Nina De Goederen didn’t set out to write a children’s series. She wanted to put her late brother John’s inventive spirit onto the page. On Monday 29 June, all four of her Johnny, The Inventor books will be available together for the first time at Watergardens Town Centre in Taylors Lakes, and the author will be there to sign every one.
For families in Melbourne’s west, the week-long pop-up is more than a book launch. It’s a chance to meet the retired English teacher from Taylors Hill and her illustrator husband, Aran De Goederen, who brought the series to life with drawings that match the stories’ chaotic charm. The books are aimed at children aged six to eight, the age when cardboard boxes become spaceships and empty shampoo bottles turn into science experiments.
The event runs from Monday 29 June to Sunday 5 July 2026. All four titles, including the newly released finale The Italian Vespa, ‘Veloce’, will be on sale, with personal signings by Nina and Aran De Goederen happening throughout the week.
De Goederen, a retired English and Legal Studies teacher, said the series began as a way to honour her brother John. “His beautiful, chaotic imagination sparked a lifetime of creativity in everyone around him,” she said.
The books, published by Austin Macauley, follow young inventor Johnny as he builds outlandish gadgets from household objects. The Garbage-Gobbler creates more mess than it cleans. The Wonder Soap heals everything but the user’s dignity. A science fair contraption causes the kind of chaos any parent will recognise. The stories have been trickling out since December 2025, when the first book launched, and the series concluded in April 2026 with the release of the fourth and final volume.
Aran De Goederen’s illustrations run through every page, making the series a family effort from concept to finished book. For the De Goederens, the project has been a way to stay connected to the community they’ve called home for years. The Watergardens event marks the first time all four titles will be sold as a complete set.
De Goederen said her hope for the series reaches beyond making children laugh. “My ultimate hype is to encourage independence, confidence and that special spark of creativity inside every child.”
For parents of six-to-eight-year-olds, the books offer stories that reflect the inventive play already happening at home. If you are hunting for a school-holiday activity that isn’t just a movie or a play centre, the signing event gives children a reason to talk to a real author, and possibly walk away with a book signed to them.
The launch isn’t a single Saturday morning affair. Signings run across the entire week, so there is no need to crowd into one session. And parents do not need to pre-order, the books will be available to buy on site throughout the event.
Watergardens Town Centre is easy to reach by car, with ample parking, and Watergardens railway station sits right beside the centre. Check the Public Transport Victoria website for bus and train routes if you are coming from further afield.
While you are there, the centre has plenty of cafes and lunch options to round out the trip. Brimbank’s events calendar lists several other school-holiday workshops running around the same dates, so it is worth checking what else is on in the area before you head out.
John passed away years ago, but in Taylors Hill, his name now sits on a shelf at a local shopping centre, waiting for the next child to pick it up.
Quick Facts
Brimbank City Council
Local government authority responsible for the Brimbank municipality in Melbourne’s western suburbs, including Taylors Lakes and Taylors Hill. It promotes community events, arts, and cultural activities through its events platform.