Narelle Oliver was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia in 1960. She taught for several years at the Queensland School for the Deaf and tutored in language and children's literature subjects offered at the University of Southern Queensland.
She was a children's book author and illustrator. Her first picture book, Leaf Tail, was published in 1989. Her other books include The Best Beak in Boonaroo Bay, The Hunt, Sand Swimmers, The Very Blue Thingamajig, Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie, Home, Twilight Hunt, Fox and Fine Feathers, and Don't Let a Spoonbill in the Kitchen! Her books have received numerous awards including the Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year, CBCA Book of the Year for Early Childhood, CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, NSW Premier's Literature Award for Children's Literature, and Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature. She died after a long battle with cancer on October 4, 2016 at the age of 66.
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