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Donovan Bixley

Donovan Bixley was born in Perth, Australia, but shortly after, his family returned to New Zealand where he grew up in the geothermal wilds of Taupō. From a young age Donovan showed a talent for drawing and his unmatched skill at depicting trucks was a great way to get the school bully on side. Donovan’s first attempt at writing a book was a sequel to The Lord of the Rings, written when he was 8 years old.

After studying Graphic Design at AUT in Auckland, Donovan worked in the film industry as a storyboard and editorial illustrator. Since then he has illustrated more than 120 books, published in 31 countries. His work spans high-brow to low-brow and every brow in between, from his best-selling preschool books The Wheels on the Bus and Old MacDonald’s Farm, to his his internationally acclaimed biographies, Mozart the Man Behind the Music, and Much Ado About Shakespeare, which won the Russell Clark Award for best illustration at the 2016 NZCYA Book Awards. In 2021 Donovan was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children’s literature.

Donovan’s real passion is for illustrated novels, where he gets to combine his love of words and pictures. In 2020 he completed six years’ work on his nine-part junior fiction series, ‘Flying Furballs’, which won the Tatoulu Children’s Choice Award in France. Donovan is currently immersed in the world of Leonardo da Vinci as he comes to the completion of 20 years’ work on an illustrated biography of the Renaissance genius. This body of work has seen Donovan receive the 2018 Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Laureate Award from the New Zealand Arts Foundation.

Donovan is an admiring fan of Neil Gaiman and Anthony Horowitz and counts The Lorax as his most loved picture book. Favourite artists include Norman Rockwell, Edgar Degas, John Howe, Dave McKean, Edmund Dulac, Bill Peet, Mordillo, Shawn Tan and Chris Riddell.

DBixley_05

Selected bibliography:

  • Harry Hobnail and the Pungapeople, text by Barry Crump (Hodder Moa Beckett 2002).
  • Mr Tanglewood and the Pungapeople,text by Barry Crump (Hodder Moa Beckett 2005).
  • Wacko Kakapo, text by Yvonne Morrison (Scholastic 2007).
  • The Tuatara and the Skink, text by Yvonne Morrison (Scholastic 2009).
  • A Right Royal Christmas, text by Lucy Davey (Scholastic 2009).
  • The Wheels on the Bus (Hodder Moa 2010).
  • Phoebe and the Night Creatures, text by Jenny Hessell (Scholastic 2011).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: T-Wreck-a-saurus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2011).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Stego-snotty-saurus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2011).
  • Northwood, text by Brian Falkner (Walker Books 2011).
  • Old MacDonald’s Farm (Hodder Hoa 2011).
  • 501 Great Kiwi Jokes (Scholastic 2011).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Velocitchy-raptor, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2011).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Diplo-dizzydocus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2011).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Spino-rottysaurus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2012).
  • The Story of Bo and the Circus That Wasn’t, text by Kyle Mewburn and selected Telecom customers (Scholastic 2012).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Dako-snappysaurus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2012).
  • The Looky Book (Hachette 2012).
  • Maddy West and the Tongue Taker, text by Brian Falkner (Walker Books 2012).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Scuto-stickysaurus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2012).
  • Dinosaur Rescue: Salto-scaredypus, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2013).
  • Three Bears (Sort of), text by Yvonne Morrison (Scholastic 2013).
  • Dashing Dog, text by Margaret Mahy (Harper Collins 2013)
  • The Weather Machine (Hachette 2013)
  • Little Bo Peep and More (Upstart Press 2014)
  • Monkey Boy (Scholastic 2014)
  • Pussycat Pussycat and More (Upstart Press 2015)
  • Little Red Riding Hood Not Quite, text by Yvonne Morrison (Scholatsic 2015)
  • Dragon Knight Fire!, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2015)
  • Dragon Knight Rats!, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2015)
  • Dragon Knight Witch!, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2015)
  • Dragon Knight Dragons!, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2015)
  • Dragon Knight Joust!, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2016)
  • Dragon Knight Barbarians!, text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2016)
  • Fuzzy Doodle, text by Melinda Szymanik (Scholastic 2016)
  • Flying Furballs Book 1 Dogfight (Upstart Press 2016)
  • Much Ado About Shakespeare (Upstart Press 2016)
  • The Great Kiwi ABC Book (Upstart Press 2016)
  • My First Board Book (8 book series) (Hachette 20016-2020)
  • Flying Furballs Book 2 Hot Air (Upstart Press 2016)
  • Flying Furballs Book 3 Unmasked (Upstart Press 2017)
  • Flying Furballs Book 4 Most Wanted (Upstart Press 2017)
  • Dinosaur Trouble (4 book series), text by Kyle Mewburn (Scholastic 2017)
  • The Christmas Looky Book (Hachette 2017)
  • The Great Kiwi 123 Book (Upstart Press 2018)
  • We’ve Got A Boat, text by Jay Laga’aia (Scholastic 2018)
  • Mozart The Man Behind The Music (Upstart Press 2018)
  • How Māui Fished up the North Island (Upstart Press 2018)
  • Flying Furballs Book 5 Kit-napped (Upstart Press 2018)
  • Flying Furballs Book 6 Double Cross (Upstart Press 2019)
  • Flying Furballs Book 7 Breakout (Upstart Press 2019)
  • How Māui Slowed the Sun (Upstart Press 2019)
  • Flying Furballs Book 8 Downfall (Upstart Press 2020)
  • Flying Furballs Book 9 Nine Lives (Upstart Press 2020)
  • Māui and the Secret of Fire (Upstart Press 2020)
  • The Good Old Looky Book (Hachette 2020)
  • Great Kiwi Bedtime Book (Upstart Press 2021)
  • Draw Some Awesome (Upstart Press 2021)
  • Portrait of Leonardo (Upstart Press 2022)
  • Squawk! Forest Birds of Aotearoa (Hachette 2022)

Awards:

  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2012 Picture Books List: Phoebe and the Night Creatures
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2013: Maddy West and the Tongue Taker
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2014: The Weather Machine
  • Overall Children’s Choice Award NZ Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2014: The Three Bears Sort Of…,
  • Best Picture Book West Australian Young Readers Book Awards: The Three Bears Sort Of…
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2014: The Three Bears Sort Of…,
  • Winner Best Junior Fiction NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults 2015: Monkey Boy
  • White Raven Award 2015: Monkey Boy
  • Highly Commended Best Children’s Book Design PANZ 2015: Monkey Boy
  • Storylines Notable Book Award 2015: Monkey Boy
  • Russell Clark Award for best illustration, 2016 NZ Book Awards for Children and Young Adults: Much Ado About Shakespeare
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2017: Flying Furballs Book 3 Unmasked
  • Storylines Notable Book Awards 2017: Flying Furballs Book 4 Most Wanted
  • White Raven Award 2017: Fuzzy Doodle
  • Tatoulu Children’s Choice Award (France) 2018: Flying Furballs Book 1 Dogfight
  • Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Laureate Award 2018 from the New Zealand Arts Foundation
  •  Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children’s literature, 2021

Other Resources:

Website: www.donovanbixley.com

Facebook:  facebook.com/donovanbixley/

 

 

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