A Mother's offering: Australia's first children's book ... an extraordinary tale of love, grief, scandal and an intriguing literary mystery

All Australian children know of the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Anderson. Most will have heard of Heidi, Pinocchio, and the Wizard of Oz. And the name of the first English children's writer has been immortalised in one of the world's most prestigious literary prizes, the John Newbery Award.