About the creators

A photo of Ben Wood and Andrew McDonald. They are smiling as Andrew gives Ben a silly squeeze. The text reads 'The world of Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood'

Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood are the bestselling creators of Real Pigeons and Twig Friends.

They have been working together since the first Real Pigeons book, which was released in 2018. Since then they have been busy collaborating on books, touring schools and meeting kids and families at public events.

They got the idea for Twig Friends during a ‘work picnic’, when they thought it would be funny to draw eyes on twigs. Picnics are great places to get ideas!

Andrew and Ben both live and work (and occasionally enjoy picnics) in Melbourne, Australia.

Two white men wear glasses and hold fake, over-sized pencil cutouts.

A photo of two white men with glasses – Andrew McDonald and Ben Wood. They are sitting at a book signing table at an event, talking to two kids and a parent, whose faces cannot be seen.

About Andrew

Andrew lives in Naarm/Melbourne and aims to write stories that make kids laugh, gasp and wonder about the world. His books have been shortlisted for prizes such as the CBCA Book of the Year awards, the Australian Book Industry Awards and the Readings Children’s Book Prize.

Visit Andrew’s website –>

A photo of Andrew McDonald, a white man wearing glasses and a friendly smile. He wears a yellow t-shirt and stands in front of a teal background.

About Ben

Ben is a children’s book illustrator based in Melbourne, Australia. Ben has illustrated picture books, junior fiction and non-fiction titles. He has worked with top publishers such as Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, Scholastic and Penguin Random House. Ben’s work has been shortlisted for the Children Book Council Australia, the Readings Children’s Book Prize, and the Australian Book Industry Awards in 2019 and 2020.

Visit Ben’s website –>

All photos: Alan Moyle