MELBOURNE – Sue deGennaro, illustrator and author of children’s books, has added another title to her already crowded trophy cabinet.

Her book Bear and Duck are Friends has been honoured as one of the 2024 Honour Books for children’s literature by the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA).

Each year, the CBCA and its panel of judges evaluate a list of books for children and young adults, ranking the most deserving with the goal of connecting young Australian readers with quality literature.

Sue deGennaro made her publishing debut with The Pros and Cons of Being a Frog, published by Scholastic. The book made an immediate impact, being selected by the CBCA as one of the best children’s books of 2013 and winning an award for picture books.

Although her love for drawing and illustration was a lifelong passion, her career in illustration took time to flourish because, as deGennaro put it, she was busy living her life.

“I was the top art student in Year 12 when I graduated, and as a result, I was accepted into an illustration course in Adelaide,” she recalled.

“But my parents didn’t agree with the choice, so I enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts and studied psychology.”

deGennaro also studied filmmaking and spent some time living abroad.

Upon returning to Australia, deGennaro attended an art school in Sydney. There, her teachers’ asking her to express opinions and share personal stories helped her realise she needed to accumulate more life experiences before she could create art.

Leaving art school, she took trapeze lessons and began a circus life, travelling the country for about 15 years and even training with Cirque du Soleil.

“Then I found out I was expecting a baby and decided to stop,” she explained.

“I put together a portfolio of my work and mailed it to all the Australian publishers. That’s how I got a mentorship with the Australian Society of Authors.”

It was 2009, and from that point on, she never stopped publishing, first as an illustrator and later as the author of her own books.

“During my years with the circus, I would write little poems or short illustrated stories to send to my nieces and nephews,” deGennaro shared.

She used every spare moment to hone her craft, developing a highly personal and recognisable style.

“This is one of the things I stress to my students,” she noted, referring to her role as a teacher in the Writing for Children course at RMIT.

“If you want to do this job, you have to work on developing a style that is unique,” she continued, emphasising the importance of telling stories that are enjoyable and entertaining for everyone.

“Behind every child listening to a story is an adult reading it. So, if you’re not convinced by the story and characters, my advice is to keep searching for one that entertains you and that you truly enjoy.”

The idea behind Duck and Bear are Friends, the book awarded by the CBCA this year, came to her poolside as she watched her daughters taking swimming lessons.

“Initially conceived as a chapter book, Duck and Bear are Friends eventually became a picture book, a project I worked on for almost four years.”

For deGennaro, every story begins with a thought or a question that represents the reason she writes the book.

“For this book, for example, I wanted to explore the range of feelings experienced in a friendship when your friends are different or in difficult situations,” she revealed.

“It’s something that interests me as a human being.”

Children’s books, after all, are simplified representations of complex concepts - tools that help children and adults reflect.

“There are many layers of meaning in these stories, which can be used to spark broader discussions,” added deGennaro, whose works have been translated into several languages, including Spanish, French, German, Chinese and even Korean.

“My advice to anyone wanting to start in this field is to read widely and visit libraries and bookstores often to understand the direction children’s literature is heading.”

As for her own path, it seems to be heading toward something new: “I’m studying animation; I might take a break from books and start working on animated drawings.”