Written by: Andy J Alexander
Illustrated by: Meg Hewick
Published by: Wild Eyed Press
Picture Book: 1 March, 2025.
ISBN: 9781763767829
For age 4-7 years
Chaos erupts when a family of twenty emus tiptoe into Tiny Town. What will the townsfolk do?
Follow the troublesome twenty as they take over Tiny Town. Join the townsfolk as they learn that change can be welcomed, even if it does feel troublesome to start with.
The Troublesome Twenty is an ‘us’ and ‘them’ story with the old timers verses the newcomers. Themes include accepting change, diversity, inclusion, wildlife interactions, country life, identity.
The Inspiration
I live in a tiny town called Nannup in Western Australia. Nannup town has a population of under 1,000 people according to the 2021 census. In 2020, our little Nannup became quite famous for its emus after a particularly large family moved in.
Nannup’s emus made the news and brought in heaps of tourists. Opinions on whether they should stay or go divided the town. I loved all their antics and was particularly impressed with daddy emu looking after such a huge hoard of chicks.
I wrote a story inspired by that emu family and dedicated the book to them. Meg Hewick created the most hilarious emu characters and made me fall in love with the story on a whole new level.
Emu Puppet Play
I made a class set of emu sock puppets and a large ‘daddy’ sock puppet named Larry. These puppets prove very popular with children when taken to events.
I love empowering children through drama and imaginative play. Workshops can include puppet play and drama skills, aligning to curriculum.
