My Uncle's Donkey

'Tohby knits well but is also a chatterbox, so his socks are not finished. I hope he finishes them in the holidays.'
Many years have passed since this mixed primary school report on Tohby Riddle. And although his socks remain unfinished, he has been able to complete other undertakings, including a degree in art and a degree in architecture - neither of which involved any knitting.

Tohby Riddle is the award-winning creator of picture books such as The Singing Hat, The Great Escape from City Zoo and Irving the Magician (all three were shortlisted for CBC Picture Book of the Year and more), and the cult favourite, The Royal Guest. He has also written a novel for young adults, The Lucky Ones.

Tohby illustrated The Word Spy and The Return of the Word Spy written by Ursula Duborsarsky, the first of which won the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature in the 2009 NSW Premier's Literary Awards and was an honour book in the 2009 CBC Book of the Year awards. He has an ongoing love of words, images and visual information, which has also resulted in the highly successful book about grammar, The Greatest Gatsby.

Tohby lives with his wife and three children in Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia.