Janet Slater Bottin

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bottin, Janet Slater (Janet Slater Redhead) (1940 –) is a children's writer, and a writer of fiction, non-fiction and drama for adults. She has published eighty books for children since her first picture story book was published in 1985, The Big Block of Chocolate. Her first junior novel, Call of the Kotuku, was published in 1986.

Several of her popular books for junior readers have been adapted for radio, and her stories have appeared on children's television programmes. In 1990 her second junior fiction book, Pins and Needles (1989), was Hodder and Stoughton's bestselling title in any category. The Big Block of Chocolate was awarded a Premier New Zealand Bestseller Gold Award in 2004. The Big Block of Chocolate written by Janet Slater Bottin and illustrated by Jeffy James (2003) remains a favourite not only for its sweet topic, but for the rhyme and rhythm of the text which is a delight to read aloud.

Further titles from Janet Slater Bottin include The Trouble With Oatmeal (2000), Ice Cream Snow (2001), and The Fizzy Orange Soft Drink (2002). The Truth about Toffee (2003) is by Janet Slater Bottin and designer, Alice Bell. The story follows Skye, and what she will have to do to save her horse, Toffee, from the Pet Food Factory. Miss Primrose and the Missing Bulbs (Scholastic), with illustrations by Claire de Zoete, was released in 2005 as was Miss Primrose and the Empty Corner (Scholastic). In 2006, Miss Primrose and the Mystery Mouse and Miss Primrose and the Stolen Salami were both published by Scholastic.

The Fizzy Orange Soft Drink won Best in Illustration at the 2002 Spectrum Print Book Design Awards.

The Queue that Grew (Scholastic, 2007), illustrated by Graeme Kyle, is the story of a little green 'pedestrian signal' man who goes on strike.' The author gets right into the psyche of small children in this simple story.' Magpies, Vol 23, Issue 2, May 2008, p.4 (NZ section)

Janet Slater Bottin has also published the junior fiction title Best Looking Nose in the World (Createspace (Amazon)), and the teen novel Barefoot in a Prickle Patch (Createspace (Amazon)).

MEDIA LINKS AND CLIPS

• Janet Slater Bottin is available for school visits as part of Writers in Schools
• An interview with Janet Slater Bottin on the Christchurch City Libraries site
• Short story: 'Mrs Crankshaft's Incredible Car'