Craig Smith (NZ)

Author, Storyteller/Performer

Craig is available in Melbourne (and other areas in Australia on request) in August 2012.

Craig Smith is the performer and author of The Wonky Donkey, the biggest selling picture book in Australia in 2010. It is still amongst the top 3 best selling children’s picture books, outsold only by Mem Fox’s Where’s the Green Sheep and Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

In late 2007, Craig released his first kids' album Not Just for Kids. The first track from this album — THE WONKY DONKEY – won the APRA NZ Children’s Song of the Year Award in 2008 and ended up making the top 25 songs in the children’s section of the ISC International Songwriting Contest — the world’s biggest song competition.

In 2009, The Wonky Donkey was published as a book with hilarious illustrations by Craig’s friend, Katz Cowley. The pair teamed up again for 2010’s Willbee the Bumblebee, based on a childhood story told by Craig’s mother and co-author, Maureen Thompson. Like The Wonky Donkey, Craig turned it into song.

Craig’s forthcoming work is All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth. The book is written by Don Gardner and illustrated by Katz Cowley and the CD is performed by Craig Smith.

Craig lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and will be touring for Booked Out in Queensland and Victoria during October/November 2011.