also creates amazing children's books. She is famous for her award-winning picture book Where is the Green Sheep?. She wrote this book with Mem Fox. Judy Horacek's cartoons have also appeared in newspapers all over the world. These include The Age, The Canberra Times, and The Australian. Her latest book is Now or Never (2020). It is her tenth collection of cartoons.

In 2005, the National Library of Australia bought some of her work. This means her art is now part of Australia's history. Judy said she liked her work being seen as part of important conversations. She also liked that her cartoons would live on. They show what a certain time was like in Australia.

About Judy Horacek

Her Education Journey

Judy Horacek studied at the University of Melbourne. She earned a degree in Fine Arts and English in 1991. Later, she studied Museum Studies at Victoria University. In 2007, she got another degree from Australian National University. This one was in Printmedia and Drawing.

She lives in Melbourne, Australia.

How She Writes

Judy started her career as a writer. She was part of a writing group in North Melbourne. Words are very important in her cartoons. Sometimes, the words are even more important than the pictures! Her stories have been in many different book collections.

After working with Mem Fox on a children's book, Judy started writing and illustrating her own books. This was something she had always wanted to do. She also kept working with Mem Fox.

Her Amazing Cartoons

Judy Horacek once said she was always looking for new places to put her cartoons. You can find her cartoons in newspapers and magazines. They are also online, on different products, and as special prints. People often say her cartoons are funny and a bit unusual. She likes to take everyday situations and make them strange.

Her early cartoons often focused on women's issues. This helped her become known as a cartoonist. Now, her cartoons cover many social and political topics. These include the environment and climate change. She also draws about immigration and issues affecting Indigenous Australians. Cartoonist Peter Nicholson said her cartoons are about people's daily lives and worries. He said she needs a great imagination and a good sense of humor. He also said her cartoons have a lasting value.

Judy's first cartoon for The Age newspaper came out on International Women's Day in 1995. It was called Woman with Altitude. This cartoon has been on fridge magnets, greeting cards, and T-shirts. Judy said this woman shows who we could be. She has drawn regularly for many newspapers and magazines. These include The Age, The Canberra Times, and The Monthly.

Illustrating Books

Judy Horacek also illustrates books for other authors. She drew pictures for Mem Fox's book, Reading Magic. In 2004, she illustrated her first children's book, Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox. This book was very popular! It was nominated for several awards. In 2005, it won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year award. It also won the Speech Pathology Australia Award.

After this success, Judy started writing her own children's books. Her first one was The Story of GROWL (2007). Other books she wrote include "These are My Hands" (2008) and "Yellow is my favourite colour" (2010).

Where is the Green Sheep? was published in Australia and the USA. It has been translated into many languages. These include Spanish, Korean, and two Australian Indigenous languages. In 2024, a special edition of the book came out with a shiny gold cover. The Royal Australian Mint even made a special 20-cent coin with her artwork from the book!

Books for Kids

• Where Is the Green Sheep?, with Mem Fox (2004, ISBN: 0-15-204907-X and ISBN: 0-670-04149-1)
• The Story of GROWL (2007, ISBN: 978-0-670-07045-9)
• These are My Feet (2007, ISBN: 978-0-14-350224-1)
• These are My Hands (2008, ISBN: 9780143502593)
• Yellow is my favourite colour (2010, ISBN: 9780143504283)
• Good Night, Sleep Tight, Mem Fox, Illustrated by Judy Horacek (2012, ISBN: 978-1-74283-257-9)
• Yellow is my colour star (2014, ISBN: 9781743622728)
• This & That with Mem Fox (2015, ISBN: 9781743622537)
• Ducks Away! with Mem Fox (2016, ISBN: 9781760158514)
• Bonnie and Ben Rhyme Again with Mem Fox (2018, ISBN: 9781742996240)
• Hey Diddle Diddle (2024, ISBN: 9781760658632)
• Meerkat Mayhem with Mem Fox (2024, ISBN: 9780143777687)

Cartoon Collections

• Life on the Edge, Introduced by Dale Spender (1992, ISBN: 1-875559-11-6 and 2003, ISBN: 1-876756-41-1)
• Unrequited Love: Nos. 1–100 (1994, ISBN: 0-86914-349-2)
• Lost in Space (1997, ISBN: 9781864484755)
• Woman with Altitude (1997, ISBN: 1-86447-101-8 and 1998, ISBN: 0-7336-1029-3)
• If the fruit fits (1999, ISBN: 0-7336-1051-X)
• I am woman, hear me draw / cartoons from the pen of Judy Horacek (2003, ISBN: 1-876944-10-2)
• Make Cakes Not War, (2007, ISBN: 9780740769634)
• If you can't stand the heat (2010, ISBN: 9781921640025)
• Random Life (2017, ISBN: 9780987612908)
• Now or Never (2020, ISBN: 9780987612946)

Art Shows

Judy Horacek often shows her prints and watercolor paintings. She has had her art in galleries by herself and with other artists.

She has also had big shows of her past work. One was at the National Gallery of Victoria. It was called Laughter, the Universe and Everything. This show traveled to different parts of Victoria. Another show was at the National Museum of Australia in 2002. It was called I am woman hear me draw. This show also traveled all around Australia.

Other Works

• Mary Jane: living through anorexia and bulimia nervosa / Sancia Robinson with Foong Ling Kong and cartoons by Judy Horacek (1996, ISBN: 0-09-183266-7)
• The women's power pocket book / Joan Kirner and Moira Rayner with illustrations by Judy Horacek (2000, ISBN: 0-14-029540-2)
• Reading Magic: how your child can learn to read before school and other important things / Mem Fox with illustrations by Judy Horacek (2001, ISBN: 0-330-36282-8, ISBN: 0-15-601076-3, ISBN: 0-15-100624-5; 2004, ISBN: 0-330-42140-9 and 2005, ISBN: 0-330-42222-7)
• The Night Before Mother's Day, Doug MacLeod, Illustrated by Judy Horacek (2012, ISBN: 9781742379401)