An analysis of bestselling children's picture books has found characters are most likely to be white and male. But there's good news for one Australian picture book (about a female!) that's about to be adapted in to an animated musical.

Plus, Geoffrey Chaucer's life re-examined, and Jeannie Baker on collage.

Amitav Ghosh's new novel takes a well-known Indian legend and transplants it in to a contemporary world facing the realities of climate change.

Plus, Geoffrey Chaucer's life re-examined, and Jeannie Baker on collage.

Hi podcast listeners. We'd like to let you know that from July 2019, this podcast feed will be closing. Don’t worry, the program isn’t ending. You’ll be migrated over to our main podcast feed for the show where you can stay up to date with the Book Show every week and of course discover more on our website via abc.net.au/radionational/the-book-show. Thanks for listening.

Why is it so funny when two words are put together to make a new word like Dahl's gloriumptious?

In Sylvia Plath's many letters a complex picture emerges of her inner life.

Plus, The Letters of Sylvia Plath and a history of silliness — from Aristophanes to Roald Dahl.

Plus, The Letters of Sylvia Plath and a history of silliness — from Aristophanes to Roald Dahl.

As he explores new territory in his writing, the author jokes that he's looking to shed fans of his hit novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.