A Darwin tradie has won a prestigious literary award for a picture book inspired by his daughter's efforts to ride a bike.
Darren McCallum makes a living as a house painter, and his first book The Wobbly Bike has won the early childhood category at the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards.
The father of two says he has long dreamed of publishing a story, and remembers seeing the silver and gold book of the year stickers in the library as a kid.
"When I was growing up and going to the library, and I found a book with one of these special awards, I would pick it up and think 'Wow, this must be really good book'," he said.
"To think I've written a book with one of those stickers on it is surreal and awesome."
The awards have been announced at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on Friday, as the Children's Book Council celebrates its 80th anniversary, along with Children's Book Week which starts Saturday.
Illustrated by Craig Smith, The Wobbly Bike was inspired by McCallum's daughter Summer, who at the age of three started calling her bicycle "wobbly bike" when her parents removed the training wheels.
The book was developed through a Northern Territory writing workshop named Octopus, and it has been some years in the making - Summer is now 15.
The Wobbly Bike encourages kids to be kind and inclusive, and to never give up.
It stars grandparents among the characters, partly because families rely on grandparents more than ever, according to McCallum.
The book also shows off the beauty and multiculturalism of suburban Darwin, with Indigenous children included in the tale under the guidance of Larrakia elder Richie Fejo.
It's a multi-layered tale that shows anyone can write a story, says McCallum: "You don't have to be the smartest kid in the class, we all have imaginations, and we can use them."
The judges assessed 730 books to find the winners, representing the work of 555 writers and 368 illustrators.
About 4000 children also participated in the award's shadow judging initiative, choosing their favourites alongside the main awards.
Both big and little judges agreed on The Truck Cat for picture book of the year, and Laughter is the Best Ending as the winner for younger readers.
CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA BOOK OF THE YEAR WINNERS:
* Older Readers - I'm Not Really Here, Gary Lonesborough
* Younger Readers - Laughter is the Best Ending, Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks
* Early Childhood - The Wobbly Bike, Darren McCallum, illustrated by Craig Smith
* Picture Book - The Truck Cat, Danny Snell, illustrated by Deborah Frenkel
* Eve Pownall Award - Always Was, Always Will Be, Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson
