News

Ursula's ten one-act plays for children, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses, are now available as individual electronic books - click here for details.

Ursula was recently interviewed on Radio National's "Hindsight" program about the work of classic Australian author/illustrator May Gibbs. Ursula's book "Tibby's Leaf", published by the National Museum of Australia, was inspired by a May Gibbs' World War One gumnuts postcard "Off to the War" held in the Museum's collection.

For a booklet of great classroom activities devised by Amanda Jeffery of St Mary Mackillop Primary School, South Penrith, click here. Thank you, Miss Jeffery and 6C!

Ursula reading to children at Granville Library as part of her role as National Year of Reading Ambassador for Parramatta Council.

Ursula is absolutely delighted to learn that she has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for 2013 - an annual international prize for children's literature awarded by the government of Sweden. For more information click here.

The German-language edition of "The Golden Day" - "Nicht jetzt, niemals" "Not now, never", published by Ueberreuter, - has been awarded the July Lynx prize in Germany - click here for details. For a recent review in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung click here and in the Süddeutsche Zeitung click here. "The Golden Day" has also recently been shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards.

Click here to read Kate de Goldi's paper on "The Red Shoe', for inclusion in the Library for Young Europeans (Bibliothek für junge Europäer) at the recent 2012 International Children's Literature Festival in Berlin.

"Abyssinia" is published in Italy by Salani as "Tutto Comincia a Zanzibar" ("It all begins in Zanzibar"). Read here a review by writer Matteo Corradini in the Italian journal of children's literature Andersen. And to see what Matteo had to say about the Italian version of “The Strange Adventures of Isador Brown” click here. (Thank you, Matteo!)

Here is Ursula talking about "Too Many Elephants in This House" - the interview is especially suitable for young children.

Watch out - here come the elephants! Ursula's new collaboration with Andrew Joyner - "Too Many Elephants in this House" is out. Click here to read the latest review in "Magpies" and click here for a fabulous Andrew Joyner colour and count the elephants activity sheet! And here for an elephant mask to cut out.

Invite the Word Spy to your school or festival! Ursula and “Word Spy” illustrator Tohby Riddle are available for special Word Spy presentations designed to enthuse children about the wonders and workings of language. Click here for details.

Plop! in New York!! Ursula is just back from New York, where the musical version of "The Terrible Plop" is having a three-week season at the New Victory Theater on 42nd Steet, then onto Pittsburgh and New Jersey. Read a review from New York Times here and other reviews here and here.

Here is Ursula with the cast and crew after a fantastic performance, and enjoying playing with some toys on the set.

While she was in New York, Ursula did a reading of "The Terrible Plop" at Barnes and Noble, at the New York Public Library (pictured) and Woodside Pre-School.

Great news - Ursula's novel "The Golden Day", an enigmatic mystery about Sydney schoolgirls in the 1960s, has been shortlisted for the Children's Book of the Year Awards - click here for details.

Got your pens and pencils ready? The Word Spy Activity Book is here - out April 26! This is a book about words not just for reading and laughing and thinking, but also for writing and drawing inside. Click here for more information.

Plop! the musical is coming to New York!

The little apple meets the Big Apple at 42nd Street in the New Victory Theatre.

The Windmill Theatre's production Plop!, based on the picture book The Terrible Plop, has toured around Australia and now has a three week season in New York from April 16 - May 13, followed by a week in Pittsburgh and a week in New Jersey.

Great excitement for apples and rabbits everywhere!

Ursula's latest novel "The Golden Day" has recently been published in German translation as "Nicht jetzt, niemals" - "Not now, never". Click here to read a review in translation.

Ursula has been appointed an ambassador for the National Year of Reading at Parramatta Library. Click here to read the ambassador's favourite books!

Ever wondered where Ursula sits to write her books? Click Here to find out...

Coming soon – The Word Spy Activity Book – a book to write and draw in, full of puzzles and games and drawings all about words.

Ursula's new picture book, The Carousel, illustrated by Walter di Qual, is out in November. For the magical story behind the making of this book, click here. To read a warm review from Magpies click here. For horses for children to colour and cut out, click here and here.

Click here to hear Ursula talk with Anita Barraud about her novel "The Golden Day" on ABC Radio National's The Book Show.

Ursula Dubosarsky's new young adult novel The Golden Day, published by Allen and Unwin, was released in April, along with a dedicated website to celebrate its release – www.thegoldenday.info – packed with photos, videos and more.

Click here to read a 5-star review of The Golden Day in Bookseller+Publisher and watch the book's trailer below.

Windmill Theatre's PLOP! the musical show for pre-schoolers, based on Ursula and Andrew's book The Terrible Plop is touring all over the country in October and November. Click here for booking details and here to see a clip of the show.

Hurray! The Return of the Word Spy has won a Children's Book Council Book of the Year award! And The Golden Day has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards.

Five student writers from Years 2-4 at Thirroul Public School in New South Wales have re-imagined The Terrible Plop and published it as a fabulous ebook, The Tremendous Splash. Wonderful work and highly recommended - check it out here!

Summer is coming – and so are swimming lessons. And here is Ursula’s latest book, The Deep End – SPLASH!

Great news! The Deep End, illustrated by Mitch Vane has just been shortlisted for this year's Children's Book Council of Australia awards. The Deep End is the sixth and final episode of Ursula's stories about Becky and her little brother Ed, published in Puffin's Aussie Nibbles. In the course of her adventures Becky has put on puppet show, built a cubby house, been very creative with left-over fairy bread, cared for two toy gorillas in a dolls house, tried to change her brother into a cat - and in The Deep End bravely takes swimming lessons. The Becky books have together now sold over 100,000 copies!

Also shortlisted in the same awards in the Information Books section is The Return of the Word Spy illustrated by Tohby Riddle and also published by Puffin. Packed with cartoons, games, facts and puzzles, The Return of the Word Spy continues the fascinating journey through the English language that began with The Word Spy, a CBCA honour book in 2009.

Click here to see some truly amazing young word spies from Little Grove Primary School in Albany, Western Australia.

Look at some wonderful creative responses to The Red Shoe from students at the Great Southern Grammar school in Western Australia.

Ursula appeared on Radio National’s Lingua Franca on October 16, reviewing Barry J Blake’s “Secret Language” – click here for details.

Adelaide’s Windmill Theatre’s stage show of The Terrible Plop, Plop!, is getting ready to tour Australia – and possibly the world!

Click here to hear the Terrible Plop in Esperanto! Or here to hear it English, Cantonese and Indonesian courtesy of The Little Big Book Club

Read a review of The Red Shoe from 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up.

The Return of the Word Spy, the sequel to The Word Spy is out now! The new book takes the readers deeper into the amazing world of words, covering grammar, etymology and all sorts of fascinating languages, such as silent languages, whistling languages, Esperanto and Braille.

Read some great reviews from Booksellers and Publishers Weekly, the Sydney Morning Herald, and Magpies. And click here to listen to Ursula speak about the book on ABC radio's Lingua Franca.

Click here for a The Return of the Word Spy word search.

Ursula Dubosarsky naskiĝis kaj kreskis en Sidnejo. Ŝi estis tria infano el familio de verkistoj. Want to read about Ursula's life in the international language Esperanto? You can, in Vikipedio. Click here.

Ursula was a recent guest on ABC Classic FM's Morning Interview show with Joe Gelonesi - click here to listen.

Want to learn how to draw the bear from The Terrible Plop? Click below to find out how in the wonderful illustrator Andrew Joyner's video.

Here's what Kirkus (starred review), the Horn Book, the US Publishers Weekly, the Los Angeles Times and the Guardian have to say about The Terrible Plop.

Watch this youtube interview about the book with a young fan, Grace.

The Terrible Plop has been chosen for The Little Big Book Club.

Click here for a Terrible Plop colouring in sheet.

The Word Snoop is out!! Reviews from the US Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and the Junior Library Guild.

When the Australian edition of The Word Spy won the NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2009, the then Premier said of it:

"This wonderful book explains the use and history of words in a way that is as enjoyable as it is informative. While it was written for primary-aged children it will appeal to all ages," he said.

"This, her fifth NSW Premier's Literary Award, means Ursula Dubosarsky has now won more NSW Premier's Literary Awards than any other writer in the awards' 30 year history," Mr Rees said.

Ursula outside the NSW Art Gallery at the Premier's Literary Awards

Ursula reading 'Rex' to school children

Ursula's novel The Red Shoe is based on the 1954 Australian Cold War spy scandal, the Petrov Affair. This event has inspired several other Australian creative works, including Noelle Janaczewska's play Mrs Petrov's Shoe; Lee Whitmore's animation The Safe House, narrated by Noni Hazelhurst; Andrew Croome's Document Z, winner of the 2008 Vogel Award; and the 1987 television mini-series, The Petrov Affair.

Ursula at the Jigsaw Theatre production of 'The Red Shoe'

Read here Ursula's article in The Age, about darkness and the writer of 'The Cunning Little Vixen'.

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Older news

The Terrible Plop is shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

See The Terrible Plop on stage as part of the special Book Week production at NIDA (National Institute for Dramatic Art) in Sydney August 26,27 & 28, 2010. Click here for more info.

The Terrible Plop has been shortlisted for the Children's Book Council Awards. Click here to see the shortlist.

Ursula's much loved Honey and Bear Stories will be released in May 2010, together in a single full-colour volume - click here for a preview.

Rex is appearing a the Sydney Opera House! Click here.