Marissa Newman |

When you think of the Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger not many happy stories come to mind, however one local author Lauren Addison-Mullins has written a book that paints these amazing creatures in a positive way.

Lauren Addison-Mullins book ‘The most Unlikely Adventures of Benjamin’ Volume 1 – The Tasmanian Wilderness, follows the story of Benjamin the Thylacine. Benjamin is very unique! He has a red stripe down near his tail and Uncle Williams gold tooth.

The story is self-illustrated overarching in terms of readership. The story is light-hearted as opposed to the generally dark versions available of the last Thylacine.

Lauren describes the book as something that just fell out of her head one day.

“I sat down to sketch, it had never occurred to me to write, I wouldn’t say that there was any question of ability in that sense but it never ever occurred to me and I think in retirement you are always looking for something to do, so I sat down to do a bit of sketching and the whole story fell out in grey lead pencil onto her sketchpad,” she said.

The story was something that was already in Lauren’s mind as her husband’s grandfather Walter John Theodore Mullins is known to have captured the last Thylacine named Benjamin.

“I have just made it into something nice, so it’s a nice little read along for little kiddies, it’s generally written for 9-12 year olds but there are adult themes in it,” she said.

Lauren Addison-Mullins contributes much of the success of getting the book to where it is today to local book designer, Daniel Barwick from All in One Book Design, Iluka, NSW.

Lauren is currently doing a small limited first edition print run. If you would like to order a copy of her book you can do so by emailing Lauren on CPMLauren@outlook.com. Orders need to in by September 11 as this is a limited release.