FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chip! Chip! Hooray! Australian Picture Book Series Hot Chips Launches with Playful Merchandise Line
Australia — 4 November 2025
Hot Chips, a new Australian children’s picture book series paired with a playful merchandise range, is bringing big laughs, bold Aussie animals and simple, sticky lessons to preschool and early primary readers. Created by illustrator Temma Lee and author Nate Micó, the series follows Theo, a curious four-year-old whose magical T-shirt makes golden hot chips appear whenever he shouts the unforgettable words: Chip! Chip! Hooray!
Designed for joyful read-alouds, Hot Chips blends everyday magic with emotional truth. Each story begins with an ordinary moment and quickly escalates into noisy, messy adventures set in unmistakably Australian outdoor environments — beaches, bins, birds and all. Through humour, action and illustration, the books explore universal themes such as sharing and caring for the planet, without ever spelling out the lesson.
The first two titles in the series are The Great Chip Chase, which centres on sharing when Theo’s delicious and golden hot chips attract a hungry mob of Australian wildlife, and The Trash Palace, a recycling adventure that sees Theo stumble into a hidden underground kingdom ruled by bin chickens. Each book focuses on one clear idea, making the message easy for children to grasp and easy for adults to talk about at home or in the classroom.
Alongside the books, Hot Chips has expanded into themed merchandise inspired by Theo’s iconic magic T-shirt a design that has already proven to resonate with families beyond the page and in the street.
“Everywhere my son wore the Hot Chips shirt, people stopped us,” said Temma Lee, illustrator of the series. “At the beach, in the street, at the shops — parents would ask where it was from and kids would start saying the words. That’s when I realised this wasn’t just a book idea. Australians really love hot chips, and there was something joyful and familiar here that people immediately connected with.”
Author Nate Micó said the series was built around a shared language between story and reader. “As soon as I had the words ‘Chip! Chip! Hooray!’, I knew we were on to a winner. Everything clicked,” Micó said. “The magic words are fun to shout, impossible to forget, and they invite kids straight into the story. It’s everyday magic in a very Australian world.”
Hot Chips is currently self-published and available in paperback and eBook formats via Amazon, supported by themed merchandise and optional classroom learning resources. The series has already generated organic engagement on social media, with families creating and sharing their own Hot Chips-inspired content. The creators are now seeking a traditional publishing partner to support wider distribution, international opportunities and the long-term growth of the series.