{
  "id": 9765954,
  "title": "So many Andys: bizarre sculpture for children's author",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/so-many-andys-bizarre-sculpture-for-childrens-author",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-25T08:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Discovered",
    "slug": "discovered",
    "url": "https://illawarramercury.com.au/story/9357599/so-many-andys-bizarre-sculpture-for-childrens-author"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An unusual sculptural tribute to children's author Andy Griffiths has been unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. The artwork, created by artist Ronnie van Hout, features multiple versions of Griffiths gazing upon himself, with another Andy perched in a tree. Griffiths expressed his gratitude for this honor, stating it's a \"really nice to have the importance of children's writing\" recognized.\n\nAndy Griffiths is Australia's 2026 Children's Laureate, a title bestowed upon him for his contributions to children's literature. Over the past three decades, he has sold an estimated 20 to 25 million books globally, with popular series including \"JUST!\", \"The Day My Bum Went Psycho,\" and the \"Treehouse\" series illustrated by Terry Denton. Denton, who passed away at 76, was a co-creator of the beloved \"Treehouse\" series.\n\nThe sculptural tribute showcases Griffiths' creativity and the imaginative world he and Denton built together. The Treehouse series, which began in 2011, features stories of Andy, Terry, and Jill in a fantastical treehouse filled with peculiar features like a shark tank, a room of exploding eyeballs, and a Ninja Snail Training Academy. Griffiths expressed his admiration for Denton, saying they had \"never laughed so hard\" while working together.\n\nThe sculptural piece is on display at the National Portrait Gallery alongside an exhibition titled \"Brainstorm: Inside the Mind of Andy Griffiths.\" The exhibition features over 130 items from Griffiths' personal collection, including objects that have inspired him throughout his career. Griffiths hopes this display will introduce children to art outside the mainstream and encourage them to pursue their own interests.\n\nGriffiths also expressed concern over the future of children's literature in Australia, citing cuts to school libraries as a major issue. He fears that proposed redeployments of teacher-librarians in Catholic schools in the Maitland-Newcastle diocese will negatively impact children's access to literature and imagination.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}