Canberran author and illustrator Tania McCartney spent a year pondering what it meant to be Australian before putting pen to paper for her latest children's book.
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The result? Australia Illustrated, a beautifully-drawn, 96-page exploration of our nation and the differences between cultures in each state and territory.
"It's a visual compendium of Australia but done in a really unusual way because there's just so many books on Australia - which is great and we can never have enough of them - but I wanted to do something really different so the book has a real visual literacy focus, not so much on text," McCartney said.
"I wanted something where people could turn the page and not even know what was coming up."
Canberra, for its part, is recognised for its freak shakes, hot air balloons and the National Arboretum.
In New South Wales, horses ride bikes through the Snowy Mountains, and South Australia shows off its country fairs.
The book also celebrates multiculturalism, McCartney said.
"People want that - 'I'm a normal Australia, I might pray six times a day, but that's totally fine'," she said.
Australia Illustrated marks McCartney's 22nd book.
It will launch at Harry Hartog, Woden, on November 5 at 11am. The event will feature a book reading and signing.
