Having run out of adjectives ending in ‘-nky’ and ‘-nkey’, he needed a new way of crafting his signature tongue-twisting stories and lyrics.
‘‘If we wanted to continue the series, I had to go in a new direction.
‘‘I’ve done it alliteratively, all with ‘w’.’’
The result is Wonky Donkey’s Big Surprise, the fourth in the series and his 11th published book.
Given the first three books in the series went straight to No1 in the New Zealand children’s book charts, he expected the new one to go the same way.
Sales of The Wonky Donkey entered the stratosphere in 2018 as a result of a viral video of a Scottish grandmother breaking down in hysterics as she reads it to her grandson.
For a heady three weeks, it was the world’s top-selling book in any category.
In 2019, after years of touring Australia and Asia to perform and promote his books, Smith decided to take a year off.
‘‘Then Covid hit, so my break was extended.’’
He has continued to play live shows when possible, including one at Cromwell Primary School last week, and has been performing online for audiences in New Zealand and overseas.
‘‘The lockdowns have also supplied me with a bit more time for creative stuff, so it hasn’t been all negative.’’
