I write picture books to cultivate curiosity, compassion and connection.
Jemima Shafei-Ongu is a Sydney-based writer, psychologist and teacher, with a passion for picture books and a strong commitment to inclusion and diverse representation in children's literature.
Jemima's writing is dedicated to fostering connection, well-being, and a sense of belonging by depicting diversity as a natural way of being in the world. She enjoys sharing stories from her family's rich heritage and the communities she is connected to.
Jemima’s picture books include Aslan and Benny (illustrated by Jade Goodwin, Penguin Random House); A Lemon for Safiya (illustrated by Nisaluk Chantankom, Hachette); and Shirin and Amir and the Dragon Smoke (with Liz Drummond, illustrated by Magie Khameneh, Little Steps).
When she’s not writing, Jemima enjoys watercolour painting, learning the darbuka and playing lip sync battles with her adult daughters. She resides on unceded Dharug land with her partner, their mini schnauzer and whichever of their three daughters is in the country at the time.
“Children need windows and mirrors. They need mirrors in which they see themselves and windows through which they see the world.”
Rudine Sims Bishop, U.S. children’s writer, children’s literature scholar
ASLAN AND BENNY
Aslan is fearless! But when his cousins get a new dog, he doesn't feel so brave. A warm and relatable picture book for anyone who’s ever felt stuck by their worries and needed help to do what matters most to them.
