Meet The Illustrator: Iryna Medushevska

Name: Iryna Medushevska 

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less:

My drawings are everyday objects and people that are being transformed into creative art objects.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
There are my library that is mostly vintage books in different languages with amazing illustrations and my iPad.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
It’s hard to say, as I’m always mixing them together, let’s say gouache with ink and soft pastels pencils.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.

The first artist is Egon Schiele, number two is Vassili Sourikov and illustrator Ronald Searle.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I would like to visit an Art and Crafts movement (1860-1920) to learn how to borrow and mix elements from Medieval and Romantic periods.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

It was one of my friends, who is a great photographer and then became a successful and popular illustrator, while I stuck in oil painting and copying old masters.

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

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I’m enjoying the very beginning where the magic of a new story starts to appear.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Never stop learning.

Born in 1979 Iryna Medushevska was encouraged since her early childhood to take her talents seriously. During her school years she attended music and art schools. However, the success of her early art endeavours did not deter her from studying medicine, and she graduated as a general practitioner from Vinnica Medical University in Ukraine.
She moved to Dubai in 2005 to work as a doctor, but fate turned her life towards art. The principal themes in Iryna’s work is time, love and harmony. She can easily transform everyday objects into creative art objects by using oil, soft pastels, gouache and water colors. She has shown her work at group exhibitions in Egypt, UAE and Greece, and attended charity exhibitions for COVID-19 victims in Cairo in 2020.

For more information, please visit Iryna's website or follow her on instagram.

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Review: Tumble Glass

When Rowan and her sister Ash find a mysterious ring in their house, they tumble back in time to a party where their teenage mum is hanging with friends. 

It’s completely out-of-this world, completely unbelievable, but before long Rowan wakes in her own time and the adventure is done.

Except… Ash didn’t travel back with her, and Rowan suspects the ring (which she has on her finger) is the source of the time-travel power. Ash is stuck in the past, and Rowan has no idea how to get her back.

So starts an adventure Rowan feels very unprepared for. She must work with her kooky neighbour Verity (who reveals some very interesting facts about Rowan’s house and how to time-travel safely) and reach back in time again and again to collect the things she needs to save her sister. 

Along the way she'll face some hard truths about herself and her family, uncover secrets and learn about he dangers of jumping to conclusions (and through to time).

Tumble Glass is a fantastic middle grade read for fans of contemporary/fantasy mix stories. It’s a wild adventure from start to finish, but it’s also a deep and heartfelt story about being brave and facing hard truths (even when you may not be ready for them).

Kate Constable’s way with words is beautiful and addictive. Her characters are complicated and interesting — people with flaws and quite a few secrets, which all come out by the end. Time travel is always challenging to write, but Constable does it with talent and flair, in a fresh and engaging way that pulls historical Australian events and facts into the mix. 

If you love a contemporary middle-grade with a fantastical twist, this one is most definitely for you.

Title: Tumble Glass
Author: Kate Constable
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $17.99
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760526962
For ages: 9 - 13
Type: Middle Grade

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Review: Whingeville

Whinge. Complain. Bellyache. Grumble. That pretty much sums up Will’s attitude. Until one night a hot air balloon takes him away to Whingeville and the Whingeville citizens make Will their king.

Award-winning author Coral Vass has written an entertaining story with a strong message about the importance of perspective. Vass has expertly employed rhythm and rhyme. 

When I’m reading Whingeville to my two-year-old and five-year-old, the words roll off the tongue, adding to the dreamlike quality of the story. 

The plot is familiar and the funny complaints, we’ve all heard from kids, will keep parents amused: ‘This fish is too fishy. These chips are too old.’

Bold and surreal, Aleksandra Szmidt’s illustrations add richness to the story. Szmidt creates dreamy landscapes and curious, quirky characters. The landscapes suggest a beautiful, magical place to live but this is lost on the curious and quirky residents. The story ends on a snuggled-up-tight, single-page spread. This together with the rhythmic prose, make it a great bedtime story.

Whingeville reminds me of the plot of Where the Wild Things Are which I am currently studying with my Year 1/2 class. I will be able to use Whingeville as a comparison text.

A top read! No bellyaching here.

Title: Whingeville
Author: Coral Vass
Illustrator: Aleksandra Szmidt
Publisher: Larrikin House, $19.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922503961
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with author Fiona Lloyd

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I was the biggest Dr Who nerd as a child. I knew everything there was to know, I had the annuals, the merchandise... Most kids had a pop-up cubby house. I had a pop-up TARDIS. I got to meet Patrick Troughton once on a film set my mum worked on. I still have a small wooden TARDIS in my garden.

2. What is your nickname?
Fi. One friend calls me Feef, and I was Fizz for a while at high school. My family call me Fien, which came about as the result of a game I played with my brother. You have to say your name as fast as you can over and over until it meshes together. My maiden name is Miller, so I got Fien Meh. 

3. What is your greatest fear?
Dying in a plane crash. This isn’t great when you live on the other side of the world to your family!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Versatile, literary, rhythmic, hopeful, evocative, character driven, poignant, filmic, slow!

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Focused, thoughtful, detailed, experimental, curious. 

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Alice. I’d love to go to Wonderland and have tea with the Mad Hatter. 

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
This is too hard. I’m torn between going for a good old knees-up round the piano in East End London during the blitz, or Myanmar (Burma) in the 1930s so I could see how my granny’s family lived. I grew up in Newcastle-on-Tyne, not far from Wallsend, so maybe I’d pop back to AD122, to see Hadrian’s Wall being built.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I knew you could write. What took so long?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Anyone who has published a book; it takes a lot of courage and commitment to pursue this career. When I doubt myself, I look at my bookshelf and think if they can do it, you can do it. Also, my granny. She was such a quiet person and a real lady. When I look at her photograph (which sits next to me when I watch TV) it reminds me to slow down and try to be gentle, walking through the world. I’m a busy type of person so I rarely achieve it. 

10. What/who made you start writing?
I don’t remember; it’s just something I’ve always done. I used to copy sections of books we’d borrowed from the library in a notebook so that I could keep them. I wrote (and illustrated badly!) my first book when I was 11. It was called Christmas in Wintery Wood. I still have it; the cover is wrapped in Christmas paper with rabbits on it.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Panacalty. It’s a recipe originating from North East England; like a potato bake with onions, corned beef and bacon. It was popular in World War II and throughout mining communities, like where my dad’s side of the family were. It uses basic ingredients and leftovers. Dad cooks it for us when he comes to visit. I tried making it here but the corned beef is different so it’s not quite the same. 

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Still Life by Sarah Winman. It combines all the things that I find delightful or fascinating; art, life in World War II, London, Italy... You can’t beat a Shakespeare-quoting parrot and other such wonderfully rich characters. Maybe this is where my time-travel idea to go back to the Blitz comes from!

Fiona was born in the beautiful North East of England near picturesque countryside, windswept beaches and the vibrant cultural city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She dreamed of writing in a cosy country cottage and of life as a theatre actress but, as it often does, life got in the way. Working and travelling instead, Fiona floated in the Dead Sea, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, gave guided tours in Holland and fell in love with all things Greek during her two years in Athens and Skiathos. Her most special travel experience was in Myanmar where she visited the place where her Granny was born.
Amongst her myriad of interesting jobs, Fiona worked as a television colourist on Home & Away, This is Greece and Secrets of Britain’s Great Cathedrals. She has works in several anthologies for children, is a role model for Books in Homes, coach with the Harding Miller Education Foundation, and Schools Program Coordinator for the Words on the Waves Writers Festival. Fiona loves storytelling in all forms, especially theatre, television and books. Now settled near Sydney with her husband and three children, she mostly travels in her head to marvellous, magical places. Being Jimmy Baxter is her debut middle-grade novel. For more information, see www.fionalloyd.com.au

 

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Review: Cloudspotting

Review: The Bowerbird - The Small Bird With The Large Heart

Guest Junior Review: Portrait Drawing for Kids: A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing Faces

Review: Harriet Hound

The Hound family are animal friendly. So is the huge house they live in built by Harriet’s grandparents as a place to welcome homeless dogs that are treated like guests until they are rehomed.

This passion was ignited after Harriet’s grandparents rescued a mother dog and her pups. So, the house was named Hound Rescue. And that’s exactly what the Hound family practices. 

Harriet is observant, full of activity, and good with numbers. She has a routine and her swimming that keeps her energy under control. She wears noise-cancelling earphones and carries her pug-head stress ball everywhere. At her special school, excursions and outdoor activities are a priority.

The magic starts for Harriet on the day of her eighth birthday with a dusty box beside her bed and a note from Grandma. 

It informs Harriet that by following the instructions from the tiny book enclosed, she will become a superhero, just like her.

Harriet gives it a go. Instantly, she is equipped with magical pyjamas covered in pictures of the dogs in the Rescue, a special mantra to repeat, which, while touching the image of the dog most suited to the current situation, calls it to her and both become invisible superheroes, able to solve mysteries and right wrongs. 

The three stories - Vanishing Vegetables, Sudden Storm, and Carnival Catastrophe, all have several chapters in which each subject is expanded, educating children on fresh food gardening, healthy eating, the weather - its hazards and benefits, and the creative, colourful, and imaginative things of which people are capable.

We are delighted by Harriet’s Fact Sheets; a series of dog images accompanied by a list of each breed’s characteristics.  For those considering owning a rescue dog, Harriet’s Guide to Rescuing a Dog is invaluable. Do your research first!

What I loved most about Harriet Hound is how Kate Foster brings autism right to the reader. She builds pictures with words that show Harriet’s habits and how the child conducts her life by adhering to familiar rituals, all presented in a light-hearted way. 

Readers will love Harriet and I think we may not have heard the last of her extraordinary character. 

Sophie Beer’s lively illustrations add to the joy the book is encased in.

Lucky SE QLDers have the opportunity to join Kate and Sophie this Saturday, 6 May at the Where The Wild Things Are bookshop in Brisbane's West End for a special reading to mark the launch of Harriet Hound. Bookings can be made, online.

Title: Harriet Hound
Author: Kate Foster
Illustrator: Sophie Beer
Publisher: Walker Books, $15.99
Publication Date: 3 May 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760654702
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: A Case with a Bang

A Case with a Bang is part of the Detective Gordon series of books (number five), able to be read as a stand-alone story.

A simple, gentle, slightly quirky mystery novel for younger readers, it features two animal friends who are both detectives. 

Detective Gordon is a toad, and an older and more experienced police officer. He's also retired, currently spending time reading books about trolls. Detective Buffy is a mouse. Both of them love cake.

Detective Buffy is trying to uncover who has been making the noise that's keeping Badger awake. Ironically, Badger is hard of hearing and takes some convincing when Buffy arrives to investigate.

Meanwhile, Detective Gordon is meeting with Helmer, an enthusiastic young squirrel who is interested in being a police officer.

Badger's rubbish bin has marks all over the lid, a crow passes on message that could be a clue, and there are mysterious break-ins. Mice, rabbits, otters, hedgehogs, owls, moles and others  -- and trolls who like baking -- make an appearance. Can Detective Buffy figure out what's going on? Will Helmer and Detective Gordon be able to help?

A Case with a Bang is written by Ulf Nilsson, acclaimed award-winning Swedish author of more than 100 books for children. The Detective Gordon novels have been translated from Swedish to English with pictures by Dutch illustrator Gitte Spee, who depicts the cast of characters as appealingly cute, colourful creatures.

A Case with a Bang's short chapters are great for emerging readers. Detectives Buffy and Gordon end the story by recording three important pieces of information, wisdom learned from the case, which is also excellent advice for readers.

Title: A Case with a Bang
Author: Ulf Nilsson
Illustrator: Gitte Spee
Publisher: Gecko Press, $17.99
Publication Date: March 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781776574889
For ages: 6-8 years
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Wildlife Compendium of the World

Get ready kids! You’re about to go on a wild adventure across the globe, with Wildlife Compendium of the World by award-winning author/illustrator Tania McCartney.

Filled to the brim with glorious words and illustrations dedicated to creatures that roam our world, this is a brilliant non-fiction book to engage and inspire.

Did you know there are 1.5 million ants for every human on Earth? Did you know 

Flamingos only eat with their heads upside down? Did you know the kiwi is the only bird with nostrils at the end of its beak?

The book is broken up by continents first and then habitats within each continent (mountains, coastlines, deserts). And each continent section starts with a beautiful, illustrated map and description of the land you’ll be exploring. There’s also a mini contents of all the animals you’ll encounter (in case you’re on the search for one in particular).

For each animal, you’ll find information about their type, diet, size, weight and conservation status (how endangered they are). Plus a great description of the animal and the things that make them unique.

I adore how these animal descriptions start with humour or some kind of ‘wow’ fact — like monarch butterflies love a breakfast of toxic milkweed and scarab beetles eat poop for a living. It makes the book so engaging for kids!

There’s also heaps of little extras, like group names and baby names. Did you know a group of bears is called a sloth? Or a baby worm is called a wormlet? 

Each animal also gets an award. The polar bear receives the largest land carnivore award, and the dugong gets the most mermaid-like award. Love, love, love!

But this isn’t just a book about animals, their features, and their habitats. I love the other details McCartney includes — things not often found in animal books for kids.

There’s discussion of binomial names (scientific names for classification purposes), taxonomic rank (ways to organise and group together animals) and all the different conservation statuses. Some of this stuff I have never heard of before, and I love how McCartney breaks it all down so it’s easy to understand.

At the back of the book there’s also pages dedicated to endangered animals and animal rights, including information about how we can help. There is just so much to explore!

And then we have the illustrations. Glorious, stunning, accurate but also fun and funky. How McCartney achieves all this, I have no idea. But she does! Make sure to check out the beautiful animal star constellations on the end papers, too. And I dare you to resist running your hands across the fabric-feel cover with gorgeous shiny embellishments.

This is a book for ALL the spaces: homes, classrooms, libraries. It’s a stunning compilation of wildlife from across the globe, designed specifically for kids. It will spark curiosity and encourage a love of both animals and learning.

Title: Wildlife Compendium of the World
Author/Illustrator: Tania McCartney
Publisher: Hardie Grant, $32.99
Publication Date: 3 May 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781741177473
For ages: 5+
Type: Non-Fiction, Junior Non-Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Andrea Rowe

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.

I am some kind of weird magnet for Australian wildlife. I have been chased by a marauding emu, tracked down by a disgruntled wombat, found a frog in my sleeping bag, had a wallaby ransack my campsite and a kookaburra eat my lunch. If you are after a close encounter with nature, stick close to me!

2. What is your nickname?
Some friends call me the Social Secretary as I love organising us all!

3. What is your greatest fear?
Drifting alone across the world in a hot-air balloon without any instructions on how to land!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Nostalgic, lyrical, immersive, questioning and descriptive stories of everyday life.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Curious, thoughtful, focused, persistent, cheeky.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
That’s the hardest question ever! I’d be a little bit of Pippi Longstocking because she’s fabulously fierce; a fragment of Anne Shirley of Green Gables because her imaginings and confidence brings adventures; a teensy bit Piglet because he’s very wise; and, the rest, Dr Seuss’s Lorax because he speaks for the trees.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Back to 1979, with a bit of money in my pocket to purchase the most excellent Mattel Sunrunner roller skates that I coveted!

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Why didn’t you buy those roller skates?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Authors like Colin Thiele, Ruth Park and Mavis Thorpe Clark, Judy Blume, Nadia Wheatley, Margaret Wild and Tim Winton. Also, my high school English teacher Mr Dunlevy – he commanded only the best in sentence structure!

10. What/who made you start writing?
In kindergarten, a brand new blue crayon cast a magic spell over me to spend my life writing and writing. Also, my parents who were avid readers and ensured that libraries and bookstores were part of my life from a young age and encouraged me to enter writing competitions.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Thank you. Gratitude and recognising how someone has helped you, or made a difference, is such a powerful word.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
OK, this is officially the hardest question ever! Enid’s Blyton’s The Folks of Faraway Tree because you might go easy on me and allow me the whole Faraway Tree Series. It never gets old reading about small houses in the clouds in tall trees, the grumpy Pixie and Dame Washalot.

Andrea Rowe is an award-winning author. Her children’s book Jetty Jumping won 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year – Early Childhood. Sunday Skating and In the Rockpools are out in 2023 (Hardie Grant.) Mornington Peninsula based Andrea is the winner of several short story literary awards, and a professional copywriter. For more information, see https://andrearowe.com.au/

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Winner: Grandma's Guide To Happiness

Our lucky winner is ...Liz Dorrington, NSW

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the heartwarming book of grandmotherly philosophy, Grandma's Guide To Happiness by award winning duo, Andrew Daddo and Stephen Michael King.

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: Billy And The Giant Adventure

Autumn struggles with reading. The words won’t stay still on the page. 

When she begs her dad Billy to tell her and twin Jesse a bedtime story, a tremendous adventure unfolds as time is peeled back.

Billy, the main character of the verbal story, also has difficulty with words and learning. He  loves tools and gadgets, fixing and repurposing anything from the shed. 

With his strong group of friends – Anna, Andy, and Jimmy, they have explored the whole area where they live except Waterfall Woods. Reluctant to test the stories about strange happenings, everyone has kept away.

For Billy, it is now a challenge. Anna discovers a secret way over the huge flint wall that keeps them out. Her incredible climbing skills are put to good use and over they go. 

They discover another world where The Rhythm, the harmony that governs life in the woods, is different to nature they have experienced. They come across Basil, a  magical Sprite, who befriends the children after they save the Sprites from an enemy attack. 

This opens a world of discovery filled with continual adventures that leads the group to solve the mystery of who is polluting the water and disrupting the harmony of the woods.

This is a fast-paced read; inspiring, full of imagination and activity.  There is a bully, a secret map, evidence of giants, magical creatures, and unpredictable outcomes.

Fully illustrated chapters are filled with clever happenings and language that children love to read. The story is filled with environmental awareness, healthy eating habits with recipes included at the end, thought-provoking phrases, and acts of kindness.

I loved reading this book as its structure incorporates so many valuable examples for children, without being didactic. The leading characters are resourceful and compassionate, each owning a special gift. 

Definitely a winner, Billy and the Giant Adventure begins a series by the famous chef, Jamie Oliver. It has taken him four years to realise a long-held dream. He has drawn on his own life and experience with dyslexia, focusing on how much can be achieved when you find something you love to do.

Title: Billy And The Giant Adventure
Author: Jamie Oliver
Illustrator: Monica Armino
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $14.99
Publication Date: 18 April 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780241637807
For ages: 10 – 14
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

 

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Review: City Of Light

Review: Billy And The Giant Adventure

Autumn struggles with reading. The words won’t stay still on the page. 

When she begs her dad Billy to tell her and twin Jesse a bedtime story, a tremendous adventure unfolds as time is peeled back.

Billy, the main character of the verbal story, also has difficulty with words and learning. He  loves tools and gadgets, fixing and repurposing anything from the shed. 

With his strong group of friends – Anna, Andy, and Jimmy, they have explored the whole area where they live except Waterfall Woods. Reluctant to test the stories about strange happenings, everyone has kept away.

For Billy, it is now a challenge. Anna discovers a secret way over the huge flint wall that keeps them out. Her incredible climbing skills are put to good use and over they go. 

They discover another world where The Rhythm, the harmony that governs life in the woods, is different to nature they have experienced. They come across Basil, a  magical Sprite, who befriends the children after they save the Sprites from an enemy attack. 

This opens a world of discovery filled with continual adventures that leads the group to solve the mystery of who is polluting the water and disrupting the harmony of the woods.

This is a fast-paced read; inspiring, full of imagination and activity.  There is a bully, a secret map, evidence of giants, magical creatures, and unpredictable outcomes.

Fully illustrated chapters are filled with clever happenings and language that children love to read. The story is filled with environmental awareness, healthy eating habits with recipes included at the end, thought-provoking phrases, and acts of kindness.

I loved reading this book as its structure incorporates so many valuable examples for children, without being didactic. The leading characters are resourceful and compassionate, each owning a special gift. 

Definitely a winner, Billy and the Giant Adventure begins a series by the famous chef, Jamie Oliver. It has taken him four years to realise a long-held dream. He has drawn on his own life and experience with dyslexia, focusing on how much can be achieved when you find something you love to do.

Title: Billy And The Giant Adventure
Author: Jamie Oliver
Illustrator: Monica Armino
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $14.99
Publication Date: 18 April 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780241637807
For ages: 10 – 14
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

 

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