New Children's Laureate Gabrielle Wang says her theme is Imagine a Story

As the seventh Australian Children's Laureate, a role that began in 2012, she said the theme of her two-year role would be Imagine a Story.

"I'll be encouraging children and young people to read stories, write stories and draw stories," Ms Wang said.

"Imagination is our greatest treasure. It's like a muscle - if you don't use it, you lose it."

She said stories could teach people about aspects of life that were usually out of their control.

"I'm fourth-generation Australian Chinese: my great-grandparents came here in 1853 during the gold rush," Ms Wang said. She related to the fable of the Ugly Duckling.

"When I was very young there were very few Asian faces in the street and people bullied me but eventually I grew into something else."

These feelings helped inspired her semi-autobiographical first book, The Garden of Empress Cassia (2002).

Stories could also "help us understand one another," she said.

Ms Wang hoped to travel around the country, particularly regional areas, to hold workshops, and said a Canberra visit was scheduled for 2023.

See: childrenslaureate.com.au.