Chris Gurney

As a young child, Chris Gurney lived on a farm at Whananaki, where she was most often found reading to her cats or writing stories for her captive parents.  Later, she shifted to Kamo, Whangarei where she completed her schooling (good at English/dreadful at maths).  After leaving school she worked as a legal secretary, got married, and had three children.  

Chris and her family shifted to Auckland in 1998. Over the years she has scribbled away about this and that, the good, the bad and the silly times. Her son encouraged her to send some of her stories away to children’s book publishers.   After many rejections, Scholastic accepted and published her first story Cindy and the Lost Jandal for the launch of their Kiwi Corker series. 

Chris likes writing with rhyme and rhythm, using alliteration and interesting words. Apart from having terrific fun tapping away at her computer doing this, she takes care of Princess Nicole (her disabled daughter), enjoys hanging out with her family, which now includes a delicious baby granddaughter, and of course still loves reading. 

Selected bibliography:

• Cindy and the Lost Jandal illustrated by Ross Kinnaird [Kiwi Corkers series] (Scholastic 2009).
• The Little Blue Duck illustrated by Stevie Mahardhika [Kiwi Corkers series] (Scholastic 2009).
• Trev and the Kauri Tree illustrated by Dave Gunson [Kiwi Corkers series] (Scholastic 2009)
• Hester’s Blister illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson (2010 Scholastic 2010).
• The Mayor’s Flash New Clothes illustrated by Christine Ross [Kiwi Corkers series] (Scholastic 2010).
• Little Red and the Cunning Kuri illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson [Kiwi Corkers series] (Scholastic 2010).
• A Kiwi Christmas Carol illustrated by Philip Webb (Scholastic 2010).
• The Elves and the Cloakmaker illustrated by John Bennett [Kiwi Corkers series] (Scholastic 2011).
• Giraffe Attack! illustrated by Aki Fukuoka (Scholastic 2011).

Website:

•  Chris Gurney

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