Author and illustrator
Peter Carnavas attended Currimundi State School for Year Six and Seven, in 1990 and 1991. He had two wonderful teachers during this time, Ms Janis Barringham and Mrs Carol James.
One day in Year Six, Peter handed in his homework with a picture of Ms Barringham beside it. When Ms Barringham saw it, she liked it so much that she asked Peter to draw a picture of EVERY TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL! It took him a long time to do it - and he threw a few tantrums along the way - but he finally finished drawing every staff member. It was one of the most important things that happened to Peter as a kid, as it inspired him to keep drawing. Best of all, he was given a block of chocolate for his effort.
After Currimundi State School, Peter attended Caloundra State High School, then studied at university in Brisbane, eventually becoming a teacher. It was during his time teaching that he became interested in making picture books, so he sharpened his pencils, bought some sketchbooks, and started drawing and drawing and drawing… just like he had done as a kid.
Peter’s first book, Jessica’s Box, was released in 2008 and was nominated for several national awards. Many books have followed, such as Last Tree in the City, The Children Who Loved Books and The Boy on the Page. In 2016, Peter’s book Blue Whale Blues was voted the winner of the Crystal Kite Award by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, a group of authors and illustrators from all over Australia. Some of Peter’s books have been turned into theatre productions and some have been featured on ABC Television’s Playschool. His work has also been translated into many languages, such as German, Portuguese, Italian, Korean and Dutch.
Currimundi State School was a wonderful place to learn and grow and Peter is very grateful for everything the teachers did to make the school a fun and interesting place. He is also very grateful for the block of chocolate.
