Laura Shallcrass

Laura Shallcrass is an artist and author, and a busy mum of two boys. One son is already better than her at maths, while the other is animal obsessed and cuddly.

She works from her home in the hills near Queenstown, New Zealand, where she lives with her husband and children, along with an ever-growing zoo of furry friends. So far these include three horses: Giddy, who is enormous but kind, Taffy the pony, and Cash, who is overexcited and likes to party, Kota, the Labrador, and Frida, the whippet.

Laura’s first book, Hare & Ruru, won the Russell Clark Award for Best Illustrated Book at the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. It was also shortlisted for the NZ Booklovers Children’s Book Award 2021, and the PANZ Design Awards 2021 for Best Children’s Book.