Sophie Gillies: 'I enjoy teaching kids about the world and about language'
BY Katie Smart
1st Apr 2025
Sophie Gillies studied on our Writing a Children's Picture Book course in 2021. We caught up to discuss her debut picture book, Wombat Poos Are Square, illustrated by Karen Erasmus – out now from CSIRO Publishing.
Read on to find out more about Sophie's time studying with us, the inspiration behind her non-fiction picture book and her advice for engaging young readers.
Sophie, you took our Writing a Children’s Picture Book course in 2021 – what was your experience of studying online with us?
I thoroughly enjoyed the course. The assignments were fun, the tutor was encouraging, and there was a lot of interaction between the students. We were encouraged to comment on each other’s work in a positive, constructive way. Canberra was in the middle of our second Covid lockdown, so interacting with the other students on the course was an important outlet for me.
How did the course impact your approach to writing?
The tutor’s encouraging feedback gave me confidence that I could produce work of a publishable standard. The assignments were fun and helped me to tap into the things I enjoy about writing. The tutor gave in-depth feedback to different students each week, which freed me up to be a bit silly on some of the assignments, rather than trying to please the tutor every time. That reminded me of some of the things I enjoy about writing, and am good at, such as writing well-structured but entertaining rhymes.
Can you tell us a bit about your picture book Wombat Poos Are Square (illustrated by Karen Erasmus) and the inspiration behind it?
Wombat Poos are Square is a non-fiction picture book for five- to nine-year-olds. Using humorous – but scientifically accurate, fact-checked – rhyme, it teaches children the different features and ecological functions of Australian animals’ poo. It’s common knowledge that wombat poos are square, but most people probably don’t know that baby koalas eat their mothers’ poo (to get probiotics), echidna poos are sparkly, and whale poo is vital for the production of oxygen on earth! The information in the rhyming text is explained in more detail in the prose at the end of the book.
When my kids were toddlers learning to use the toilet, there were so many books for little kids about poo and wee, I could see this was a timelessly popular subject. I was trying to write a book for publication at the time and I experimented with various silly rhymes about poo before hitting on the idea of a non-fiction poem about Australian animal poo, centring on the refrain ‘And Wombat Poos are Square.’
How did your experience teaching English and Environmental Studies to children and adults help inform your decision to write this fun and informative book about Australian wildlife?
It’s not so much that those jobs influenced the decision to write the book, as that both career choices came from a similar place in me. I love wild, living things and places, I care about protecting them, and I enjoy teaching kids about the world and about language. I’ve had many jobs other than teaching; most recently working on climate change policies and programs as a public servant. But writing this book allowed me to come back to the best part of teaching environmental studies: the pleasure of engaging young kids with the natural world in an entertaining way.
Do you have any advice on how to tap into a humorous, playful tone that will engage young readers?
With so many unhappy things happening in the world, publishers are looking for books that will give kids a good laugh. If a sense of humour is part of who you are, then you can make it part of your writing. Spend time with kids, read to them, notice what they are interested in and what tickles their funny bones.
Finally, what’s next for your writing journey?
Right now, my focus is on getting Wombat Poos are Square out into the world, with lots of events to promote and sell it. When that settles down, I have a few ideas to pitch to publishers, but they are all top secret for now!
Get your hands on a copy of Wombat Poos Are Square.