James Foley's Blog

OH NO! my new picture book is out now in bookshops across Australia and New Zealand.

Reviews are starting to come in … and Readings bookstores have made it their picture book of the month for May!

More rave reviews below.

Here are three OH NO! colouring sheets for you to download and use at home or in the classroom.

The shortlists for the NSW and Victoria children’s choice book awards – the KOALAS and YABBAS – were released today. I’m stoked to see that two of my books were shortlisted in the Picture Story Book category!

Bigfoot vs Yeti: A Love Story and Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas were both shortlisted.

Big thanks to all the young readers who nominated my books for the awards, and to the teachers and librarians who organised voting in their schools!

And congrats to everyone with ...

I’m travelling to sunny Cairns for the very first time as part of Australia Reads’ ‘Lit Up’ initiative!

While I’m there, I’ve got a couple of FREE public events.

Details below.

Join myself and Cairns local Lachlann Carter for this FREE live literacy event!

Perfect for educators, parents, and children, this lively session celebrates reading, storytelling, and a love of books for all ages.

DATE: Thursday April 30...

Okay, I realise I just had a new book out on April 1st. That wasn’t an April Fools’ joke, it’s an actual book called Fuzzball and you can grab it in bookstores now!

But I have another book coming out in May, and I’m launching it in Fremantle, Melbourne and Brisbane! Details below.

Oh No! is a very silly picture book about ‘onomatopoeia’ (sound effects) – although in this book they are more appropriately called ‘oh-no-matopoiea’ (the sound of things going very badly).

It’s a super ...

Fuzzball is the latest junior fiction novel in the Paw Prints series from Walker Books. ⁠

It’s written by the awesome Nathan Luff and illustrated by me. ⁠

Here’s the official blurb:

When Luca’s mum and dad give him a special present for his birthday, he hopes it’s the pet dog he’s been waiting for. Instead, he gets Fuzzball.⁠
But a guinea pig can’t play fetch, go for walks or learn fun tricks like a dog can. Just when Luca is ready to give up on Fuzzball, he finds something that Fu...

Hi teachers and parents!

Here are some free activities to go with my latest picture book Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas.

These mouthy fellas are heaps of fun to make and play with!
There are little paper loops on the back so you can make their mouths open.

Free for non-commercial use (schools, libraries, homes).
Click on the pictures below to download the pages (pdf format).
[These are adapted from an awesome set of farmyard animal pu...

The amazing team at Barking Gecko Arts have adapted my picture book Stelllarphant for the stage. I am so excited for everyone to see this … I’ve been checking out the rehearsals and it’s going to be epic!

From the official blurb:

Join Stella, an elephant who dreams of becoming an astronaut, as she builds her own spaceship and proves that anyone can reach for the stars … this uplifting 55-minute production for children aged 6-12 and their families is packed with hear...

Fremantle Press was the publisher of my very first book, and we’ve worked on many more since. They’re a WA institution, having kickstarted the careers of many local authors and illustrators. And this year they’re turning 50!

Here’s some ways you can help celebrate.

Freo Press have got fresh new digs at the old SEC substation in Parry St – check it out at their Open Day! It’s on April 24th from 9:30am-2pm, and includes panel sessions about publishing, as...

What a wonderful bit of news – my book Bigfoot vs Yeti: a Love Story is on the Notables list for the 2026 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Picture Book of the Year Award!

There are so many wonderful books on the list; congrats all! Check out the list below.

The shortlist will be announced on March 31, and the honour books and winner will be announced on August 21 at the start of Children’s Book Week.

*Signed copies* – Paper bird

...

It’s here! My latest picture book, Happy Barry Capybara: Gone Bananas, is out in shops from today.

And the first review is in too:

“pure joy … silly, expressive and full of laugh out loud moments. This was reread twice in one sitting because they wanted to look again. One of our favourites!” – @playful.childhood, Instagram

You can find a copy at your local indie bookshop or online – links below.

Australia/NZ edition, published by ...