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Donna Rawlins Donna Rawlins i(A45594 works by) (a.k.a. Donna Belinda Rawlins)
Also writes as: Sybel Harlin
Born: Established: 1956 Sunshine, Keilor - Sunshine area, Melbourne - West, Melbourne, Victoria, ;
Gender: Female
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BiographyHistory

Donna Rawlins spent her formative years in Melbourne, Victoria, and has worked as an illustrator, author, designer and editor. Rawlins began her career somewhere between photography, printing and publishing, then worked for Thomas Nelson as an illustrator and designer. From 1983 to 1984 she lectured in Graphic Design at Chisholm Institute. In 1984 she set up her own freelance business as an illustrator, designer and packager. Although she had been publishing education texts for some time, the success of her trade picture books The Kinder Hat and Tucking Mummy In (both written by Morag Loh) led to Scholastic appointing her to edit her own list for them. Noted for researching the factual accuracy of her illustrations, Rawlins has often featured rich background detail in her work.

Rawlins has worked as an art teacher and has nurtured other artists including Wayne Harris, with whom she has collaborated in setting up the design studio Monkeyfish. Together, they also established a children's book illustration course at the University of Sydney, which has been attended by artists such as Emma Quay.

Rawlins has lived in Sydney, New South Wales and in the Lower Blue Mountains, outside of Sydney. She has co-illustrated with her husband David Francis.

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon The Amazing Meals of Martha Maloney Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2021 22444493 2021 single work picture book children's

'A tasty treat of a book where a precocious and imaginative child dines with important historical figures.

'On a school trip to the Museum of Famous People, Martha Maloney wanders off and enjoys the culinary delights of important figures through time, much to the dismay of her teacher. Readers can experience history through the dining tables of King Henry VIII, Princess Marie Antoinette, Queen Nefertiti and more, with heaped servings of information about each time period and their culinary customs. This unique picture book weaves together fiction and non-fiction to create a delicious read for inquisitive young minds.' (Publication summary)

2022 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Eve Pownall Award
y separately published work icon Waves : For Those Who Come Across the Sea Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2018 14045297 2018 single work picture book non-fiction children's

'Every journey is perilous, every situation heartbreaking. Every refugee is a person forced by famine or war or fear to leave their home, their families, their friends and all they know. Children have travelled on the waves of migration to the shores of Australia for tens of thousands of years. 

'This book tells some of their stories.Waves is a narrative non-fiction book about the waves of migration to the shores of Australia.' (Publication summary)

2019 highly commended Educational Publishing Awards Australia Primary Educational Picture or Chapter Book
2019 shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Eight to 10 Years
2019 shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
2019 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Notable Book Eve Pownall Award
y separately published work icon The Firefighters Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2008 Z1472699 2008 single work picture book children's
2009 Shortlisted Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards Best Language Development Book for Young Children (2005-2013)
Last amended 23 Jun 2015 09:27:39
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