GET ready for some giggles and a whole lot of fun. Mt Eliza-based illustrator Karen Erasmus has launched her latest children’s picture book, Wombat Poos Are Square, which cheekily explores “another side” to Australian animals.
Blending humour and education, the book provides some intriguing facts about animal poo and its role in the environment including from the sparkly poops of echidnas, to the vital role of whale poo in supplying Earth’s oxygen.
While a wombat character is the main feature of the book, there are also nocturnal animals, reptiles, sea creatures and mischievous koalas to be discovered along the way.
Erasmus, who joined the book’s author Sophie Gillies as part of their first project together, has been illustrating material for children for many years. She migrated to Australia 20 years ago from the UK and loves the diversity and quirkiness of the wildlife, and felt fortunate to have been able to raise a family here. She lives with her three dogs, five chickens, grown-up children and husband.
Erasmus said she had done many picture books for the past 15 years with Wombat Poos Are Square being her second book with CSIRO Publishing. “I’d done a lot of children and pet type books and I honestly wanted to do some more, so two years ago I decided I would do more animal orientated pieces in my portfolio and CSIRO Publishing liked the look of what I was doing,” she said. “This book is just really sweet, it’s easy to read, it’s fun, it’s really accessible and children are hooked into it because it’s Australian and it’s interesting.”
Also a teacher and speaker, Erasmus will be running illustration workshops along the peninsula over the Easter school holidays, which coincides with the launch of Wombat Poos Are Square. She said she was more than happy to work with schools and institutions who would like her to talk about the book and her work as an illustrator.
First published in the Mornington News – 15 April 2025