Hilarity meets high adventure in this irreverent story about a little boy who loves to run around in the nude!
"FUNNIEST. KIDS BOOK. EVER!"
The New York Rhymes
​
BAREBUM BILLY is a 'laugh-out-loud, snort-drink-out-your-nostrils' funny story about a little boy who loves to strip off and run around nude in the most inappropriate of places – his snooty neighbours’ manicured lawn, the supermarket, an art museum, the zoo, a golfing green, and even his local church!
Billy’s neurotic toy robot is horrified. His poor parents are mortified. Meanwhile, all sorts of conservative folk are fuming mad. Until one day when Billy meets someone special who helps turn his skill for streaking stark naked into a wonderful career.
Written by Nicholas Snelling and illustrated by the Australian political cartoonist of the year Glen Le Lievre, BAREBUM BILLY is a wild, satirical romp that brings to mind the likes of Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson and Dr Seuss, but with a few extra shots of red cordial.
Just announced as a finalist in the prestigious Aurealis Awards, BAREBUM BILLY has everything a classic kids book should have – catchy, rhyming verses, hilarious illustrations, a feel-good closing message, and of course, a happily-ever-after.
Design-wise, BAREBUM BILLY is also rather special. On every page, you'll find little artefacts and make-believe 'wear and tear'; from pretend sticky-tape over torn pages, to creases, folds, stress marks, dog-eared corners, smudges, grubby fingerprints, and water stains, etc.
​
While none of this 'damage' is real, it makes the book look and feel very like a much-loved old children's book that has been handed down from generation to generation.
"FUNNIEST. KIDS BOOK. EVER!"
The New York Rhymes
"BUMMER... WISH
I WROTE THIS BOOK"
William Shakespeare
​
"AN INSTANT
CLASSIC"
SomeRandomDudeInABookStore.com
"VOTED NO.1 CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE CENTURY"
Kids Picture Book Awards*
*(Totally Made-Up,Not a Real Thing)
BAREBUM BILLY was launched successfully through a global crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.com, raising $62,455.
You can watch the crowdfunding pitch video below (or on YouTube) that helped make the book such a hit with Aussie children, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, and basically anyone who ever remembers being a 'nudey-rudey' as a kid.
We've also been told that the BAREBUM BILLY song is insanely catchy, so who knows, maybe you'll see us pop up on Spotify or Apple Music sometime soon?
Watch the video for BAREBUM BILLY's successful crowdfunding campaign
The story that inspired BAREBUM BILLY
The whole inspiration for BAREBUM BILLY came from a silly rhyme that the author Nicholas Snelling used to sing his young kids.
​
"Whenever my two young boys would jump out of the bath, like most kids, they would run around stark naked and giggling like crazy.
​
"If you're a parent, you'll know that kids that age have an unfettered joy and innocence to them, and it's that sort of fun and silliness that's been woven into every line and every page of BAREBUM BILLY."