The making of Us!: Jackie French and Elin Matilda Andersson on creativity, imagination and childhood.

When we think about creativity, the first things that come to mind are often drawing, writing or making art. But creativity is much more than that.

It’s how adults and children express themselves, make sense of the world, and imagine what comes next.

For celebrated author Jackie French and illustrator Elin Matilda Andersson, creativity is at the very heart of childhood. Through Us!, a story shaped by the voices of children in Australia, they explore what it means for children to belong, connect with others and imagine their futures.

Originally hailing from Sweden, Elin has seen firsthand how creativity gives children the space to explore ideas, express themselves, and see the world from new perspectives. Whether through drawing, storytelling, music or play, creativity encourages children to think differently and discover their strengths.

“It’s about freedom of thought in a way,” she says. “Kids are naturally so free in their thinking and they haven’t been boxed in by these kinds of norms.”

When Jackie and Elin were approached to write and illustrate Us!, it was a task they were both excited to take on.

Through the lives of children in Australia, Us! explores the people, places and experiences that help children feel happy, healthy, safe and connected.

However, one of the challenges of creating Us! was transforming insights from the State of Australia’s Children report, developed in partnership with UNICEF Australia, ARACY and Minderoo Foundation, into a story children and families would genuinely want to read. Rather than focusing solely on children’s challenges, the team shifted their attention to what children need to feel happy, healthy, and connected.

– Jackie, author

By presenting the findings through fictional characters and stories rather than statistics alone, readers are invited to participate in the experience. To Jackie, stories allow people to connect emotionally in ways that facts often cannot. “It’s not just facts and figures. They are there and they’re experiencing it.”

When the story was fleshed out, a key part of creating Us! was ensuring that children could recognise themselves on the pages.

– Elin, illustrator

Stories can help children feel seen and understood, and for Elin, representation was important throughout the illustration process. “When a child from a minority group sees a character who looks like them, they can think, ‘Oh, they’re just like me,’” says Elin.

Us! invites children to step into experiences beyond their own, whilst also highlighting the relationships which shape our lives. With community and connection as central themes throughout the book, children can thrive when they know caring adults surround them, whether that’s parents, grandparents, teachers, mentors, or neighbours.

“The more of them you’ve got, the more secure a child will be and the more diverse their experience is going to be,” says Jackie. Through the story, she hopes children recognise that there is always someone they can turn to.

“There’s lots of people who love you and care about you. There’s going to be someone that you can go to with anything.”

For both creators, Us! became something greater than a simple retelling of research findings.

Elin spent time researching the diverse communities and environments featured throughout the story, ensuring children could see their own unique experiences reflected.

“Once I had the characters and their families, they started to take on a life of their own. I imagined details in their environments that could tell a story about who they were,” says Elin.

Meanwhile, Jackie approached the project with the understanding that a picture book is always a shared creative endeavour. “From the moment it left my hands, it became her book,” she says of Elin’s illustrations.

“You need to have enough trust in the illustrator to know that they are going to add their half of the story.”

As for Elin, “It’s been a great honour to work with Jackie, who is an icon. It’s been lovely collaboration to be part of.”

Together, their words and illustrations created something that both describe in remarkably similar terms: joyful.

At its core, Us! is about possibility. It’s about helping children understand that there are many ways to live, to belong and paths they can choose for themselves. For the creators, it comes back to one simple but powerful idea: giving young minds the freedom to imagine.

“I’d say to children and young people that whatever your life looks like right now, that doesn’t have to be all there is,” says Elin. “You can explore beyond it when you’re ready.” When children have the chance to tell stories, be creative, and connect with others, they can try new things, grow more confident, and feel like they belong. Giving them the freedom to share their ideas and see their own experiences reflected helps them feel heard, valued, and connected.

– Jackie, author

Whether read at home, in the classroom or together with friends, Us! can open conversations about what helps children feel happy, healthy, safe, and connected.