Narelle Oliver facts for kids
Narelle Oliver (1960 - 2016) was a talented Australian artist, printmaker, and a celebrated children's author and illustrator. She was known for her unique artwork and stories that often featured Australian animals and nature.
Early Life and Education
Narelle Oliver was born on February 25, 1960. She grew up in Toowoomba, a city in south-east Queensland, Australia. When she went to university, Narelle studied for a Bachelor of Education degree. She focused on design and printmaking, which are art forms where you create images by carving into a surface and then printing from it.
Creative Career
Narelle Oliver started her career as a teacher at the Queensland School for the Deaf. She was not only an educator but also deeply cared about the environment. This passion for nature often showed up in her books.
As an illustrator, Narelle had a special way of creating her pictures. She combined different art techniques like linocut (a type of printmaking), watercolour paints, soft pastels, and collage (sticking different materials together). She also used digitally-enhanced photographs to make her illustrations even more unique. Many of her books explored themes about Australia's amazing plants (flora) and animals (fauna).
Her very first book, titled Leaf Tail, was published in 1989. It was the start of a wonderful career telling stories through words and pictures.
Awards and Recognition
Narelle Oliver's books won many important awards, showing how much her work was loved and respected:
- 1996: She won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for her book The Hunt.
- 1999: Her book Sand Swimmers: The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart received the Royal Zoological Society of NSW Whitley Award for Best Book for Older Readers.
- 2000: Sand Swimmers also won the joint Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature in the Picture Book category.
- 2007: She was awarded the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Books at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards for her book Home.
- 2013: Her book Don't let a spoonbill in the kitchen won the Children's Book Award at the Queensland Literary Awards.
Personal Life
Narelle Oliver lived in Brisbane, Queensland, with her husband, Greg, and their two children, Jessie and Liam. She passed away on October 5, 2016. Her books continue to inspire and educate young readers about art and the natural world.
