Big Red Hen and the Little Lost Egg

Big Red Hen looks after everyone else's babies, but what she wants most of all is someone special of her own to love . . .

'The magic created in this lovely tale is the kind of delight expected from its author and illustrator; two of Australia's best-loved picture book creators.' Courier Mail.

'Together, Wild and Denton have created a memorable picture book about how pure and unprejudiced love can be.' Sunday Age

About The Author

Margaret Wild is Australia's leading picture book writer, acclaimed around the world. She was born in Eschew, a small town in South Africa, where she grew up. She now lives in Sydney with her two children.

Margaret has written over twenty books, many of which have appeared in foreign editions. All have been highly acclaimed. Jenny Angel (which was inspired by her brother's death at the age of seven), illustrated by Anne Spudvilas, Fox, illustrated by Ron Brooks and The Very Best of Friends, illustrated by Julie Vivas are all winners of the CBC Picture Book of the Year Award.

Her most recent picture book with Penguin is Leo the Littlest Seahorse.

Terry Denton is among Australia's busiest literary creative forces and his work, either as a writer, illustrator or both, can be found in popular children's titles such as Gasp!, Duck for Cover and Sucked In!

Born in Melbourne in 1950, the second youngest of five boys, Terry originally studied architecture, but, unhappy with that course, he left Uni and set about discovering what kind of artist he really wanted to be. Over the next seven years he tried animation, painting, theatre, etching, sculpture, cartooning, and worked part-time with a friend running a music shop.

In 1984 he wrote and illustrated Felix and Alexander (Hodder Headline). It was published in 1985 and won the CBC Picture Book of the Year in 1986. Since then he has illustrated more than 30 books, ten of which he has also written.

In 1991-92 Terry worked for the Australian Children's Television Foundation on Lift-Off, acknowledged as one of the most innovative children's TV shows produced in Australia. He spent a year helping devise the program, and another year designing the puppets and the look of the program.

His work is characterised by a devious sense of humour, an adventurous and inventive drawing style and an informed flair for what interests and amuses kids.

Terry meets around 20,000 school kids throughout the year, generally talking, sometimes doing workshops and sometimes working with smaller groups designing and painting murals.

He lives by the beach with his wife and three kids, two dogs, a few chooks and a huge burial mound of previous pets. His hobbies include: bushwalking, ball sports, water sports, painting, strangling cats and visiting sick people in hospital.