Cirrus@Austlit

'Creating Cuddlepie tells the of the life of May Gibbs, from her early childhood in England through to her journey to a new home in Australia, and her many creative achievements along the way that culminated in the creation of the gumnut babies: Cuddlepot, Snugglepie and a host of other enchanting bush characters. It describes her early days as a young artist, achieving acclaim in particular for her botanical artwork, and her ventures into pictorial journalism, political cartoons, fashion, and feminist causes. With the advent of World War I, she created postcards and other illustrated ephemera that would bring great comfort to the troops at war with their messages of heartfelt support and greetings from home. Her earliest visions for the famous gumnut babies came to her in a dream and would be cherished by generations of children and adults to come. More than 100 years since the birth of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, May Gibbs remains one of the greatest Australian illustrators and story-tellers of all time.'  (Publication summary)