About

Hi I’m Shelly, a children’s picture book author. Thank you for visiting my website. Please have a good look around, there is lots to see, and if you have any questions jump on my contacts page and send me an email, I’d love to hear from you.

My beautiful publisher Anna McFarlane leading a toast to the series and the start of my writing career

I am an Internationally published picture book author with books in North America, Europe and Australia. I am represented by Storm Literary in the US.  I love to write books that resonate with children’s interests and sense of adventure. My books include; Hello, Baby! Allen & Unwin and Little Genius Books, You’re One! and You’re Two! Allen & Unwin and Doubleday Books, There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book! Allen & Unwin and Blast Off! Penguin Random House.

I’m so excited to introduce ‘Hello Baby’ An adorable picture book that celebrates the arrival of a new baby, with gorgeous illustrations by Jedda Robaard, bestselling illustrator of It’s Not Scribble to Me.

BUY HERE Australia

BUY HERE USA

BUY HERE Italy

Looking for School Holiday or Classroom activities? – Check out my video with the National Library of Australia here: Blast Off! Shelly Unwin video introducing fun space activities

My first series of five picture books You’re One! to You’re Five! or ‘The You’re Series’ as they’re affectionately known was published by Allen & Unwin and hit shelves in June 2017. You’re One! and You’re Two! released into the US in September 2019 with DoubleDay Books (PRH)

Allen & Unwin teamed me up with the fantastic illustrator Katherine Battersby https://wellreadrabbit.wordpress.com and we are so excited to have brought these books into the world together. Buy here

My narrative non-fiction picture book, Blast Off! Illustrated by the awesome and hilarious Ben Wood http://www.benwoodillustrations.com/  launches readers on a space adventure- published in April 2018 by Penguin Random House. Buy here

There’s a Baddie Running Through This Book. Published by Allen & Unwin and illustrated by the super talented Vivienne To. It was released in October 2018. Buy here

As well as writing picture books I also tinker with young adult fiction. There is something so magical about being able to revisit your teenage years. Remembering the overwhelming, the dramatic and the reckless  and working them into a piece of fiction that will resonate with today’s readers.

A little bit of background

I was Born in the UK in 1977. I grew up and was educated in the small country town of Ashbourne on the edge of the beautiful Peak District in the Midlands. My childhood was spent surrounded by kids, animals and the occasional pixie fairy. I was one of three children but my wonderful parents also fostered 11 little children whilst I was young. Riding horses and reading books were my main two loves. After leaving high school I studied teaching and biology at university in Birmingham and left with a first class honors degree.

My teaching degree re-ignited my passion for beautifully written and illustrated children’s literature.

I moved to Australia in 2002 where I forged a career in sales. In 2006 I married my Australian husband, Sean, and we now have two young children and a gorgeous puppy. Given my teaching background I had always wanted to write children’s stories that truly engaged with the reader. Many of my picture books speak directly to the reader, like the book is having a conversation with them, and the book and the child are on a journey together.

My three little people