Ursula Dubosarsky and Tohby Riddle (Illustrator) - The Word Spy
Ursula Dubosarsky is widely regarded as one of the most talented and original writers in Australia today. She is the author of many outstanding books, both for young adults and for children. Ursula has won several awards for excellence, including the 1994 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards and the 1994 New South Wales State Literary Awards for The White Guinea Pig. The First Book of Samuel won the New South Wales Premier’s Ethnic Affairs Commission Award and was named an Honour Book in the 1996 Australian Children’s Book of the Year Awards. Abyssinia was shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award in the Young Adult category. Theodora’s Gift won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award in 2006, and The Red Shoe (Allen and Unwin) won the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award in 2006 also. Ursula lives in Sydney with her family.
Ursula Dubosarsky Photo by Stuart Spence
Tohby Riddle is the author/illustrator accountable for a number of picture books published both in Australia and internationally. These include Arnold Z Jones Could Really Play the Trumpet, The Royal Guest, The Tip at the End of the Street, which was awarded an International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour Diploma, Great Escape from City Zoo, which was shortlisted for both the Australian Children’s Book Council Award for Best Picture Book and the NSW Premier’s Award for Children’s Books, and The Singing Hat which was named an honour book in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards in 2001 and was the joint winner of the picture book section of the Wilderness Society Environmental Awards. His most recent picture book, Irving the Magician, was shortlisted for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award 2006. What’s the Big Idea? has been added to the Queensland Department of Education and the Arts list of recommended Curriculum titles for Years 10–12. Tohby lives in Sydney.
Tohby Riddle
The Word Spy
Dear Readers,
You may not know me, but I know you…
I am – the WORD SPY.
I have been in hiding for many, many years, but the time has now come at last for me to emerge from undercover and share some of the secrets I have learned in my many, many years as – the WORD SPY.
Oh! – there goes another word. I must be off!
Follow the WORD SPY as she uncovers the secrets of the English language. Discover the meaning of acronyms (like ATM and CD), clichés (such as ‘pretty as a picture’) and spoonerisms (‘Would you like a belly jean?’). Find out the history of the alphabet, punctuation, pen names and plurals. Learn how to trick your friends by speaking in Pig Latin or rhyming slang (‘I’m going out to ride my bike on the frog and toad. Want to come?’).
Full of games, puzzles, facts and riddles, The Word Spy is an entertaining, quirky and enlightening look at the English language.
Awards Shortlists 
