I’ve been writing silly stories since I was six years old. I love writing about multi-storey treehouses, flying cats, boxing elephants, underpants, un-inventors, runaway prams, runaway bums, food-fights, time-travel, monkeys, giant bananas, dinosaurs, killer koalas, lost socks and dirty double-crossing knuckleheads. Oh yeah—and babysitting Mr Big Nose’s pesky grandchildren.

Every child (and adult!) has an imagination and the more you feed it and exercise it, the larger and more powerful it becomes. To help me in spreading the joys of creative reading, writing, drawing and laughter during my term as Australian Children’s Laureate, Bill and I created LET’S GO: a collection of wild stories, poems, cartoons and comic strips to inspire children (and adults!) to have fun exploring and expanding their own imaginative worlds.

This series tells the story of how Andy (that’s me!) and Terry (the illustrator!) live in an incredible ever-expanding treehouse and create very silly books together. I write the words and Terry draws the pictures. The first book in the series is The 13-Storey Treehouse, and after that we added 13 brand-new levels in each book until we reached 169 levels in the 13th and final book, The 169-Storey Treehouse. The series has been embraced by readers around the world and is published in over 35 languages.

As well as the 13 official books that comprise the Treehouse series, there are 6 extra books that explore the Treehouse world. Four FUN books, a book of short stories that were too silly to be read until now, and a comprehensive guide to all 169 levels, all the characters and all the astonishing machines and gadgets that you’ll find in our treehouse.

The JUST! books is a series of funny, fast-paced short stories narrated by a younger version of me (Andy!) with illustrations by him (Terry!). There are 8 books in the series: Just Tricking!, Just Annoying!, Just Stupid!, Just Crazy!, Just Disgusting!, Just Shocking!, Just Doomed! and a full length play script called Just Macbeth! based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth featuring characters from the JUST! series. First published in 1997, the series has been continuously in print and loved by Australian children and their parents for over 25 years.

A set of four novels chronicling the amazing goings on at Northwest Southeast Central School. Imagine a novel-length treatment of one of the short stories from the JUST! series and you’re getting warm. Imagine one of the BUM trilogy novels without the bums … and you’re getting even warmer. Imagine a funny, charming and exciting novel set in a most unusual school … well, you don’t have to imagine it because Schooling Around is already here! Sure to appeal to both confident and emerging readers of all ages, they are also ideal for both parents and classroom teachers to read aloud.

The Bum trilogy comprises three novels that tell the epic tale of Zack Freeman and his runaway bum. It begins with The Day My Bum Went Psycho, continues with Zombie Bums from Uranus and ends with Bumageddon: The Final Pongflict. Be bold, be brave, and be entertained beyond your wildest dreams by the best-selling saga that you and your bum will NEVER forget. (And if three books about bums isn’t enough for you, then also check out the illustrated guide What Bumosaur is That?)

Learn to read the easy way with these two playful rhyming books that utilise a phonics-based approach to tell wildly entertaining same-sound stories. They will not only empower emerging readers but leave them in no doubt as to the link between reading and pleasure.

When I’m not busy making up completely ridiculous stories, there’s nothing I like better than creating completely ridiculous illustrated guide books. I’ve made one all about the human body and one all about prehistoric bum- based lifeforms. I’ve even written an extensive guide to my own completely made-up treehouse.

The only thing that’s as much fun as reading a good story is being inspired to pick up a pen and write and draw your own. The Treehouse Fun Books & Bumper Fun Book provide a wealth of writing, drawing and wordplay prompts to allow budding young writers and illustrators to take flight. And Once Upon A Slime is a comprehensive and inspiring writing guide for young writers and creative writing teachers that provides 45 simple and highly effective strategies for unleashing your—or your child’s—inner storyteller.