KEAN & Creative

16/09/2026

From expanding collections and recommendations, to helping every reader find books that resonate, The Little Bookroom owner Michael Earp spoke to Jen for the latest edition of Magpies Magazine, about the important role specialist independent booksellers can play in supporting schools, teachers and teacher librarians.

With teacher librarian roles increasingly under pressure, partnerships that support schools and help keep great books in the hands of young readers matter more than ever.

Thank you to James and the team at Magpies for continuing to create space for these important stories and for championing Australia’s children’s literature community.

📖 Read the feature article in Magpies Magazine Volume 41 No. 4 September 2026. How Michael Earp and The Little Bookroom are Working with Schools to Curate Collections and Create a Culture of Reading

✏️ Launched by children’s authors Kate and Jol Temple, add your name to over 18,000 signatures in the petition to mandate teacher-librarian roles in schools: https://www.change.org/p/mandate-qualified-teacher-librarians-in-schools

01/09/2026

With the 9th annual Just Write for Kids Pitch It! Competition announced, following the release of the newest Just Write for Kids Australia & Friends publication, Literally Hilarious! Families Gone Wild anthology last week, it felt like the perfect time to give Romi a little bit of the attention she so often gives to others.

From publicity and marketing to reviewing, writing and education, Romi brings an incredible breadth of knowledge, creativity and passion to everything she does.

We’re so lucky to have her as part of the KEAN & Creative team, and I’m delighted to support her work as a member of the judging panel for 2026.

Submissions open 1 September and close 30 September.

📎 Guidelines are available here: www.justkidslit.com/pitch-it-competition-2026/

You can find Romi at Books On Tour PR & Marketing

27/08/2026

Chuffed to have been asked to join the judging panel for this year. Happy pitching everyone! 📝

Just Write For Kids Australia Pitch It! Competition 2026 for writers of picture books, non-fiction, junior fiction, middle grade.

26/08/2026

Thank you, Dolly.

I grew up listening to your songs with my dad and being swept up in your stories.
With your unmistakable sparkle, as a storyteller, businesswoman, and philanthropist, you have built an enduring legacy.

What began as a way for you to honour your father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read and write, grew into an impactful global literacy program.

Thank you for understanding the power of a story.
Thank you for putting books into little hands.
And thank you for showing us that one person can make an extraordinary difference.

I will always love you.

Jen

21/08/2026

The KEAN & Creative Orchestra 🎼

This Book Week, we’re celebrating the KEAN & Creative ensemble — each playing a unique part in creating our own symphony while sharing a special connection to the world of children’s books.

🪄 Jennifer Kean — The Conductor
Guiding the vision and bringing the team together.
Founder and Director of KEAN & Creative, and CBCA Victoria Volunteer Branch member.

🎻 Chiara ‘Chi’ Mastrilli — The Arranger
Bringing stories, people and ideas together.
KEAN & Creative Communications Lead and Early Childhood Educator in training.

🎹 Allison Kean — The Composer
Education Specialist shaping and bringing The KEAN Classroom to life, drawing on more than 20 years of teaching experience.

🎺 Romi Sharp — The Amplifier
Connecting stories and voices with audiences as a publicist, reviewer, writer, educator and marketer.

✍🏻 Cassy Polimeni — The Lyricist & Accompanist
An award-winning author and editor, including a CBCA Notable, who also lends her talents behind the scenes at KEAN & Creative.

KEAN & Creative warmly congratulates all the CBCA 2026 nominees, Honour Book recipients and Book of the Year winners, along with their dedicated publishing teams.

And to everyone who creates, champions, shares and loves children’s books - we wish you a happy and harmonious Book Week! 🎼📚✨

19/08/2026

💡 All it can take is the right conversation to unlock your next big idea.

Whether you’re developing a book concept, refining your creative direction, navigating the publishing process, or looking for guidance on bringing your ideas to life, we’re here.

Thank you, Tony Flowers Tony Flowers, for your lovely testimonial about your experience with our consultancy services.

You, Me, Community, Tony’s latest picture book, written by Zanni Louise Zanni Louise Arnot, is out now through Walker Books.

🔓 Get thoughtful advice, insight and support from a creative partner who understands the publishing world.

16/08/2026

We’re proud to announce that KEAN & Creative has been appointed the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation’s preferred social media and communications team. 📯

This partnership naturally follows from working with renowned authors Sally Rippin Sally Rippin and Andy Griffiths Andy Griffiths during their respective terms as Children’s Laureates.

Through our new role with the Foundation, we’re helping champion its mission: to promote the transformational power of reading, creativity and story in the lives of young Australians.

“The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation is committed to inspiring a lifelong love of reading and championing the value of children’s literature. Having dedicated social media support enables us to amplify our message, celebrate the work of our Laureates, and connect with educators, families, and readers across Australia. We’re delighted to be working with KEAN & Creative to help share these stories and strengthen our reach.”

— Bruce Ellis, Chair, Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation (ACLF) Australian Children's Laureate Foundation (the ACLF)

We’re excited to be part of this exciting new chapter for ACLF. 📚

— KEAN & Creative x

11/08/2026

✨ B is for Beginning… and for the stories that come full circle ✨

The Billie B Brown series holds such a special place in my heart. Seventeen years ago, I was lucky enough to work on the launch and publicity campaigns from its inception, before travelling around Australia and New Zealand in 2012 on tour with Sally Rippin and Aki Fukuoka.

I’ve always felt like I’ve played a supporting role in the Billie B Brown story — and Sally made that connection even more special when she surprised me by writing the character ‘Jen’ into a storyline in one of the books! 💛

Aki gifted me this special piece of personalised artwork all those years ago, and it has had pride of place in my home office ever since. It says “Jen’s KEAN publicity”… did she know something back then? ✨

Fast forward to today, and I find myself running KEAN & Creative, still working alongside Sally and Aki and continuing to be part of the Billie B Brown journey. Reuniting with Aki after all this time was such a lovely moment — our lives have grown and changed, we’ve both become mothers (our kids now read Billie and Jack!), but we’re still connected by this enduring series that brought us together.

And perhaps the most magical part… over a decade ago, I manifested becoming Sally’s personal assistant and somehow that wish became my reality. How lucky am I? 💫

B is for Beginning.
B is for Billie.
B is for Believing in the stories and dreams that grow with you. ❤️

Billie B Brown is now available as a graphic novel! Find Secret Mystery Club: Spooky House wherever good books are sold.

06/08/2026

Every great storyteller deserves a social presence that captures the same magic as their work—and we're excited to be part of that journey with Kristin Darell Writer.

Children's author, former broadcast journalist, and passionate advocate for children's literacy, Kristin has built a career around the power of storytelling.

At KEAN & Creative, we're proud to support Kristin with her social media as she continues to grow her author brand, expand her reach, and connect with readers, schools, and communities across Australia.

📖 Her latest book It’s a Twin Thing: The Big Switch is out now from Penguin Books Australia

30/07/2026

One last leap... the final instalment of Cassy Polimeni's award-winning Ella series is here! 🐸 🌿

We’re so excited to be working on the PR for Ella and the Call of the Wild – the fourth and final book in the junior fiction series.

We’re helping launch the final book to the kid-lit community and its readers with a book launch in Sydney, in-person events, bookstore window displays, blog features, and much more.

For the very first time, the talented creators behind the series, author Cassy Polimeni and illustrator Hykie Kwong Breeze, will be together in person at the Sydney book launch event — a fitting celebration of the creative partnership behind the Ella series.

Over the past two years, we’ve loved creating tailored campaigns for each release, with every book bringing its own story, themes and opportunities to connect with readers. Embraced by families, schools and libraries alike, it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch the series grow.

Along the way, Ella has received well-deserved industry recognition, including a place on the CBCA Australia Notables list and has been shortlisted for the 2026 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards (winners announced in October).

Ella and the Call of the Wild is out in August from UWA Publishing.

Pre-order now and collect them all! 💚💙🧡💜