A passion for children’s books

Disheartened by a lack of books aimed at young boys, a Belmont mum took matters into her own hands.

Caz Carter discovered a passion for children’s books while reading to her son from a very young age, but soon found material was lacking.

‘Get Out Ya Pluggers’ follows the Plugger family on a fun-filled road trip around Australia as they use their pluggers (Queensland slang for ‘thongs’) in all sorts of wonderful, wacky and amusing ways to (mostly) make things better.

“I quickly found out through my own experience of buying and borrowing books that the market for young boys in the seven- to 10-year-old age group

was not always well catered for,” Caz said.

“This gave me the inspiration to start writing and illustrating. A few years ago, I started writing a series of comic books for my son and his friends in grades three to five.

“The feedback I received from the students, teachers and parents was overwhelming, with my son’s friends constantly asking for the next instalment.

“This gave me the confidence to pursue writing and illustrating children’s books on a professional basis.”

A qualified graphic artist, having majored in illustration, Caz is partnering with Shawline Publishing Group and Playtime Books to release a new book every six months for the next five years.

“As soon as I thought up the idea for this book, I couldn’t stop laughing,” she said.

“I look for humour in everyday life and put that into my work. The book just flowed out of me and was thoroughly enjoyable to write.”

Caz’s advice for aspiring writers is simple.

“Join as many author clubs and groups as you can,” she said.

“Understand current books and trends to help inform your work. Have fun with it.”

Written and illustrated by Caz Carter, ‘Get Out Ya Pluggers’ (available at shawlinepublishing.com.au) will launch at Leopold Library on Saturday December 3 from 11am.