Bilby Secrets

Everyone has heard of kangaroos and koalas. Now meet the bilby, an endangered Australian marsupial with silky fur, long ears, and bright eyes.

In the hostile Australian desert, a mother bilby gives birth to a baby. Nestled in a burrow deep underground, she cares for her little one. Soon he must grow up and learn to survive in a harsh environment. Nature-loving readers can follow the story of this elusive marsupial, learning its secrets even as it burrows out of sight.

About the Author

Edel Wignell is an Australian freelance writer, compiler and journalist. She has been writing full-time for children and adults since 1979: short stories, articles, verse, novels, scripts and non-fiction.

Edel, who has five sisters, grew up on a sheep farm in northern Victoria, becoming interested in animals, birds, nature and the environment at an early age. Edel says that the satisfaction of being a writer comes from both the joy of writing, and the thought that children around the world turn the pages of her books and gain pleasure from reading them.

About the Illustrator

Mark Jackson is an illustrator based in Melbourne. He has co-illustrated several books with his wife, Heather Potter, and their work has been featured in several exhibitions.

Mark has three previous titles published by Walker Books Australia: The Truth About Penguins written by Meg McKinlay, 2010; Not Like Georgie written by Scott Hatcher, 2009; and Stuck! written by Charlotte Calder, 2009, which was short-listed in the Young Children Category of the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards 2010, and received a Notable mention in the Picture Book Category, Children's Book Council of Australia Awards, 2010.