The books are fully illustrated by Michael's son Joe who as well as being a talented artist is an amazing young film-maker and along with his wife Rita Artmann make up Artspear Entertainment the creators of the extremely popular TOON SANDWICH film trailer spoofs on You Tube.

Michael has also written a series of three humorous books for younger readers: Eric Vale Epic Fail (BILBY Award Winner 2014 KOALA Honour Book 2014) Eric Vale Super Male (CBCA Notable Book 2014) and Eric Vale Off the Rails (Selected as one of the 2013 GET READING 50 Books You Can't Put Down). Michael’s other books include, Dinosaur Knights a 2010 CBCA Notable Book described as ‘an original and adrenalin-pumping adventure’, You Turkeys! an illustrated chapter book, part of the Scholastic Mates series for early readers, and Just a Dog which was named Honour Book in the 2011 CBCA awards in the Younger Readers category and won the 2011 Queensland Premier's award for best Children's Book. It was shortlisted for the 2012 CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers. The final book in the trilogy Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel and was released in July 2011. Its sequel Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs was a 2008 CBCA Notable book. It was also included in the 2007 White Ravens selection for Outstanding International Books for children and young adults. In 2007 his second novel, a ‘laugh out loud’ comedy entitled Don’t Call Me Ishmael! was short-listed in both the CBCA awards and the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and won the 2007 Children’s Peace Literature Award and the 2008 South Australian Festival Award for Children’s Literature. In 2009 the Italian translation of The Running Man was a finalists for the “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento” Prize. In 2014 it was short-listed for the Prix Farniente in Belgium.

In 2008 the German translation of The Running Man was short-listed for the German Youth Literature Prize and won the German Catholic Children’s and Young People’s Book Prize. It subsequently won the 2005 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year for Older Readers and was short-listed for the NSW, Victoria and South Australian State Premiers’ Literary awards. In 2004 his first YA novel The Running Man was published to great acclaim. In 2000 he resigned from his full-time position as an English/Economics teacher to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. Michael Gerard Bauer was born and lives in Brisbane Australia.

Just a Dog by Michael Gerard Bauer