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Mary Anastasiou
Grade 1-6
Victoria
A self-confessed chocoholic, pluviophile and lover of all things kid lit, Mary writes books that she hopes will engage, inspire and empower little people on their journey to becoming big people. With 30 years of design experience, Mary’s role in publishing has included Head Creative for indie publisher, Larrikin House and more recently, Managing Editor / Marketing Manager at Five Mile Books. She is responsible for the design and creation of more than 200 titles including ‘My Shadow is Pink’, ‘Keeping up with the Dachshunds’, ‘My ExtraOrdinary Mum’ and ‘Heartbeat of the Land’. Mary works exclusively with authors and illustrators to create books that (she hopes) will one day become classics. Author or the much loved ‘I want to be…’ series, Mary’s ‘I want to be a Sports Star‘ was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year awards in 2022. ‘Jimmy Bottoms’, ‘Julius Squeezer’ and ‘The Art of Making Friends’ released in 2023 and, with more titles set for release: ‘Tilly’s New Broom’, ‘Zoomies’, ‘Disco Duck’, ‘Angus McGrew and the Unicorn Crew’ Mary is set to continue making her own kid lit dreams come true.  

Books by Mary Anastasiou

Julius Squeezer

Best Suited 3-7 Years
In the deepest darkest jungle in amongst the trees lives a python known as Julius who really loves to squeeze. He really cannot help himself he simply doesnt know that a squeeze is tighter than a hug – and thats not how you say hello Julius Squeezer is a funny and charming picture book about Julius, the python, who learns that squeezing to greet

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I Want to be a Movie Star

Best Suited 3-7 Years
So you want to be a Movie Star?  What kind will you be? Pirate Captain? Noble Queen? Superhero?  Maybe a  Comedian or a star on Broadway? Anything is possible with a little fun and a whole lot of creativity.  Join Evie (and Oscar) as they imagine their way through the  magic of movies, theatre and play time.

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I Want to Be a Sports Star

Best suited 3-7 Years
So you want to be a Sports Star? What kind will you be? A Surfer? A Fencer? A Football Star? Maybe a Tennis Star or a Pro Skater riding rails? Anything is possible with a little fun and a whole lot of creativity. Join Taylor, Frankie (and Lucky) as they imagine their way through the thrill of sports and Olympic medal dreams.

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The Art of Making Friends

Best Suited 3-7 Years
Have you ever stopped and wondered how to make a friend Can you make them out of broken sticks or something that will bend Making friends can be tough, especially for little ones. This beautiful and sensitive picture book celebrates friendship and the importance of sharing one’s heart.

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Jimmy Bottoms

Best Suited 6-10 Years
My name is Jimmy Bottom’s and there’s something you should know, One morning when I leapt from bed, I let a small fluff go. It didn’t seem outrageous, after all it’s just a fart, How was I to know that it would tear my town apart Jimmy Bottoms is a hilariously fun story about a cheeky boy and a wayward fluff! This beautifully illustrated book will take you on an adventure through the town to catch the fluff on the loose.

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