ILLUSTRATOR / SILK PAINTER

Kim Michelle Toft is a full time silk artist who has exhibited her work within Australia and overseas. With ten years teaching experience behind her, Kim made to move to become a full time silk painter 14 years ago and says that she still finds it both "challenging and rewarding". She's also found it to be an excellent medium for her children's book illustration.

Her books reflect her love of the beautiful underwater creatures and her desire to help the next generation understand the importance of its preservation.

Her first children's book, ONE LESS FISH (UQP, 1997), won an honour book award in the 1998 Australian Book Council Awards and was shortlisted for the Koala Awards and the Wilderness Society Book Awards. 1998 saw the publication of NEPTUNE'S NURSERY, also through UQP, with TURTLE'S SONG following in 2001.

Kim's latest masterpiece is THE WORLD THAT WE WANT. Full of beautiful silk painting illustrations, it is sure to captivate its young readers. The book is a reflection of coastal life, especially that of the ocean. Published in 2004, illustrations from THE WORLD THAT WE WANT will be toured around Australia by National Geographic.

***Kim Toft's eagerly awaited next book is THE ABC OF THE DEEP BLUE SEA, which is due out early 2006 and promises to be every bit as good as her earlier books.***

Kim's latest masterpiece - THE WORLD THAT WE WANT has been awarded a CBCA Notable Book in the children's information book category***