Books by Tohby Riddle

Full list of awards and shortlistings

To buy books by Tohby Riddle
(if edition or title is out of print enquire here.)

Title: The Lucky Ones
Date of first publication: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-14-399569-8
Format: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: In print

Just out of school, Tom's at the beginning
of the rest of his life. But everything seems
out of whack – hilariously so … heartachingly so …

A book about belonging, identity and change
as maverick teen Tom and his increasingly
unpredictable best friend, Cain, try to find their
way in the world after school. Set in 1980s inner
city Sydney.

Teaching Notes on The Lucky Ones (PDF)

More about The Lucky Ones here

"Shades of Jack Kerouac's On the Road ... truly
evocative writing." – Sydney Morning Herald

"A beautifully elegiac reminiscence of that glorious time
between finishing high school and finding a place in life
... An auspicious debut novel." – Magpies

"Poignantly captures the confusing world awaiting
school leavers … Recommended." – Sun Herald

"Luminous." – Readings

"A fantastic read … that might make you think a little
outside the box." – Look at that Book (teenage blogger)

"Though the story is set in the 1980s, it still captures
issues entirely relevant to school leavers today …
One pleasure of a read. Highly recommended."
– Gold Coast Bulletin (review by Year 10 student)

Picture books

Title: My Uncle's Donkey
Date of first publication: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-670-04033-9
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: In print

My uncle's donkey is allowed in the house.
And you should see what he gets up to!

Teaching resources coming soon!

"This is definitely the sort of book you could read to your little ones, time and time again."
– The Age

"This is a book of sly comic timing and slapstick humour. Riddle's style is as polished as it is playful."
– The Big Issue

Title: Nobody Owns the Moon
Date of first publication: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-670-07160-9
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: In print

Clive Prendergast is a fox with a regular job
and a place to call home. His friend Humphrey
is a struggling donkey with no fixed address.
Life in the city is a mixed bag for these two,
but a special-looking blue envelope is about to
change everything – at least for one wonderful
night.

Author Notes on Nobody Owns the Moon

For signed, high-quality prints of artwork from
this book, visit Books Illustrated.

For information about Nobody Owns the Moon,
the staged musical, visit Tony Bones Entertainment.

"This is a heartening story about what it means
to really achieve, not just on the surface but also
on a level of shared humanity. This is a sophisticated
and well thought-through picture book yet its real
success is the way it seems absolutely without guile."
– Sydney Morning Herald

"Riddle creates a world that is at once familiar,
but also heightened into something rich and rare."
– Magpies

"Magical and moving." – Herald Sun

"This book is so clever, so heartbreaking,
so unforgettable. Very highly recommended."
– Sydney's Child

Full reviews (periodically updated)

Sun Herald feature profile on Tohby Riddle

Title: Irving the Magician
Date of first publication: 2005
ISBN: 0-670-89649-7 (hardcover)
ISBN: 0-14-131050-2 (softcover)
Format: Hard cover and paperback
Publisher: Viking, Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: Softcover in print

When Irving finds a mysterious book gathering
dust on a shelf in his aunt's apartment, he is
inspired to become a magician. Little does he
know what kind of magic he's about to create …

Author Notes on Irving the Magician

"Magic occurs on every page opening."
– Magpies

"Grace and humanity shine through this
gentle tale." – Adelaide Advertiser

"Completely satisfying … leaves one thinking
and wondering, inviting a return to it over and
over again." – Practical Parenting

A longer review at the Australian Book Review

Live Show: Irving the Magician performed
(with songs) by Tony Bones Entertainment

Title: The Singing Hat
Date of first publication: 2000
Format: Hardcover and softcover
ISBN: 0-670-89266-1 (AUS hardcover)
ISBN: 0-374-36934-8 (US hardcover)
ISBN: 0-14-131320-x (AUS softcover)
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Farrar Straus & Giroux (United States) 2001
Availability: Softcover in print

Colin Jenkins’s life is changed for good when a
he falls asleep in his lunch hour and a mysterious
bird makes a nest on his head.

"Find a place for this book to nest."
– Chicago Tribune

"A brilliant example of how satisfying, clever and
artful the picture book form can be." – The Age

"A book that frees the soul." – Houston Chronicle

"Beautiful and Improbable Things: a review of
Tohby Riddle's The Singing Hat"

Title: The Great Escape from City Zoo
Date of first publication: 1997
Format: Hardcover and softcover
ISBN: 0-207-18954-4 (AUS hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-14-350197-8 (AUS softcover, Penguin edition)
ISBN: 0-374-32776-9 (US hardcover)
Publisher: HarperCollins (Australia)
Farrar Straus & Giroux (United States) 1999
Penguin Books (Australia) 2007
Marubol (South Korea) 2008
Availability: Softcover in print. Limited hard
cover available through tohby.com (see contact
details)

Before Madagascar there was The Great Escape
from City Zoo. A "silver screen" adventure
about four animals that escape from City Zoo
and end up on the run in the big, exciting,
but confusing world outside.

"… One of the treasured few on the bookshelf
that is revisited again and again and again."
– The Age

"You could read this story aloud three times
without yawning – the ultimate test."
– Sydney Morning Herald

"This is a book that will have adults pausing
to savour the pages as children race to the
exciting conclusion." – Kirkus Reviews

US editorial reviews; Customer reviews

Featured in Bottersnikes and Other Lost Things:
A Celebration of Australian Illustrated Children's
Books, Melbourne University Press, 2009

Included in 1001 Children's Books You Must Read
Before You Grow Up

Title: The Tip at the End of the Street
Date of first publication: 1996
ISBN: 0-207-18955-2 (hardcover)
Format: Hard cover
Publisher: HarperCollins (Australia)
Availability: Out of Print. Limited hard cover
available through tohby.com (see contact details)

A dreamy tale of two children fascinated by what
people throw away at the tip at the end of their
street.One day they find an old man there who
brings the world of the past to life.

"Heart-rending. Outstanding, subtle graphics.
A must." – Australian Country Style

"… a rare rythm of narrative, a satire at once
abrupt, gentle and meditative. Encore! Encore!"
– Australian Book Review

"I have just again read "The Tip at the end of
the Street" to my 9 year old son , This is our
7th year of reading the book, neither of us grow
tired of it, your work and art is a credit to
Australian authors and illustrators."
– Bruce

"Her Majesty thought it was kind of you to send
a copy of Tohby Riddle's children's book,
The Royal Guest, which is accepted with pleasure."
– Buckingham Palace

"I've wanted to get a copy of The Royal Guest
for years!" – Kathy

See Prince Charles examining The Royal Guest
after it was presented to him during a walkabout
in Sydney in 1994

Featured in Symbols of Australia
(New South Books, 2010)

"Visually stimulating and lots of fun." – Magpies

"The pictures perfectly complement the witty
and amusing text. Highly recommended."
– Reading Time

Title: A Most Unusual Dog
Date of first publication: 1992
ISBN: 0-7329-1275-x (AUS hardcover)
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Macmillan (Australia) 1992
Gareth Stevens Inc. (United States) 1993
Availability: Rare as hen's teeth. Check libraries.

Fletcher, a dog who builds his own kennel, cooks
pancakes and rides a penny farthing in the park
becomes famous for his talents. But fame
doesn’t necessarily bring good fortune.

"Perfect fodder for active imaginations."
– Publishers' Weekly

"Lively enough for even the most impatient
story-hour crowd …" – Booklist

Cartoon collections / humour books

Title: Pink Freud
Date of first publication: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-14-300767-8
Format: Softcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: In print

A long-awaited second collection of
Tohby Riddle's cartoons.

"This is a book that will appeal to his existing
fans and certainly create some new ones."
– The Reading Stack

"I am a Sydney based psychiatrist and wanted
to extend my thanks and admiration for your
fantastic collection of cartoons in Pink Freud.
I am going to prescribe it before Prozac ;) "
– DS

Title: What’s the Big Idea?
Date of first publication: 2003
ISBN: 0-670-04114-9 (hardcover)
ISBN: 0-14-300551-0 (softcover)
Format: Hardcover and softcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: Softcover in print

A full-colour collection of cartoons – humorous,
strange and thought provoking – all originally
published in Good Weekend magazine.

What’s the Big Idea? is on the Queensland Dept
of Education and the Arts list of recommended
Curriculum titles for Years 10–12.

"This is a marvellous collection of Riddle's
cartoons …have a chuckle at the quirky
and subtle wit Riddle brings to the art of
cartooning." – The West Australian

"… blown up to an enjoyable size in what
amounts to a picture book for adults."
– The Age

"On a blue day, a Tohby Riddle fix is one of the
best tonics you can have." – Good Weekend

"You'll want to frame your own as daily
reminders of human absurdity" – Sun Herald

"Tohby's humorous illustrations and explanations
will delight you." – Canberra Times

"I've been trying to locate a copy of 50 Fairies
You Ought to Know About since seeing it
(and loving it) in a bed & breakfast about
about 5 years ago." – Kathy

Non-fiction

Title: The Return of The Word Spy [written by Ursula
Dubosarsky and illustrated by Tohby Riddle].
Date of first publication: 2010 (AUS)
ISBN: 978-0-670-07354-2
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia)
Availability: In print

A funny and fantastic voyage into language,
grammar and beyond…

NEW!

"FIVE STARS. Word-lovers everywhere will be thrilled
to learn there is another instalment of the hugely
successful Word Spy."
– Bookseller and Publisher

"Could conceivably inspire a new generation of writers
and word lovers."
– Sydney Morning Herald Full review here

Title: The Word Spy [written by Ursula
Dubosarsky and illustrated by Tohby Riddle].
Published as The Word Snoop in the
United States.
Date of first publication: 2008 (AUS), 2009 (US)
ISBN: 978-0-670-07227-9 (The Word Spy)
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3406-7 (The Word Snoop)
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin Books (Australia) 2008,
Dial (United States) 2009
Availability: In print

An entertaining journey through the English
language for children … palindromes, puns
and Pig Latin … alphabets, anagrams and
acronyms …

Preschooler books / Board books

Title: Dog and Bird and the Caterpillar
Date of first publication: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-14-350392-7
Format: Board book
Publisher: Puffin Books (Penguin Australia)
Availability: In print

Oh no! There's a big green caterpillar on Dog.
And Dog can't get it off. What will happen when
Bird tries to help?

NEW!

Title: Dog and Bird Water the Garden
Date of first publication: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-14-350391-0
Format: Board book
Publisher: Puffin Books (Penguin Australia)
Availability: In print

Slosh! Slosh! When Dog and Bird fill up their
watering cans they're ready to water the garden.
But not everything will need watering.

"These board books have rather more to them than many … Dog and Bird are fun characters with a lot of common sense, who go about their tasks with a will and a chat … Highly recommended."
– Reading Time (CBCA review journal)

Recommended Baby Book – Readings

Title: Dog and Bird Follow a Butterfly
Date of first publication: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-14-350359-0
Format: Board book
Publisher: Puffin Books (Penguin Australia)
Availability: In print

One day Dog and Bird follow a butterfly.
It goes up and down, and round and round …
as it leads them to a magical moment!

Stories, poems or artwork
by Tohby Riddle also appear in:

Dust, ABC Books, 2007
When We Were Young, Penguin, 2007
Kid's Night In!, Penguin, 2003
Kid's Night In 2!, Penguin, 2006
Kid's Night In 3!, Penguin, 2009
Pat the Cat and Sailor Sam, Omnibus, 2003 (written by Margaret Wild)
100 Poems for Australian Children, Random House, 2002
The School Magazine