Nimbin
A teal, shaggy woodland creature with three leafy fronds that catch raindrops and droop into breakfast. He counts everything, has firm opinions, and makes very confident plans that don't quite work.
Picture books for ages 3 and up
Whimblewood
Funny, tender stories about curious creatures finding their way, together.
Hear when Nimbin is ready
Placeholder art: cover of Nimbin and the Little Weather
The first Whimblewood story
Nimbin and the Little Weather
A read-aloud picture book for ages 3 to 4 (and the grown-ups reading it).
It's picnic day, and Nimbin has counted the blackberries twice. Forty! Then, at breakfast, a small grey cloud settles over his head. Plip. Plop. Right into his porridge.
A saucepan won't hide it. Neither will a purple woolly sock, or a very loud laugh. Luckily, Old Winkle next door doesn't mind a drop of rain.
A story about the weather we carry inside, and the friends who make room for us anyway.
| Ages | 3 to 4, for reading together |
|---|---|
| Format | A square, full-colour picture book. Final format to be confirmed with our printer |
| Status | Being illustrated now |
"Nimbin laughed until the laugh ran out."
"My shell is very good for leaning," said Old Winkle.
Meet the friends
Who you'll meet in the first book.
Old Winkle
The elderly snail next door, with brass glasses, unruly eyebrows and a whole crooked cottage on his shell. Patient, a bit particular, and always happy to catch a drip in a bucket.
Tibbet
A whirl of coral-red maple leaves with a curly stem on top. Quick, chatty and hopeless at waiting, she's usually the one organising the game.
Pumble
Low, wide and mossy, with tiny mushrooms on his back. He doesn't say much. He doesn't need to.
Wisp and Wumble
Two dandelion puffs who are never far from a game. Wisp notices the tiny things; Wumble is usually halfway there already. You'll spot them in the pictures.
What the stories are about
Every Whimblewood book is a proper story first: something funny, a problem to solve and friends close by. The bigger ideas sit quietly underneath. Across the series, the characters:
- notice how a feeling sits in their body, and try to put it into words
- work out what might help, and ask for it
- find their own courage, at their own pace
- make room for each other, take turns, and fix things when they go wrong
- get curious, ask questions and solve problems together
In Nimbin and the Little Weather, that means hiding a feeling, being noticed kindly, finding the words for it ("Heavy. Like that sock."), and being welcome while it's still raining.
Growing with your reader
Whimblewood starts with picture books for the very young, and is planned to grow up with its readers: gentle read-alouds first, then longer, twistier stories for older children.
Read-aloud picture booksAges 3–5
Book 1 is being illustrated now
Book 1 is being illustrated now
Longer picture booksAges 5–8
Ideas in development
Ideas in development
Stories for older readersAges 8–13
Ideas in development
Ideas in development
We'll only announce a book when it's really ready.
Optional image
Who makes Whimblewood
I'm [Mia / pen name], a parent in [place], Australia. Whimblewood started at our own bedtime reading: I wanted stories that are properly funny and properly kind, where nobody has to cheer up before they're welcome.
I write and direct every book myself, using AI-assisted illustration tools, and I choose and correct every picture until it's right. [One personal detail you're happy to share.]
Hear about new books
Leave your email and we'll write when there's something worth sharing: a first look at the art, a new book, or a story moment to enjoy together.