Born in Australia, Gwenda Turner (1947–2001) came to New Zealand in 1967 and completed a Diploma of Graphic Design at Wellington Polytechnic. Since the publication of her first book, Daydream Journey in 1982 Gwenda captivated small children and their grown-ups with her wonderfully detailed, colourful drawings of so many aspects of the familiar and undeniably New Zealand world of the very young.
Gwenda was a prolific author/illustrator with more than 30 books (adult and children's) published. Her popular picture books are notable for their colourful celebration of play and family. She wrote of bears, ponies, sheep; she had children making mud, baking cakes, ballet dancing, going out with Dad. She finished her last book just a week before she died.
 

Selected bibliography:

• Daydream Journey (Collins 1982).
• Catnip Mice and Tussie Mussies (Collins 1983).
• Creepy Cottage (Collins 1983).
• The Tree Witches (Kestrel Books 1983).
• Falter Tom and the Water Boy text by Maurice Duggan (Penguin 1984).
• New Zealand A B C (Whitcoulls 1985).
• Gwenda Turner's Playbook (Viking Kestrel 1985).
• Snow Play (Collins 1986).
• New Zealand 1 2 3 (Whitcoulls 1986).
• Colours (Puffin 1989).
• Once upon a Time (Puffin 1990).
• Shapes (Puffin 1991).
• Opposites (Puffin 1992).
• Gwenda Turner's Australian A B C (Puffin 1992).
• Over on the Farm (Puffin 1993).
• Counting Cats and Dogs (Puffin 1994).
• Bears in the Park (Puffin 1995).
• Gwenda Turner's New Zealand Farm Animals (Puffin 1995).
• At the Beach (Puffin 1996).
• Teaching bears to Count (Puffin 1996).
• Messy Jessie text by Lynda Burnett (Puffin 1996).
• Ballet Class (Puffin 1997).
• Gwenda Turner's Australian 1 2 3 (Puffin 1997).
• Pat-a-Cake (Puffin 1997).
• Pony Club (Puffin 1998).
• A Day out with Dad (Puffin 1998) [republished as Ferry Ride in 2002].
• The Builder's Cat (Puffin 1999).
• Let's Make Mud! (Puffin 1999).
• Counting Sheep (Puffin 2000).
• Penny and Pocket (Puffin 2001).
• My First Numbers (Penguin 2003).
• My First Words (Penguin 2003).

Awards:

• Russell Clark Award 1984.