Bio

Phil Cummings is an award winning author of over seventy books for children (from picture books to novels) in a career that has spanned thirty years.

His work has been published in Australia, New Zealand, U.S, Japan, China, South Korea, Canada, U.K. and throughout Europe.

He is a registered teacher and has been a Premier’s Reading Challenge Ambassador in South Australia since its inception in 2004.

Phil’s book ‘Boy’ Illustrated by Shane Devries and published by Scholastic Press was the Winner of the Children’s Peace Literature Award 2017 and shortlisted for WAYBRA – Western Australian children’s choice awards – February 2018. Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards – Notable Book 2018 and was shortlisted for Book of the Year in the Early Childhood category.

‘Feathers’ Illustrated by Phil Lesnie and Published by Scholastic Press was a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book in 2018.

‘Wilbur, Grace and Joe’ Illustrated by Amanda Graham and published by the Little Book Press, was a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book in 2018.

In 2008 Phil’s novel Danny Allen was here, a book based on Phil’s childhood memories of growing up in a small country town, was shortlisted for the prestigious Children’s Literature Awards at the Adelaide Festival of Arts. In 2012 The SA Primary Schools Festival of Music commissioned John Schumann of Redgum fame, to write a suite of songs based on Danny Allen was here. This saw 300 primary school choirs perform in over twenty concerts at the Adelaide Festival Theatre and regional theatres.

Phil’s bestselling book ANZAC Biscuits was published by Scholastic in March 2013 and was shortlisted for the Western Australian Young Book Readers Awards and has been named a Notable Book by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. The book was also chosen by the SA Festival of Music to be the basis for a new commissioned work to commemorate the Gallipoli centenary in 2015. 2013 also saw the publication of the picture book Night Watch with Working Title Press and publisher Jane Covernton who published Phil’s first book Goodness Gracious! with Omnibus Books back in 1989! Night Watch, illustrated by Janine Dawson, was shortlisted for the 2013 Australian Speech Pathology Children’s Book Awards.

Phil’s books ANZAC Biscuits, Boom Bah! and Night Watch were presented to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as a gift to their son Prince George to commemorate their visit to Australia in 2014.

Bridie’s Boots, illustrated by award winning illustrator Sara Acton, was released in September 2014 and was named a Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Book. It was also shortlisted for the 2015 Speech Pathology Children’s Book Awards.

Phil’s book, Ride, Ricardo, Ride! illustrated by Shane Devries was published to critical acclaim by Omnibus Scholastic in March 2015. It was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year in 2016 and was named an Honour Book at the awards ceremony in Sydney in August 2016.

Newspaper Hats Illustrated by Owen Swan and published by Scholastic was released in July 2015 and has been published in the U.S. and Japan.

Be Brave, Pink Piglet Illustrated by the award winning Sarah Davis and published by Hachette was released in October 2015.

2016 saw the release of Echidna Jim Went for a Swim illustrated by Laura Wood and published by Scholastic.

In recent times Phil has also co-written two musicals for children that are available online for schools to perform. Both musicals, created with Glyn Lehmann, renowned songwriter, composer and arranger, are a complete package, containing backing tracks, music sheets, scripts , ideas for classroom teachers, everything that schools need to perform the work in their own chosen environment. The first musical is entitled Arlie Abbstock and the Incredible Cape, and is available from: http://www.songlibrary.net for schools to produce and perform as part of their Performing Arts program. The second musical, One Drop of Rain, is set in a harsh rural landscape and covers themes of drought, family, resilience, the importance of creative play and a child’s imagination. The musicals are available online through the song library http://www.songlibrary.net.

A Book Will Take You There is a song Phil and Glyn wrote for schools to use in Book Week and is also available on the song library. http://www.songlibrary.net

Phil has a number of new works in production.