12 Curly Questions with author Andrew Levins

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
When I was seven years old I wanted to grow up to become a magician! We came home one evening and there was a package in the mail; a prize I’d won for sending in tokens from a chocolate milk tin, this big suitcase full of magic tricks! I would torture my family with magic shows for about a month before all the cheap plastic magic sets broke and then I forgot about my dream.

2. What is your nickname?
Levins, Lev, Levdawg. Never Andy! I hate it when people call me Andy.

3. What is your greatest fear?
My teeth falling out from eating too much ice-cream. Or being told by the dentist that I can’t eat ice-cream anymore because it will make my teeth fall out. All my fears are ice-cream related.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Fast, messy, way too many jokes and WAY too many jokes that only I find funny. Also, my writing style ignores all rules, such as a ‘10-word limit’.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Funny, stupid, gross, sweet, behind-deadline (sorry to my editors).

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Tintin! I’d love to go on adventures all over the world. Actually, maybe I’d rather be his dog, Snowy.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
2050, so I could see what weird new ice-cream flavours exist and then bring some back for my kids.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
What weird new flavours of ice-cream exist in 2020?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
I grew up reading Roald Dahl and Paul Jennings books. I loved how silly they could be while still telling such amazing stories. These days all I read is manga from Japan, especially shonen manga, which is written for teenage boys (or 35 year old boys who never grew up). My favourites are One Piece and Dragon Ball, two long-running stories filled with funny characters and epic adventures. I hope that one day I can write something as fun and addictive!

10. What/who made you start writing?
My dad. On weekends when I was little he would make books with me about animals and my sisters. He would write the words and I’d draw the pictures. He was one of the first people to read Nelson and he was super proud to see the physical copy.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Awesome. I’m a very positive person, which means I spend a lot of time describing things as positively as possible. There’s a limit to how many movies you can describe as amazing, or how many meals are incredible. But awesome? Nobody ever gets sick of that word. It’s the awesomest way to describe something awesome.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Can I say One Piece? It’s already 950-plus chapters long and the writer/artist Eiichiro Oda doesn’t have plans to stop writing it anytime soon. In theory, I could just keep getting new stories forever!

Andrew Levins has been a DJ since he was a teenager, and a food writer for almost as long. He cut his teeth as one of the inaugural DJs on FBi radio, plays most major Australian music festivals and hosts the longest-running hip-hop night in Sydney. His articles have been published by The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Life, VICE, SBS, The Good Food Guide and Time Out. In 2007 he co-founded the youth music charity Heaps Decent (with Diplo and Nina Las Vegas), and in 2009 he was named one of Sydney’s 100 Most Influential People by The Sydney Morning Herald. Since then he’s had two kids, run a successful restaurant, released a cookbook and started no less than five podcasts. The Nelson series are his first books for children. For more information, see www.penguin.com.au.

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Review: Fantasically Great Women Who Saved the Planet

Kate Pankhurst continues her theme of Fantastically Great Women, with the fourth book in the series, Fantastically Great Women Who Saved the Planet. 

Profiles of famous women from diverse backgrounds and their successes are showcased.

Eugene Clark, a Marine Biologist, awoke awareness to the intelligence of sharks. Her last dive was in 2014 at 92 years old.

Wangari Maathai left Kenya and its forests to study in USA. When she returned, deforestation had replaced the trees for crops and money. In 1977, she created the Green Belt Movement placing women in charge. Communities worked to restore the forests, planting over 51 million trees.

Ingeborg Beling was one of the first chronobiologists. Famous for her work with honey bees, she proved that they worked to the circadian rhythm of all living things.

This interesting collection further includes Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, Meteorologist, Edith Farkas, who tracked changes to the ozone layer and Jane Goodall, renowned for her research with wild chimpanzees.

Ursula Marvin, geologist, studied Meteorites. Daphne Sheldrick set up the Tsavo National Park to protect wildlife. Isatou Geesay grew up in The Gambia. She taught women how to recycle their plastic bags into useful objects like handbags and purses.

Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey, was a passionate protector of wild birds. Threatened by ladies’ fashion, an estimated five million birds were killed each year to accommodate the demand for feathered hats. She put a stop to that. Maria Telkes was a scientist who invented Solar Energy. 

The Chipko Movement was successful due to the women of the Lata Village in India, who stood in the way of loggers.

Eileen Kampakuta Brown and Eileen Wani Wingfield stopped the government from creating a waste dump close to their home in Woomera, South Australia.  Having experienced an earlier desecration by nuclear testing, they helped form a group of Aboriginal elder women, determined to protect their home.

This series will expand young minds and inspire girls to follow their chosen paths. The enthralling facts and complementing  coloured illustrations will capture the interest of any age reader. Ideal for schools and public libraries.

The first three titles are now also available in a coloured boxed set.

Title: Fantastically Great Women Who Saved the Planet

Author/Illustrator: Kate Pankhurst

Publisher: Bloomsbury, $14.99

Publication Date: 3 March 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780408899298

For ages: 6+

Type: Non-fiction

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Junior Review: The Girl Who Stole An Elephant

Winner: Picture Books: Ellie's Dragon and Barkley

Our lucky winner is...

Louise Brooks, QLD

Congratulations!

You have won a copy each of Bob Graham's latest picture, Ellie's Dragon and Rebecca Crane's Barkley. We hope you enjoy them both. 

Thank you to ALL who entered. There were plenty of interesting companions suggested, not least of which the dragon!

To read more about the beautiful, Ellie's Dragon, have a look at Jo's review. And keep your eyes peeled for our next exciting Giveaway coming soon, 11 July!

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Review: Good Question

Full of humour and cheeky prose, Sue Whiting’s new book is amazing! Different sized text in waves across the page, promises the reader adventure and fun. 

Follow me! it invites. 

Elegant design and layout draw attention to Annie White’s stunning vibrant illustrations.

Fox is up a tree, hiding from the giant that probably wants to make him into fox stew. Why does he want to do so? Good Question! Lots of them appear in this book that has an adventure with hunger and food at the centre of it all.

There’s a wily old wolf, a pig, a giant, a beanstalk and of course there’s Jack Then there’s the three bears and the list goes on.

Fox is feeling sorry for himself. Why? Good question! He comes up with a list of incredible and questionable reasons. He has a million explanations of the over-imaginative kind that go on and on. Well, he is a wily Fox!

He takes us through fairy tales with fairy godmothers, field mice, carriage horses; all to get us to the exact point of the story.

Fabulously funny, clever, and entertaining in every way, this is a must. It’s an excellent concept and beautifully presented to maximise the tension around why the fox is doing what he’s doing.

The end pages sing. They depict the trail the fox takes, the characters he encounters and of course, the beanstalk with the giant. In fact, it has encapsulated in both end pages, the complete movement of every character. This maze becomes a story in itself. Imagine the interest children will show in all the things this book has to offer. I loved it!  

Title: Good Question

Author: Sue Whiting

Illustrator: Annie White

Publisher: Walker Books, $24.99

Publication Date: 1 May 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781760650841

For ages: 3+

Type: Picture Books

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Review: Havenfall

Review: Bluey: All About Bluey; All About Bingo

Bluey: All about Bluey is exactly that!

Six year old (dog years) Bluey loves to play grown-up games. Her imagination is a bottomless pit. She is a committed organiser and loves playing with her sister Bingo.

The rules of each game are a flexible process as everyone involved has their own idea about which roles they play.

Bluey loves listening to stories at school (this helps with ideas for her games) and playing with her friends.

They embark on exciting adventures created with whatever is at hand and their imaginative thoughts.

Home life is equally entertaining – especially with Dad. He allows Bluey and Bingo complete freedom (read being silly) to wrestle, tickle, dress-up and pretend, which initiates laughter and great fun.

Bluey sees Mum as the best hugger, a terrific storyteller, and a good listener when things go wrong.

When things are hard to learn or understand, Bluey always tries to be brave.

Her favourite times are when all the family is together.

The first things children will notice (tested on my three year-old), are the shapes in which many of the illustrations are enveloped. There are ovals, circles and oblongs, wavy shapes and free-standing images. Each one contains Bluey, whose face or body, is expressing a particular emotion. This can be used to an initiate conversation, discussions and learning with the very young, around different feelings and why we have them.

Both books, Bluey and Bingo come cut in a dog shape.

All about Bingo, gives us a personal overview of Bingo's character, identical to Bluey's in All About Bluey.

Bingo is Bluey’s four year-old sister. She is a red heeler and shares a room with Bluey. That can cause problems with siblings sometimes, but not for these two. They love playing games and being together.

There are certain things that Bingo is expert in. Keepy Uppy is one. She also loves to call herself by different names, giving herself other personas. Bingo has a list ready to choose from, depending on the situation. Singing at specific times – especially on the toilet is another. She is also a polished mover and shaker, a talent which she frequently exhibits. Asking unusual questions is one of her finer traits. Dad says she does things her own way.

It’s the understanding ear of Mum when it is needed, and the hugs at the end of the day, that are appreciated the most.

Bluey and Bingo are family oriented, friendly and lovable. Children can and do associate the personified dogs’ activities, emotions and needs, with their own. They see solutions to their problems in how the heeler family acts. They are role models. This is the ingenuity of these characters.

Title: Bluey: All About Bluey: Bluey: All About Bingo

Author / Illustrator: Based on the ABC Kids TV show

Publisher: Penguin Random House, $16.99

Publication Date: 2 June 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781760898304, 9781760898298

For ages: 2+

Type: Board Book

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Video Review: Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot!

Join Yvonne Mes for a short and snappy video review of Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot! A hilarious graphic reader for children five and up, written and illustrated by Cece Bell.

Title: Chick and Brain: Smell My Foot!
Author. Illustrator: Cece Bell
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: 1 September 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780763679361
For ages: 5+
Type: Junior Fiction




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Review: Two Dogs On A Trike

Meet The Illustrator: Maddie Frost

Name: Maddie Frost

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.

Little quirky, little witty, little random.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?

1 million lights, a window or two, music, and room to lay on the floor.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?

Photoshop and a Wacom tablet. I also scan handmade textures that I sometimes layer into my art.

Name three artists whose work inspires you. 

Beatrix Potter,Lauren Child, Spongebob, who I know isn’t an artist but he still inspires me.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?

Probably the Renaissance period so I could sit down and have a sandwich and a chat with da Vinci. 

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

I just always loved to draw. Nobody in my family was really into art or had any major drawing abilities (sorry Mom, Dad, Little Bro). Nobody in my primary school really did either (it was a small school). I watched a lot of cartoons growing up so my love for characters and storytelling happened at a young age. I went to college for animation and realized that although I wasn’t so much into the motion aspect of storytelling, I was into developing characters. Picture books was my perfect destiny.

 Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.

This is the spot I’m at the most. I have another large desk in my art room, it’s three times the size of this one. But for some reason I just love working in the closet. Sometimes I sit under the desk and close the doors for deep thinking.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I really love it all. Nerd alert! I love the brainstorming and planning stage and playing with color palettes. Making the art and losing myself in it. And the moments in between where I think I can’t solve a problem, then all of a sudden I figure it out. I even love making revisions. With every book I work on, I always learn something about myself. I grow a little both as a human and artist. Whether it’s learning to trust the process or just slowing down to enjoy the process. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Say yes. Keep doing what you’re doing, making the art you love making, and say yes to every opportunity that knocks on your door. 

Maddie Frost is the author-illustrator of Once Upon a Zzzz, Animobiles, Wakey Birds, and her newest book, Smug Seagull. She is also the illustrator of dozens of books including The Littlest Things Give The Loveliest Hugs, A is for Artichoke, and more. She lives outside Boston with her husband and doggo, Mozzy. 

For more information, please visit Maddie's website or follow her on instagram and twitter.

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Review: Haywire

The setting is Hay, rural Australia, 1939 and narrated in two parallel stories; one by Tom in Hay, the other by Max in Germany.

WW2 has broken out. Volunteers are eager to join up to fight for their country.

Tom is the youngest of three boys. Still at school, he is intelligent and diligent enough to get into Uni. But when his brothers Mick and Pete sign up, he’s forced to fill their role at the family bakery.

An internment camp is being built in Hay to house Enemy Aliens. 2000 of them – Italians and Germans, are on their way.

Many people hate them already as they have limited water supply. Plus, their other resources will be drained.  But it is also an opportunity for some to make money.

Max is secreted away to England and his Uncle Ferdy, only to find that he lives in a tiny basement and cooks on a kerosene stove. As things escalate, the two encounter hostility. Their origins and accents become a threat. They are taken along with other Enemy Aliens to an internment camp, then onto a ship bound for Canada. Many drown after it’s torpedoed. The survivors are returned to where they started.

On the Dunera, this time bound for Australia and the internment camp at Hay, Ferdy and Max experience another attack. Max arrives alone, for Ferdy, traumatised by the first bombing, jumps overboard and drowns.

Tom’s home life has become a war zone. His mother is filled with anger and hatred for everyone and everything that took her sons away. She doesn’t stop harping about it, as the family buckles under the work load. Then tragedy strikes.

Max and Tom meet during the daily bread delivery. A tentative friendship is formed. They find they have a lot in common. Although Max acknowledges that not everyone sees the internees as the enemy, his grief and loss over Ferdy’s death consumes him. Impossible as it seems, all he wants is to get back to his parents. The eternal optimist Willy, who travelled on the Dunerawith Max, comes up with a crazy idea.

Superbly written and presented, Haywire is a powerful read. It focuses historically, on the prelude to WW2 and the crumbling of people’s lives.

Claire Saxby’s prose is crisp. Short and sharp sentences provide bold, vivid images that carry urgency and tension equal to the characters’ actions and emotions. Perfect for young readers interested in learning about Australian war history, Haywire is part of a fabulous series, Australia’s Second World War.

Title: Haywire

Author: Claire Saxby

Publisher: Scholastic, $16.99

Publication Date: 1 March 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781742769196

For ages: 9+

Type: Historical Fiction

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Review: Littlelight

Littlelight is an enriching story about a town which transforms barriers to bridges entwining the power of people, culture and an open mind.

The town of Littlelight is clearly lacking excitement. Grey buildings, grey clothes, grey everything shows readers of a drab town in need of change. When bricks start to go missing from the town walls, the stern looking mayor is not impressed, he immediately convinces the town people that they are in danger.

As more and more bricks disappear, bright neon colours enter the pages and show a little of what lay outside the town walls. The story rolls forward with flow, rhythm and repetition showing that the proposed danger is anything but. A clever, amusing ending gives the mayor plenty of time for thinking.

I adore the loose watercolour style ink illustrations, they set the scene and tell much of the story as does the unique use of grey tones contrasting with neon colours. Along with the brilliant artwork, the repetition of text and sophisticated vocabulary is intriguing for curious minds and will leave readers enlightened.

Perfect for classrooms, Littlelight stands out on a shelf and could lead to many discussions on topics from art and culture to politics and more. Adults and some children are likely to spot it as being a clever and timely take on the infamous Trump border wall.

Kelly Canby is an author illustrator based in Western Australia, two of her other brilliant books are Rodney, and The Hole Story.

Title: Littlelight
Author/Illustrator: Kelly Canby
Publisher: Fremantle Press , $24.99
Publication Date: 15 April 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:  9781925815764
For ages: 5 – 7
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Ellie's Dragon

12 Curly Questions with author Hilary Robinson

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
My 8x grandfather was Henry Foljambe. According to some medieval records, the Foljambes descended from King Eric of Sweden. I don’t know if it’s true but it’s fun to think that I may be part of Viking royalty!

2. What is your nickname? 
 My nickname is Billy because my uncle, instead of calling me Hilary, called me ‘Hilly Billy’. Other family members then started then to call me Billy too – including my husband!

3. What is your greatest fear?
I have a fear of being trapped in a small space. I don’t know what has caused that but it’s a reason why I would never go potholing! And if there were mice or rats in that small space I would be even more upset!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Intermittent. I don’t have a disciplined approach.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Quick, organised, reactive, neat, efficient.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would love to be Anne of Green Gables. Her vivid imagination, her love for life, how she responded to adversity and the way she cared for others was inspirational.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
If I could travel back in time I would like to meet Lady Mary Wortley Montagu in 1721 who developed the technique for the inoculation of smallpox. She learned it from small communities in the Ottoman Empire, where her husband was the British Ambassador. She was never given the credit for the technique, which involved taking pus from a blister and scratching it into the skin of another. That would then cause antibodies in the other person and protect them from the disease. If it hadn’t been for her then Edward Jenner might never have found the cure for cowpox.
I would also like to see the Bronte sisters, in 1845, sitting around their table, writing their stories.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I would say practise your piano more! I got to a high standard but I didn’t practise nearly as much as I should have done and I’m trying to pick it up again now. It’s much harder to learn when you’re an adult!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My dad was my greatest influence. He was clever, wise, funny, kind and much admired by many. A natural diplomat, he helped many who were in difficulty and everyone trusted him.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I was already writing for television when my three-year-old daughter developed a fear of spiders. I couldn’t find a book about a friendly spider and so I wrote one. That story led on to another and another and 25 years later I am still writing. Sophie is now a teacher in London and still a little bit frightened of spiders!

11. What is your favourite word and why?
My favourite word is supercalifragilistic because it’s a happy word and everyone smiles when it’s said.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I could read one book for the rest of my life it would be the delightful Winnie the Pooh. I love the uplifting and inspiring quotes as Pooh Bear walks about with his little words of wisdom.

Hilary Robinson is the author of over 60 children’s books including Mixed Up Fairy Tales, Where The Poppies Now Grow and The Gregory Goose series. She has won awards for several of her books, which have also been translated into several languages. For more information, see www.hilaryrobinson.co.uk.

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Review: Taking the Lead - How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World

Here is a story about an amazing woman and leader, Jacinda Ardern, whose compassion and open-heartedness made a lasting impression on the world.

Red dominates in the illustrations. It’s the colour of energy, determination, strength and power amongst many other virtues. It announces all that is Ardern. Phoebe Morris has made a bold statement with her striking cover and equally striking additions through the book, beginning with the end pages.

As a young girl, Ardern learnt to drive a tractor on her parents’ farm. She also wanted to help people.

An opportunity to do that came in the form of working for the Labour Party in the 1999 General Election.

It seemed that all she did in life from then on paved the way to what she was meant to become. Each progressive experience was intermingled with social and public service of some kind.

She was New Zealand’s youngest MP elected to Parliament. There were those that believed women were unable to fill such an important role. When she became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, views changed.

The things she stands for are documented in this biographical picture book made accessible to younger readers. Jacinda Ardern stands tall as a role model and inspiration for all young girls and women that know they can but are told they can’t because of their gender. She has proven that motherhood has no boundaries and if anything, it strengthens one’s patience and endurance in all things.

Ending poverty, women’s rights and improving their working lives, peace and climate change, are passionate goals to her.

Who can forget Jacinda Ardern embracing a Somali-born woman after the attack by a gunman on Muslim civilians?

There is a double spread at the end with a timeline of special successes by women from 1918 onward which incorporates Ardern’s achievements among them from 1984 till today.

Title: Taking the Lead: How Jacinda Ardern Wowed the World

Author: David Hill

Illustrator: Phoebe Morris

Publisher: Penguin Random House, $19.99

Publication Date: March 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9780143774518

For ages: 6+

Type: Non Fiction

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Guest Junior Review: The Undercover Princess

Giveaway: Ellie's Dragon and Barkley Picture Books

From the new release vaults of our good friends, Walker Books, we have two gorgeous new picture books to giveaway: Ellie's Dragon by Bob Graham and Barkley by Rebecca Crane.

The message of Ellie's Dragon is that no friendship is imaginary, and Barkley is all about a Best Friend Dog. Both are moving stories about the powers of companionship.

For a chance to win both of these heart-warming new Australian picture books, tell us in 25 words or less, which fictional animal or mythical creature would you most like to be friends with?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win a copy of each of these fabulous new releases. Competition is open to anyone, worldwide, so long as they have an Australian postal address for delivery of the books. Please note, we cannot deliver to PO Boxes. Entries without a name and street address will be ineligible. Winners will be announced right here on our website on 29 June 2020.

Competition runs from 5.00 pm 20 June 2020 to 5 pm 27 June 2020. Adults can enter for those aged 17 and under. This is a game of skill, not chance. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

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Video: Andy Griffiths answers children's questions

Andy Griffiths is one of Australia's best known authors for children. His books, like the 'Just' books, the 'Bum' books, and the Treehouse series created with Terry Denton, are bestsellers. In this video, complete with special effects, Andy answers questions from his young readers. Some of them are just as wild and wacky as the storylines of Andy's books, while others are about his favourite things, and serious advice on becoming an author and where to get ideas for stories.




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Review: Martin Luther King Jr. (Little People, Big Deams)

The Little People, Big Dreams series delivers mini biographies for kids. Each book provides children an opportunity to learn about important people in our world and in our history in an engaging way with simple text and lots of bright colours.

I’ve read a few of these amazing books (Maya Angelou, Stephen Hawking, Maria Montessori).

But this one — Martin Luther King Jr. — is an extremely important read.

You’ll learn about the day Martin, as a young boy, went to a friend’s house and was told he wasn’t allowed to stay and play because of the colour of his skin. You’ll learn about how Martin and his friend had to go to different schools because of the colour of their skin.

But Martin believed he shouldn’t accept these things that were happening in his life. He studied hard, he learnt many things and he spoke out about the injustices he saw happening around him.

When Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus because of the colour of her skin, Martin helped inspire action against this horrible injustice, and so began the first major civil rights action in America.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a speaker of powerful words. He dreamed big and he shared his dreams with his country and the world. He inspired action, hope and belief — belief that no one should be treated differently based on their skin colour.

This is a book for kids, and it’s been written with great care. All the important messages are included, and there is additional information at the back of the book, but it is sensitive to the fact that the audience is children.

Kids need to read this book. Everyone needs to read this book. It’s a brilliant starting point for kids to find out more, to spark curiosity, leading to questions and discussions with family and classrooms.

We can’t forget our past and we can’t ignore our present if we want to change the future.

Title: Martin Luther King Jr.
Author: Isabel Sánchez Vegara
Illustrator: Mai Ly Degnan
Publisher: Francis Lincoln, $15.99
Publication Date: 7 January 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780711245679
For ages: 4 - 6
Type: Picture Book

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Look What I'm Reading! Steve Spargo

Steve Spargo is Head of Marketing at Walker Books Australia. He has worked in publishing for almost 15 years and can’t think of anything better than working with kids’ books.

Which children’s book are you currently reading?

Burn by Patrick Ness

Can you tell us in two sentences what the book is about?

It’s set in an alternate 1950s USA, where Sarah and her father hire a dragon to work on their farm, unwittingly playing their part in an ancient prophecy.


Meanwhile, there are dragon-worshiping cult members closing in who are being followed by two FBI agents. All eventually meet with Sarah and the dragon, turning the story on its head.

How much did you enjoy/are enjoying this title?

I absolutely loved it! It was fast paced and fresh with some great twists. While not the main focus of the book, there was also a complicated yet touching gay story thread running through it, which is something I always appreciate in books I’m reading. Patrick Ness has a way of treating characters (and his readers) with a respect that shines though on the page. He can push characters to their limits without ever heading into contrived plot points.

What made you choose this title? Was it a review, advertising, the cover, the blurb, the author/illustrator, or the subject/genre?

Although it was a book I had to read for work, I was a Patrick Ness fan long before I started at Walker Books and I’ll read anything he puts out.

What other titles are on your bedside table/To Read Pile?

I have the unhealthy habit of stopping books part-way through, possibly never returning to them, even if I was enjoying them. I often drop something I’m reading for pleasure, to read something for work and then something shiny and new will come along and grab my attention. I’ve just started the second in the Book of Dust series, The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman. Shamefully, I’ve only just read Charlotte’s Web, having loved the movie as a kid but never actually reading the book. I’ve read about half of the stories in Growing up Queer in Australia, edited by Benjamin Law; plus of course, a never-ending pile of books for work!

How did you come by these titles: personal choice/request, publisher’s review copy, or other?

I keep a look out for new books by my favourite authors and I love getting recommendations from friends and others in the industry – but for the books I mentioned above I picked them up when browsing bookshops.

Do you have a favourite genre? If so, what is it, and why do you prefer it?

I have a few favourite genres.  I like to mix them up a bit. I love really whimsical junior fiction and middle grade, I’ve had a long-standing love of horror (I was a non-reader as a kid – I discovered Goosebumps, then quickly went to the Fear Street series, then on to Stephen King). I’m keen on a bit of pop-nonfiction like Jon Ronson and as I mentioned earlier, something with a strong queer storyline.

Do you read from printed books or some other medium? Please expand a little on the why of your choice.

Print is always the first choice and I usually have an audio book on the go as well. Reading for work is usually digital.

https://www.walkerbooks.com.au/

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Guest Junior Review: Fantastic Mr Fox

Every now and then we are lucky enough to visit an old favourite. Fantastic Mr Fox certainly is one of them as reviewed by another of our guest junior reviewers, Aanya Dhariwal, aged eight.

Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl is adventurous and scary. This book is about Mr Fox trying to get food from the farmers for their family. 

The farmers find out and make a plan to kill Mr Fox. 

The book gets better and better as Mr Fox meets friends like Mr Badger who help him lead their families to food and fun. 

Mr Fox lives underground beside a tree with his wife and four children. 

Tired of being outsmarted by Mr Fox the farmers devise a plan to ambush him as he leaves his burrow, but they succeed only in shooting off his tail.

Recommended for kids ages 6 to 9 who like adventure books.

Title: Fantastic Mr Fox
Author: Roald Dahl
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher: Penguin Books, $16.99
Publication Date: April 2016
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780141365442
For ages: 6 - 9
Type: Junior Fiction

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Meet The Illustrator: Julian Charlton

Name: Julian Charlton

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.

Humorous, cute, sometimes quirky, fun loving and simplified at times,

What items are an essential part of your creative space?

Less distractions the better. Enjoy background music and the odd cup of tea or coffee.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?

Ipad Pro running Procreate, although would like to dabble in watercolour at some point.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.

I couldn’t possibly limit it to three, sorry. So many artists inspire me, be them professional, hobbyists or starting their journey into the world of illustration.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?

To be honest, I would be more interested in seeing how art develops far into the future.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

As a child I enjoyed drawing and dreamed of one day becoming a cartoonist as not only enjoyed reading comics but also poured over the artwork. Life took over once left school and as time passed I never made time to draw. A number of years back I dipped into drawing again but only for a matter of weeks. Then in Nov 2018 due to certain circumstances in my life I realised I needed to make the time to do something for myself. This being picking back up the pencil, albeit now an Apple Pencil. I’ve been drawing daily ever since.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.

My creative space is primarily the living room floor : ) often accompanied by our pet dog, Kipper AKA Mr Kipling. I actually find it more comfortable laying down drawing than I do sitting. If not the living room floor, I’ll be laid on the bed (less distractions).

                                           

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

The blank page. At this point it can go anywhere. The initial point of creating the character(s) is what I enjoy the most, bringing them to life on the page.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

As an aspiring illustrator myself, I’d say make the time to do what you enjoy doing. I’ve found Instagram to be very helpful to not only share my work with others and discover so many talented and creative individuals but I’ve also picked up illustration work including my first children’s book and stamp design work.
No matter how old you are, it’s never too late. Don’t be afraid to allow your style to develop and evolve. I actually don’t restrict myself to one specific style. Stay true to yourself. Never give up. Only you can make it happen, so make it happen.

Julian is self-taught and lives with his wife, son and pet dog (eldest two daughters have flown the nest). He’s currently working on his first children’s book – How Does Time Work? (Nui Nui) and creates stamp designs for Purple Onion Designs. Julian also runs a free artist promotion page on Instagram @childrensillustratorsart .

For more information, please follow Julian on his instagram.

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