Two versions of Mewburn's book Old Hu-Hu - the Maori and English editions- are finalists in the picture book category of this year's New Zealand Post Children's Book awards.
The winner will be announced on Wednesday in Auckland.
Duck's Stuck! was a finalist in the same category last year and in 2007 his book about an overly affectionate aunt, Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! was chosen as best picture book and also won the Children's Choice award, voted by children throughout the country as their favourite book.
Making the finals of the picture book category three times was exciting and nerve-racking but "you learn not to take it all too seriously", Mewburn said.
"Each different judge has their own criteria about what they're looking for, so there's no point getting all stressed and hopeful about it.
Of course ... if there was any justice in this world my books would win ..."
Mewburn is finding his own stint at judging other authors' work " a bit of a laugh".
He has been asked to select children's work to be published in a New Zealand Post Children's Book awards anthology and 7000 entries have been reduced to 150, which he has to narrow down to a final 50.
He also has to judge the top 20 stories for an anthology being published later this year by Scholastic Books.
His latest work- Old Hu-Hu- about a huhu grub who loses someone dear to him, was inspired by the death of his cat, Momo, and also prompted by memories of his grandfathers.
"It was hard to write about death but when I read it out loud to kids they sit quiet for a minute afterwards, so you know they're thinking about it and that's the reaction you want.
Reading his books to children during tours and seeing their reaction to his words is one of the most satisfying aspects of being a writer.
They might not know his name but they know his books.
"I was talking to an assembly of 300 children recently and did my preamble and then held up one of my books and all of a sudden they all burst into applause. If I'd known it was that easy, I'd have flagged the preamble."
Mewburn's books are published in nine countries and "Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck!" has just won a children's choice award in the North Dakota book awards in the United States.
