Thank you got taking the time to check out who this Rick (or Richard) Foster is.

Chances are you've come across me either as the picture book author of Why Worry Wally?, freelance writer, or campaigner for mens mental health.

In whatever way we've crossed paths, I hope these pages give you a bit more of an insight into what's important to me and how we might be able to help each other in the future.

Why Worry Wally?

Wally is loveable, in a quirky kind of way. He's vulnerable, in a loveable kind of way. And he's got oodles of worries, in a normal kind of way.  

He's worried about being too cold in shorts. Fitting in at school. Leaving a pong in the toilet. Even eight-eyed cats. How will Wally cope with all his worries?

Aimed at 4-8 year olds, Why Worry Wally? uses playful rhyme and humour to help parents and children approach the sensitive subject of anxiety, offering a positive message around having and dealing with worries. And every book sold helps support the wonderful work of Kids Helpline. 

Interested? Please read on…

donatiNG to Kids Helpline

Wally knows that being positive can help keep his worries at bay. That’s why we have partnered with Kids Helpline to raise funds in support of their life-saving work. 

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25.

Since 1991, their specialised, trained counsellors have had over 8 million contacts with young people. With 2020 proving to be a challenging year, their service is needed more than ever before. 

A percentage of profits from every copy of Why Worry Wally? will be donated to this amazing organisation.

writing

I’m a writer. It’s what I wanted to do when I was in Year 9 (I know, who knows what they want to do in Year 9?). 

Long story short, after convincing my wife to start up a creative agency in 1997 called Tank (and going on a crazy but amazing journey for twenty years), we were ready for a change and refresh and sold to our business partner at the end of 2017.

After taking a year off to live in the moment (and finish my first picture book), I decided to focus on the writing I love – creating content. Getting to know people and their stories and capturing it in a meaningful way. 

Interested? Please read on…

Wally Worksheets

There’s plenty of worries in the world at the moment. To provide some fun for kids and help them talk about their worries, Wally’s illustrator Jackie Case has created some beautiful Wally Worksheets for you to print off at home.