Donovan Bixley

[5] Bixley was head boy at Tauhara College, and went on to complete a Bachelor of Graphic Design at Auckland University of Technology.

His Tales of Aotearoa series of picture books, published simultaneously in English and Māori, retell the legends of Māui for a young audience.

"[15] In 2017, Bixley received the Mallinson Rendel Award,[9] and used the prize to fund a research trip to Italy for his biography of Leonardo da Vinci.

[17] The French language edition of Dogfight, the first book in Bixley's Flying Furballs series, was chosen for the Tatoulu Children's Choice Award in 2018.

[20] In the 2021 New Year Honours, Bixley was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to children's fiction and as an illustrator.

Bixley in 2021
A man in a top hat decorated with feathers sketches a drawing of a young Māori boy, next to copies of his books. A finished illustration is seen on a computer in the background, showing an ocean scene from the legend of How Māui Fished Up The North Island.
Pictured with his trademark top hat, at work on his Tales of Aotearoa series