Ziggy Alberts is adding another chapter to his creative career, announcing his first children’s book, No Fin Steve, set for release on November 10th.
Written by Alberts and illustrated by Claire Tompkins, the picture book is set on Norfolk Island and follows a grandfather and grandson whose shared love of the ocean becomes the foundation for a story about family, trust, independence and finding the courage to try something new.
Inspired by a family close to the Australian singer-songwriter, No Fin Steve has been years in the making. At its heart is a lesson about learning to swim, but the story also explores the importance of passing knowledge between generations and the confidence that comes from mastering new skills.
“Norfolk Island is one of my favourite little islands in the world,” Alberts said. “This is a story about some very dear friends of mine and their relationship with the ocean. It’s been years in the making, and it’s really special to finally bring it to life.
“At its heart, it’s a story about learning to swim with just your bare hands and feet – skills and self-belief combined! Building the confidence to experience the ocean is something that’s given me so many amazing memories throughout my life. It also shows how important our elders are in teaching us life skills.”
While No Fin Steve marks Alberts’ debut in children’s literature, it’s not his first venture into publishing. The independent artist previously released two poetry collections, brainwaves in 2021 and sun memos in 2024, which have collectively sold more than 10,000 copies worldwide.
He also joins a surprisingly long list of Australian musicians who have traded microphones for manuscripts.
Fellow singer-songwriter Josh Pyke released Family Tree, illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh, in 2022, with the picture book selected for that year’s National Simultaneous Storytime. The late Archie Roach also brought his landmark song “Took the Children Away” to the page, with illustrations by his partner Ruby Hunter.
Even electronic music duo Peking Duk have tried their hands at children’s literature. Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles released DJ Duks in 2018, following two ducks navigating the music industry, fame and the pitfalls of social media.
Grinspoon guitarist Pat Davern wrote Alexander the Elephant in Zanzibar, complete with an accompanying soundtrack featuring Australian musicians including Pete Murray, Megan Washington and Alex Lloyd.
Elsewhere, Eurovision alumnus Isaiah Firebrace explored First Nations history and culture in Come Together: Things Every Aussie Kid Should Know about the First Peoples, while Dan Sultan expanded the world of his ARIA Award-winning children’s album Nali & Friends into a series of illustrated books.
For Alberts, the move into children’s publishing comes amid a busy period.
His latest album, TWIN FLAMES, arrived on October 16th and has already surpassed four million streams, according to his team. The record debuted at No. 6 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart, blending his familiar folk and surf influences with elements of Americana.
Featuring singles “Valerie”, “I Blame Myself”, “I Need My Woman” and “Cyclones”, the album explores duality and the ways life’s lighter and darker moments coexist.
‘No Fin Steve’ is released on November 10th and is available to pre-order now.
