Julie Murphy is an Australian-based author who enjoys promoting the value of animals and the environment to children. She has written almost 20 children’s books for Trade and Education markets. She also writes articles, short stories and poetry.

ABOUT THE BOOK

I’VE GOT A TAIL! Terrific Tails of the Animal World (Julie Murphy & Hannah Tolson) was published by Amicus Ink in February. It’s a creative non fiction for children and stars a  viper whose tail looks like a spider, and animals from around the world describe how their tails help them survive. Covering adaptations to desert, ocean, forest, and arctic habitats, this narrative nonfiction picture book highlights the diversity of the animal world. It’s the third book in the I’ve Got… series by Murphy and Tolson.

WHERE THE INSPIRATION CAME FROM

This is the third book in the I’ve Got… series. The inspiration for the first book, I’ve Got Feet!, actually came from a game I played with my then 2-year-old daughter who would come into the bedroom early most mornings and pull my foot out from under the blankets. That, and the years I’ve spent watching David Attenborough’s beautiful documentaries about interesting animals and how they are adapted to survive. He is a master storyteller!

JULIE’S FABULOUS WRITING TIPS

Find a fun hook to make your particular book stand out from the crowd. I use two text layers – in the first, my animals speak to directly the reader; the second is informational text that adds facts and context.

Research – find at least two reliable sources to support every fact you present. My frequent go-to’s include museums, universities, scientific publications and government research organisations.

Read your manuscript out loud to check for flow and words that may not sound right. A thesaurus is my best friend.

Choose subjects that tell a good story, are representative of all around the world, and look attractive or interesting. The illustrations/photos are crucial in a picture book, and it’s important to help the illustrator/photo researchers out.

Always have your “idea radar” working. Ideas for new books can be found anywhere.

WHERE TO FIND JULIE ON ONLINE
My web site: www.juliemurphybooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliekidsbooks?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliemurphykidsauthor/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/157536.Julie_Murphy

WHERE TO BUY I’VE GOT A TAIL IN AUSTRALIA

Booktopia – https://www.booktopia.com.au/odd-bods-julie-murphy/book/9781541585027.html
Fishpond – https://www.fishpond.com.au/Books/Ive-Got-Tail-Julie-Murphy-Hannah-Tolson-Illustrated-by/9781681525013

Happy Book Day Julie!

WIN A COPY OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK 

Only open to Australia residents.

All you have to do is:

1. In the comments section on this post, tell us why you’d like to win the book.
2. Share this on social media and tag ‘Writing Classes for Kids’ or ‘Dee White Author’

Good luck!