About Laura Bunting

Laura Bunting is a children’s book author with a particular fondness for wildlife, anthropomorphics and ice-cream. Her books have been published internationally and translated into multiple languages. Her most recent title, Liarbird, was named a CBCA Notable Book in 2020.

Laura spent the first 15 years of her career honing her writing craft, first in TV commercials, and soon after as a magazine writer and editor in Australia, Singapore, London and Dubai.

Then, somewhere amid the chaos, confusion, exhaustion and mind-boggling joy of new parenthood, Laura rediscovered the magic and power of children’s books. She is a firm believer that instilling a love of books is one of the most precious gifts parents can give to their children, with lifelong benefits. Laura’s stories are quirky, witty and slightly subversive. She seeks to create books that spark the imagination and tickle the funny bone of both parent and child, and that act as a springboard for silliness, playfulness, connection and rich conversation.

Laura collaborated with her husband, award-winning illustrator Philip Bunting, on her first four titles: Koalas Eat Gum Leaves, Kookaburras Love to Laugh, Another Book About Bears, Liarbird. Miraculously, despite working together, living together and raising children together, they still really like each other.

Her new picture book series, Coco, illustrated by Nicky Johnston, is due for release in June 2020.

Laura lives amongst the gum trees on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, with her husband, three small children, a couple of wallabies and lots of very noisy kookaburras. She realises she is finally doing The Thing She Wanted To Be When She Grew Up. Here is the first book Laura wrote when she was six years old: