Author Christopher Cheng has taught infants and primary classes at schools across New South Wales and has also spent some time working at Purdue University (USA) developing science-based educational CD-ROMs.
Since 2004 Chris has been an active National Ambassador for the federal government's National Literacy and Numeracy Week campaign (www.literacyandnumeracy.gov.au), creating lists of great Australian books, reading hints for parents and caregivers, and attending ceremonies. He is a popular speaker, panellist and presenter for both children and adults. He has also presented talks both here in Australia and in American universities on Australian Children's Literature and on being a children's author. He has appeared on television and radio on a number of occasions and featured in a number of newspaper and magazine article both here and abroad. He has also hosted and MC'd many children's literature functions including those for NSW CBCA branches and the 2006 National Literacy and Numeracy Week luncheon.
Chris has been a regular guest at book fairs, libraries, schools and children's book events, including Nestle Write Around Australia and the Sydney Writers' Festival, and has been a mentor for the CBCA Frustrated Writers competition. He has been a judge of the NSW Premier's Literary Awards and he holds a Master of Arts in Children's Literature from Macquarie University.
His favourite school was one that many Sydney children visited on excursions - Taronga Zoo. Chris once taught at the zoo's Education Centre (when he wasn't zooming around in his Zoomobile!).
‘It was a great time at the zoo meeting lots of celebrities and working with the keepers and the other animals there, but the best part was teaching children,' Chris explained.
‘At the zoo there was also lots of television work to do - I would pop up on lots of different television shows and usually with an animal or three. And it was here where I also wrote my first published book, Night Creatures.'
Chris has also written The Eyespy Book of Endangered Animals; Ginger Meggs & Friends Pet Care Book; The Eyespy Book of Rainforest Animals; The Eyespy Book of Party Animals; One Child; Rainforests; and Alpine Regions.
His latest Scholastic titles are New Gold Mountain and The Melting Pot in the My Australian Story series.
Chris lives in Sydney and is now a full-time author.
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