An exciting new fantasy-adventure series for readers aged seven years plus, written by Central Coast author Brooke Scobie, will be published at the end of July.
Set in a familiar suburban street against a magical bushland, Yarn Quest began as a small spark of inspiration from a podcast episode on Awesome Black’s platform, designed to celebrate National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day.
What started as a single episode quickly expanded into a collection, and now it’s become a series of books.
The series explores important themes such as lying and truth-telling, finding your passion, dealing with social anxiety and environmental care.
With a solid friendship and two loving families at its core, Yarn Quest offers a refreshing and imaginative take on popular beginner chapter books.
The books also explore First Nations bush knowledge, culture, and storytelling.
Scobie is a queer auDHD First Nations mum, author and poet who says she has loved books and stories ever since she was very little, growing up with a mum whose favourite thing was her overflowing bookcase and reading before bed.
Scobie is most passionate about creating stories and worlds where weird, wonderful kids and adults of all shapes and sizes can see themselves in magical places, on extraordinary adventures.
She hopes that one day every child who reads her stories will know they can be a storyteller too.
She was a finalist for the 2023 David Unaipon Award, achieved 2nd in the 2020 Judith Wright Poetry Prize and has performed at the Sydney Biennale, Melbourne Writers Festival, and Queer Stories.
The Yarn Quest books are illustrated by Jade Goodwin, a First Nations illustrator from the Hunter Valley.
Since her first book was published in 2022, Goodwin has illustrated 22 books and loves working from home, drawing almost every day alongside her three cats.
Her work is notable for its focus on diversity and representation, and she is committed to showcasing a range of perspectives through her illustrations, with the aim of inspiring children and adults alike.
Together, their work is a love letter to Country and to those marginalised by society and featured in prestigious publications like Overland, Running Dog, Red Room Poetry and SBS.