Jodie McLeod

A celebration of Christmas in the Australian bush

My mission is to create a beautiful Australian Christmas picture book for children, illustrated by Eloise Short, titled The 12 Birds of Christmas.

About the book

The 12 Birds of Christmas features 12 of Australia’s most 'Christmassy' birds and most stunning native plants and flowers, all illustrated by flora and fauna artist Eloise Short. Weaving it together is a fun poem that makes kids want to count, spot and guess what bird is on the next page.

This is a uniquely Australian book that celebrates the beauty of our birds and nature, as well the spirit of Christmas itself, with themes of giving, community and kindness.

Each bird has been chosen for its Christmassy colour and/or character, so there’ll be some birds kids know well, and some they might not have seen before. 

The result is a book that delights and entertains, 
while fostering a love for birds and the beauty 
of the Australian bush from the earliest age. 

Inspiration

Living in the Blue Mountains, Australia, I am constantly inspired by the animals and nature here, and especially the native birds and flowers.

Every December I am struck by how beautifully our local crimson rosellas and king parrots tie in with the Christmas colour theme. Eventually, the idea for a picture book that celebrated these beautiful birds started to form.

With Eloise’s extraordinary talent for painting native fauna and flora, I knew The 12 Birds of Christmas would be a Christmas book that Australian families would cherish.

Connecting kids with nature

At the heart of my inspiration for this book – and all of my books published with Wollemi Press – is the desire to help children connect with the natural world through storytelling and art. If we can help instil a love for the natural world from an early age, then the hope is that love and care for the environment will stay with them throughout life.

PRE-ORDER

To make sure this book is out before Christmas 2025 we are calling on everyone to PRE-ORDER your copies of The 12 Birds of Christmas now by making a pledge through this Pozible campaign.

Is there a difference between a pledge and a pre-order? 

No! Making a pledge is effectively pre-ordering the book. How much you pledge determines how many books you receive, and whether you receive any extras, such as your child’s name in the book, an original artwork or a school visit from the author (that’s me!). You are guaranteed to receive one or more copies of the book, depending on the reward you choose over to the right >>>

This is not just handing over money for nothing: By making a pledge you will receive your book/s – and more- in return for your cash.

Why should I pre-order?

I am only ordering a limited number of copies through my new small (tiny!) publishing house – Wollemi Press – so making a pledge right here, right now, is the only way to ensure you get a book before Christmas 2025.

PLUS, this is the only opportunity to receive a bunch of exclusive rewards, such as your child’s name in the book or an author visit to your child’s school.

You can also relish the feeling of supporting a locally created, independently published book that will bring joy to children and families everywhere this Christmas. 

Who is the book for? 

The 12 Birds of Christmas is for children from preschool to primary-school age*, and as it will be published on 1 October this year, it is the PERFECT gift for Christmas in 2025. 

*Note: this book is also for adult bird lovers who wish to marvel at Eloise's illustrations while reading to their little ones!

When will it be delivered?

We are set to deliver the book by 1 October, 2025, if we receive your support now.

So please – make your pledge!

Pre-order now, and make sure you get your copies of The 12 Birds of Christmas. 

About the author

My name is Jodie McLeod and I’m the author of the award-winning children’s books, illustrated by Eloise Short:

• The Black Cockatoo With One Feather Blue (CBCA Notable 2024, Whitley Award for Best Children’s Book from the Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2024, Shortlisted Best Picture Book – KOALA/YABBA Awards 2024),
• Leonard the Lyrebird (Winner of the Whitley Award for Best Children’s Book from the Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2019, Shortlisted Best Picture Book – KOALA/YABBA Awards 2019), and its follow-up, 
• Lilah the Lyrebird

These are published through my own imprint Wollemi Press – publisher of stories worth sharing.

Based in the Blue Mountains, I'm also a copywriter, journalist, editor and mum to two girls aged 9 and 11. I've completed a Bachelor of Creative Writing (Hons) at the University of Wollongong, and am thrilled to be bringing this next children’s book to life.

You can see more of my work (and side projects) here.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.

About the illustrator

Hi, my name is Eloise Short and I’m an illustrator, textile designer and artist, based in the Blue Mountains where I live with my family. I loved illustrating The Black Cockatoo, as well as Leonard and Lilah, and I’m looking forward to working with Jodie again and revisiting the Australian bush and painting some of Australia’s most beautiful birds and flowers.

We all know the positive benefits that come from reading to our kids from the moment they’re born but there is another reason that stories like this should be told.

Most Australians live in urban environments and don’t get regular opportunities to directly connect with our amazing flora and fauna, yet the future of our planet relies on humans feeling connected to the natural world and wanting to protect it. Igniting a passion for and inspiring our children to connect with nature is key to this and I feel books like The 12 Birds of Christmas provide an opportunity for this connection to happen.

But at its heart, this is simply a beautiful, fun, read-aloud Christmas picture book filled with birds and flowers, and I know children are going to enjoy reading it and hearing it over and over again.

Thank you so much in advance if you pledge to help make this book happen. We can’t wait to deliver the finished product to you!

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

Having published three children’s books now, I know the costs involved in creating a high-quality hardcover book. I also realise we are in difficult times, and spending money on the arts is a challenge for some. For this reason I am setting our goal conservatively at $12k, but if reached within the timeframe I would hope to stretch this to $15k, which would mean a larger order of books, and the chance to get this beautiful book into the hands and hearts of more children.

The money raised through this crowdfunding campaign will be used to fund:

• Illustration
• Production
• Graphic design
• Typesetting
• Editing
• Cover design
• Printing
• Shipping

The wonderful thing about making a pledge is that you will receive an actual thing for your money! You’re essentially pre-purchasing a lovely, locally created product that will bring the children in your life joy for years to come. How’s that for value?!