The Koala Boy of the Great Ocean Road

by Shannon L. Smith & Yani Lauwoie

A child’s book about a koala boy who lives on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria. The koala boy (a young child dressed in a koala suit) explores the natural environment of this picturesque area known for its pristine forests and beaches. The koala boy sleeps, crawls, climbs and explores. The style is pictorial (photographic) with simple text aimed at 1-2 year old listeners and 3-4 year old readers.

Yani Lauwoie is a former lifestyle journalist and magazine editor. She discovered the Great Ocean Road while raising her young family at Big Hill. Widely published in Indonesia, including the travelogue “Explore, Enjoy & Repeat”, this is her first children’s book.

Shannon Smith grew up on the Great Ocean Road. After living overseas for two decades, he returned to raise his young family at Big Hill. Author of many academic publications, this is his first foray into children’s pictorial literature.

ISBN: 9780645691702. 38 pages, text with colour photo illustrations (2022, Big Hill Publishing, Victoria)