Look What I'm Reading! Mark Wilson

Mark Wilson is an award-winning author/illustrator who grew up with a passion for comics, drumming and singing. He also has a passion for Australian history and the environment, exploring these themes through his picture books. 

Mark has won many CBCA, Whitley and Wilderness Society Awards, including the 2011 Dromkeen Medal for Services to Children’s Literature. 

The Annual Dromkeen Literature Festival will feature the opening of Author-in-Residence
Mark Wilson’s new exhibition of recent picture book art. This will include Eureka! A Story of the Goldfields, A New Prayer for the Animals and All of Us.  

Please Note: this has been postponed for a later date to be announced.

Which children’s book are you currently reading? 

Brotherband series, Book 1: The Outcasts, by John Flanagan.

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

It’s a coming-of-age story set in a mythical time and place, similar to the great Viking stories. Hal Mikkelson, though small in stature, uses strength and inventiveness to become leader of his Brotherband. 

How much did you enjoy/are enjoying this title?

Love the whole Brotherband series – reading them all again!

      

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

The subject/genre, but also the author. Brilliant writer! I picked up the first book in the previous series by J.F. called The Ranger’s Apprentice and now have read them all.

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

Cry of the Curlew by Peter Watt and Bernard Cornwall’s Sharp’s Battle. 

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

Personal Choice – both are Historical fiction, which I love reading.

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

I have loved History and Historical fiction since I was in Primary School. Can’t get enough of either!

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

ONLY real books! I love the feel and look of real books. They are like a trusted travelling companion. EBooks etc. don’t appeal to me at all. Good for many others – just not me.

www.marklwilson.com.au

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Review: Old Enough to Save the Planet

Old Enough to Save the Planet is empowering and educational with inspiring, real-life examples of climate change actions by children around the world.

This beautifully presented book features 12 examples of children making a difference to the future of our world with their smart, resourceful actions. A few impressive examples include Felix in Germany; a changemaker for global reforestation, Amy and Ella in the UK who are aiming to abolish single-use plastic, and Nikita in the Ukraine who is turning school food waste into compost for his city.

Each spread focuses on a different climate-change action and begins with a confident, empowering statement, such as ‘I’m big enough to save our trees’, ‘I know enough to save bees’ and ‘We’re smart enough to stop buying single-use plastic’.

I love how a positive, contagious voice and succinct writing style is combined with beautifully detailed illustrations. Each spread tells its own story, bursts of inspiration and shows children that they too can make a difference; even at a young age.

The final spread lists easy to action ideas for saving the planet, ways to make your voice heard and a Further Reading list of website links which could lead on to more discussion or research. Old Enough to Save the Planet is a current and forward thinking, it would be a great classroom resource.

Title: Old Enough to Save the Planet
Author: Loll Kirby
Illustrator: Adelina Lirius
Publisher: Magic Cat Publishing, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 April 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:  9781916180529
For ages: 4 – 7
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Earth Heroes

‘We can’t save the world by playing by the rules… the rules have to be changed.’

Greta Thunberg said that, and she’s right.

Earth Heroes is a brilliant collection of non-fiction stories about people who have been brave and changed the rules to save the world just a little bit more. 

Sir David Attenborough is included and so is Stella McCartney and Greta Thunberg, but, mostly, you won’t recognise the names of the people included in this book. 

That’s because they are people like you and me. 

They are people who wanted to make a difference or saw an opportunity to make a difference and seized it. 

Like Isabel Soares from Portugal who started a business selling the ugly fruit and vegetables that normally would end up in landfill. Like Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinkski from Australia, who invented the Sea Bin to help remove rubbish from the oceans. 

I love that the stories are not written as a collection of facts but more as stories about these amazing people as they discovered or implemented their ideas to help the world in some small (or big) way.

Author, Lily Dyu ends the book with a conclusion chapter titled You too can change the world. She notes there are so many more activists that could have been included — even more people in the world who are making a difference and healing the world. Dyu reminds readers that individual actions really do make a difference, and she encourages readers to go out and enjoy the power and beauty of nature and our planet earth.

Earth Heroes is a timely and engaging non-fiction book for kids. The stories are easy to read, but they are powerful and interesting. This is a book you pick up and say ‘I’ll just read one more chapter,’ and then before you know it, you’ve read five because you want to learn about another amazing person in this world.

It’s a really inspiring book. It raises big issues and confronts the hard realities of climate change and human impacts on the environment, but it also shows us there is hope. We can fix things, and there are people out there grabbing opportunities and driving ideas that can lead to healing our world.

The book is text heavy, so it’s one for confident readers to tackle independently, but each story is short (around eight pages), and the language is simple and uncomplicated, making this a great book for adults to read to younger kids who can’t read it themselves.

Learn about twenty amazing earth heroes doing their part to help our planet, and I guarantee it will inspire you to join their ranks and make a difference in your own way — big or small.

Title: Earth Heroes
Author: Lily Dyu
Illustrator: Jackie Lay
Publisher: Nosy Crow, $19.99
Publication Date: 3 October 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781788008525
For ages: 9+
Type: Junior Non-Fiction

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Review: Emergency Rescue Angel

Things are hard for Mitch at the moment (not that he would admit it). He’s still trying to figure out what ‘normal’ is after his father drowned and his best friend moved away. He doesn’t care about school anymore, and sometimes he finds it hard to face the day.

Enter Max. She’s interesting and mysterious. She’s different from anyone Mitch has ever met. And for some strange reason, she always seems to be around — at school, after school, on weekends. She’s even haunting Mitch's dreams.

Things are weird, and Max keeps tricking Mitch into doing better, trying harder and participating in life, which he has actively been trying to avoid.

And then one night, Mitch sees Max fly into the sky and everything changes.

See, Max is an angel — an emergency rescue angel. She's here to help Mitch re-find his place in the world, and she won’t leave until her job is done.

Emergency Rescue Angel is a brilliant and addictive middle grade read. It’s one of those wonderful novels that balances fantasy and reality to perfection — the kind of story kids love because it takes them to another world whilst also being authentic, relatable and based in the real world.

Mitch is every kid who has experienced a friend moving away. He is every kid who has lost a loved one. He is every kid who has struggled to find himself and his place in the world. Kids will read this book and see themselves in Mitch, even if they have never experienced exactly what Mitch is going through.

Max represents hope. She is the light that reminds us it’s all going to be okay. She is our inner strength. We may not be rescue angels, but we all have the ability to rescue friends, family and even ourselves, and I love that reading this book reminds readers of this.

For kids who love a contemporary tale with a fantasy twist, I highly recommend Emergency Rescue Angel.

And for more great reads by Cate Whittle, make sure you check out Wyrd and the Trouble series for junior readers.

Title: Emergency Rescue Angel

Author: Cate Whittle

Publisher: Scholastic, $16.99

Publication Date: 1 February 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781760669263

For ages: 13 - 15

Type: Middle Fiction

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Review: Bluey: Easter Fun and Bob Bilby

Bluey: Easter Fun is a craft book full Easter activities which include an Easter basket to cut-out and assemble for your Easter eggs. It opens with an invitation to colour Bluey in.  

How to Use the Book gives instructions on all the fun activities there are to do, make and include others in.

There is a holiday craft kit list with all the essential tools, beginning with an adult to help. 

An Easter Treasure Hunt is involved. A page of brilliant ideas to make and take part in, masks to cut out and glue together, eggs to colour, a maze to find the missing Chattermax and eggy friends’ faces to fill in, is only the half of it!

There’s a join the dots Bingo, a cupcake recipe, decorations to cut out and make your Easter hat original, and jokes from Bandit. Funny hand faces, two camping activities that include the characters and to encourage inventiveness, create-your -own Bluey scene. 

For outdoors, there’s how to put together an Easter garden with a hanging basket included.

It closes with a game of hide and seek. The eggs are hidden and they must be found. Where can they be hiding?

Filled with hours of activity and creativity, this book is chock-a-block of fun and occupation. It feeds the imagination and takes kids away from their screens.

  

In Bluey: Bob Bilby, Bob introduces himself and confesses, like most bilbies, he doesn’t talk much. But he’s a good narrator!

Bob is going home from school with Bingo Heeler for the weekend. He has already cultivated a friendship with Bluey, so looks forward to new experiences. 

To build friendship, Bob shares his book of photos of his other friends; their interests and favourite likes. There’s Jasper and Aussie football, with Mrs Terrier in Scotland, and Bob wearing his yellow karate belt while with Maxie.

They play games and take more photos with Bingo’s tablet. It has games and cartoons that they get stuck into. A visit to the shops has the three friends watching large screens. Even Mum watches hockey and Bob thinks he’d like to try hockey.

Bingo’s Mum puts the photos she has been taking in Bob’s book.  But most of them are just of Bob watching cartoons. Bingo is unhappy. But Bluey has a good idea.

Mum puts away the tablets and gets out the bikes. This is more like it! Bluey clicks away as Bingo and Bob do exciting stuff! There’s the playground; the slide, the springed horse, roundabout and fireworks. Photos of memorable times for Bob Bilby to keep and share with his friends at Kindy are collected.

Who will take Bob home next?

Our lovable characters are role models for children. They restore the exciting world of activity, surprise and joy by getting them away from their tablets. Bluey and Bingo show that friendships are not created in front of a screen but in sharing happy times and fun together outdoors. Gorgeous images, full of happiness and laughter, friendship and togetherness, fill the pages and are accompanied by strong messages.

Title:Bluey: Easter Fun and Bluey: Bob Bilby

Author: Based on the ABC Kids TV Show

Publisher: Penguin Random House, $9.99, $14.99

Publication Date: March 3, 2020

Format:Paperback and Board Book

ISBN: 9781760896898 (Easter Fun), 9781760896638 (Bob Bilby)

For ages: 3+

Type: Craft Book and Board Book

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Review: The Republic of Birds

Olga's life turns upside down when her father is exiled to the furthest reaches of human-governed lands, but it's not as bad as it seems. For Olga.

While her sister dances as if she floats on the air, and her mother is the ultimate actress, nothing Olga does is special.

Being stranded in the Imperial Centre for Aviation with nothing but mushrooms to eat has its benefits. Especially when the furthest reaches of the land are visible from its observation deck.

Olga, whose only passion is maps, itches to touch the precious ones in her new home. They chart every slope and valley of the outer lands, except the Unmappable Blank. But when Olga succumbs to temptation, her world unravels because magic has been banished for decades.

Olga knows she cannot reveal her unusual ability to anyone or she will be sent to Bleak Steppe, never to return.


But being so close to the Republic of Birds with a father who is desperate to redeem himself leads to dangerous complications.

Olga has no choice but to learn who she really is in order to unleash every ounce of skill she has to save her sister.

With themes like loyalty,  jealousy and overwhelming protective instincts threaded throughout, The Republic of Birds is not only an ode to the complexities of sisterly love but also a rip-roaring magical fantasy adventure.

A perfect escape in these strange times of self isolation.

Title: The Republic of Birds
Author: Jessica Miller
Publisher: Text Publishing, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 March 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922268044
For ages: 8 years +
Type: Middle Grade Fantasy



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Review: The Big History Timeline Wallbook

Jump from time period to time period with The Big History Timeline Wallbook.

This is a special book which comes in two parts.

Part one is a pull-out timeline and it's incredibly detailed. It's also two metres long when fully extended.

Starting with the 'big bang', it moves onto dinosaurs and the stone age, then through ancient history and the middle ages, to more modern times.

The years can be tracked along the bottom of the timeline, while hundreds of events from various civilisations can be followed across the full length and breadth of the 12 pull-out pages, with tiny pictures and labels.

A magnifier is provided in a special pocket on the inside cover, and is useful for exploring what's depicted.

Part two, 'The Wallbook Chronicle', is written in the style of a newspaper and tells the stories of some of the world's big events from throughout time.

The stories include the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, the invention of steam engines called 'puffing devils' in Cornwall, and the 1969 moon landing.

In keeping with the newspaper format, the Chronicle includes letters to the editor, and advertisements. There's also a quiz to test your knowledge of history.

The Big History Timeline Wallbook is part of the What On Earth Timeline series. Other titles in the series focus on sports, nature, science, Shakespeare, and British history.

History buffs will be in their element with The Big History Timeline Wallbook.

Title: The Big History Timeline Wallbook
Author: Christopher Lloyd
Illustrator: Andy Forshaw
Publisher: Walker Books, $26.99
Publication Date: February 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780993284786
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior non-fiction




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Review: The Mummy Animal Book

For those interested in words, and especially those with children who have an enquiring mind and a thirst for knowledge, any book by Tasmanian author and artist Jennifer Cossins is ideal. She increases her collection of valuable publications with a title that introduces the noun name of the mother animal and that of the baby.

The Mummy Animal Book is composed of fourteen double spreads of mother and baby animals. It is presented in a compact size which will comfortably fit into any child’s hands and book bag.

A mummy swan is called a pen. A baby swan is called a signet. Each definition is followed by an interesting fact about the specific bird or animal. If a cygnet gets tired of swimming, its mum will carry it around on its back.

The layout and design are attractive. Coloured text signifies important words. The page opposite the text depicts the mother and baby animal. The use of striking colour in the images draws attention to the intimate and protective mother/child relationship. Each entry is simple and effective.

Some of Cossins’ other titles include 101 Collective Nouns, The Ultimate Animal Counting Book, The Flamboyance of Flamingos, The Daddy Animal Book andA – Z of Endangered Animals.

Title: The Mummy Animal Book

Author/Illustrator: Jennifer Cossins

Publisher: Hachette, $9.99

Publication Date: February 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9780734419897

For ages: 5+

Type: Non Fiction

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Giveaway: Crack Up!

Review: Mum's Elephant

I love a powerful picture book, and I love a quiet picture book. But I really love a quiet and powerful picture book, and Mum’s Elephant is a brilliant example.

This is a book that isn’t easy to forget, even though the story is simple and it’s not trying to convey a big message. 

It's about family, memories, the small things in life and the things that make us who we are.

Mum's Elephant follows a girl and the things she remembers about her childhood.

The girl remembers her siblings playing, the damper her mother would make and her mother’s one treasured item: an elephant.

The girl remembers a lot about the elephant — how her mother held it tight, how it brought joy to gatherings of friends and how she and her siblings got in trouble if they didn’t handle it with care.

The elephant is not what you might think, and you won’t find out what it is until the end, which makes this a delightful story for kids, who are sure to enjoy guessing what the elephant is throughout the story.

But what I reflect on after reading this story is that is doesn’t really matter what the elephant is. This story is about the things we hold dear and how the relationships we have with these things shape who we are and who our families are. 

When I think about it, my own mother had an ‘elephant’. It isn’t the same elephant as the one in this story, but it is an object that I associate with my mother and my family — something that has now become a part of me and a memory that can never be forgotten. 

Mum's Elephant is also a story about the bush — about culture, diversity and history. But these things aren’t obvious story threads. They are delicate tendrils woven through the book, there to pull out and discuss with readers when you and they are ready. 

Debut author Maureen Jipyiliya Nampijinpa O’Keffe has created something truly magical. This is a story that makes you feel. It makes you remember, and that is a very powerful thing. Christina Booth’s illustrations, too, add to the magic — the red dirt, the smoke from a campfire, the shadows from the trees that play over blankets as Mum lies in the shade. Stunning details that bring the story to life.

The back of the book says this is a story of a very special elephant, but I think it’s more than that. For me, this is the story of a very special memory and the power that our past and our memories have on shaping who we are. 

 I highly recommend that you find yourself a copy and experience the magic for yourself.

For more books beautifully illustrated (and some written) by Christina Booth, check out One Careless Night, Are These Hen's Eggs? and The Gum Family Finds Home.

Title: Mum's Elephant
Author: Maureen Jipyiliya Nampijinpa O’Keffe
Illustrator: Christina Booth
Publisher: Magabala Books, $17.99
Publication Date: 1 April 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925936728
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

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Guest Post: Bernadette Green on Who's Your Real Mum?

Bernadette Green’s debut picture book Who’s Your Real Mum? is a response to a question many children ask about same-sex parents. The source is love and this is the shining light in this warm and beautifully illustrated picture book on non-traditional families.

 Bernadette, is Who’s Your Real Mum? your debut picture book?

Yes, it is.

Who’s Your Real Mum?  is a delicate and emotive view of a non-traditional family, and the curiosity of a friend wanting to know. How did the idea for it come about?

My partner is also a woman and when our children started school, they were asked which one of us was their real mum. I felt for my kids having to navigate those sorts of questions and at the same time I understood the curiosity of the child asking.  I wanted to explore the question and its answer in a way that took the pressure off children from same sex parented families but also respected the curiosity of children and their love for answers.

The structure of the family unit has changed significantly during the last ten years. Do you agree that children struggle to understand the concept of same parent families?

I think children understand what is celebrated and visible around them. But there hasn’t been a great deal of movies, TV shows or books featuring same-sex parented families, particularly those that talk to a young audience. The more visible rainbow families there are, the more acceptance there will be.

Was this in any way a motivation for your own story?

Yes. When my kids were younger it would have been lovely if families like their own were in the shows they were watching and the books they were reading. It would have been a powerful message about the acceptance of their family. It would have also given kids from more traditional families an opportunity to see a range of families. And of course, some of those kids may themselves grow up to become part of the LGBTIQ community, and in their case, it is an early message of acceptance.

The main theme is love, an emotion easily understood by children.  Where do you hope your book will find its most valuable/educational space?

I hope that kids from all sorts of families enjoy the book and it helps to show that although family structures can be different, that it’s the fundamentals of love that are important.

I would also love to see it amongst the collections of kindergartens and schools, who I think play an important role in reflecting the diverse range of children’s experiences.  

Anna Zobel has done a meticulous job in translating your text. How did she come to be chosen as illustrator?

Scribble publisher, Miriam Rosenbloom, always looks for a certain feeling when she matches the text with an illustrator. With Who’s Your Real Mum? she looked around for about a year. During that time, Anna was commenting on Scribble’s Instagram posts and when Miriam checked out her pictures, she immediately thought Anna would be great for the project.

Picture books take time to create and bring to bookshelves. Can you share with us your long-term hopes as writer/creator of children’s picture books?

I currently have a couple of projects bubbling away and my hope is that these make it out into the world. The moment when an illustrator animates the ideas in a writer’s head are magical and make me want to produce many more picture books. The type that kids are drawn to and that offer both wonder and comfort.

Have you considered other age groups for future target audiences?

As well as working on another picture book, I am currently writing a middle-grade fantasy novel, which also features rainbow families. While there is danger and adventure in this fictional world, the type of family the characters are born into is no big deal.

Bernadette Green grew up loving animals and being outside. She dreamed of becoming a writer, but life took her in many different directions. She trained as a youth worker and shiatsu therapist before returning to writing. Bernadette lives in Melbourne with her partner and children, and their dog, Coco.

https://scribblekidsbooks.com/books/whos-your-real-mum/

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Public Libraries Take Story Time Online

For parents looking for storytelling opportunities for young children, there's nothing better than the library. Thanks to a special agreement with the Australian Publisher's Association and the Australian Society of Authors, right now public libraries across the country are sharing online story times featuring Australian picture books.

To find any of the growing number of online story times, visit your local library's website or social media accounts, or search for online story time on YouTube and Vimeo.

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Review: We Can Deal With Bullying: Empowerment For Young People

Review: Jane Eyre - A Retelling

Charlotte Bronte’s immortal classic, Jane Eyre, is resurrected by Carnegie Medal winner, Tanya Landman. Her powerful retelling has remained true to the original, while presenting the story in a simple, accessible style that beckons new readers of a younger age.

Barrington Stoke Teen books assure us that their publications aretested for children and young people by children and young people. I found the prose and storyline in this title clear and succinct, making it more readable for its audience than the language of the classic edition.

Jane Eyre’s feelings of not being loved or wanted, and not belonging anywhere, are perfectly encapsulated in the simple prose. Her torturous life, the reminded charity of her Aunt and the demonic cruelty of Cousin John at Gatehead, are recalled.

 The endless physical bullying and her courageous confronting of John, see Jane sent to Lowood, the charity school for orphans. Although deprived of everything, her time there secures her an education which leads to a position as governess at Thornfield Hall, the isolated home of the surly and broody Mr Rochester. It also gives birth to other unexpected emotions.

But mystery surrounds Rochester. A secret withheld from Jane about the unrevealed resident at Thornton Hall threatens their lives. It is Jane’s resilience, faith, love and charity – all the things that were never shown to her, that draw her to the astonishing climax.

Jane Eyre is my all-time favourite piece of classic literature. Reading it again without the stilted Victorian English gave me great pleasure.

Even if you have read Jane Eyre, this edition will delight. I’m convinced that young readers who have avoided approaching any works of literature, now will embrace them and perhaps reach for the originals for comparison. I’m hoping that other classic titles will follow in a similar vein so that the beauty of those writings reaches a wider audience.

Themes of love, bullying, poverty and personal restoration are plaited together in this moving retelling.

Title:Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre: A Retelling

Author:Tanya Landman

Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $14.99

Publication Date: February 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781781129128

For ages: 11+

Type: Fiction

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Review: What a Lot of Nonsense

From the author of the bestselling Edward the Emu, What a Lot of Nonsense is a fabulously fun, rhyming story about animals doing silly things, with questions to ponder and anagrams to find on every page.

A story constructed from a series of quirky questions brought together by their consistent theme of a bear with nothing to wear and other animals being outrageously funny. Written in rhyming prose, the questions on each page inspire conversation, laughing and further analysis. For example ‘What would you say if, just for the day, your mother turned into a crow?’

I adore the gorgeous, colourful illustrations, they are filled with movement and personality and work in unity with the flowing words and typography.

There are instructions at the start which show how to find anagrams on each page and offer the alternative of enjoying the book without finding them. I love how this feature gives more value, encouraging multiple reads and revisiting with a different focus for different age groups.

What a Lot of Nonsense is unique, quirky and educational, it would be a great classroom addition, especially if combined with the free teacher notes offered by HarperCollins on their website.

Sheena Knowles is the Australian award-winning author of Edward the Emu and Edwina the Emu. Jonathan Bentley is an Australian based illustrator and author with many other books including Where is Bear, Little Big and A Hare, A Hound and Shy Mousey Brown.

Title: What a Lot of Nonsense
Author: Sheena Knowles
Illustrator: Jonathan Bentley
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, $24.99
Publication Date: 24 February 2020
Format:  Hardcover
ISBN:  9781460756140
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book




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Review: The Wall In The Middle Of The Book

At a glance, there is not much to this book. A brick wall is wedged in the gutter (middle) of the book with blank pages on either side.

On closer examination, you'll notice a brick is missing on the left-hand-side of the wall. 

Supposedly, this is the better side of the book, so it's fortunate the wall is in the middle of the book, protecting it - so says the little knight, who armed with a suitably sized ladder, aims to replace the missing brick.

While all this is happening, we catch a tantalising glimpse of the other side of the book. 

It's full of predatory and fierce animals; rhinos, tigers and gorillas. They don't have ladders, just a natural curiosity to explore the other side of the wall, the safe side. 

These creatures however are by no means the most dangerous aspect of the right-hand-side side of the book. That honour, the knight informs us, belongs to the gruesome ogre. Oh dear. Lucky for our knight there is a wall in the way, for if the ogre was on the other side, he would surely eat the knight.

Then a frightful thing happens to the knight's safe side of the book. A thing of great, unexpected, life threatening peril, that eventually finds him on the other side of the wall!! 

Does he survive or succumb to the clutches of the terrible orge? What is life really like on the other side of the wall?

This post modern picture book is at once hilarious and profound. It explores themes of self-awareness, tolerance and misguided pride. It's also a subtle commentary on the way misconceptions and fears can create insurmountable barriers, blocking us from understanding what is really going on, preventing us from enjoying the world as it really is around us; quintessentially it's about not judging others. 

It also demonstrates that illustrators can not be trusted!

Clever, cute, pleasantly entertaining and highly recommended.

Title: The Wall In The Middle Of The Book
Author: Jon Agee
Illustrator: Jon Agee
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $17.99 
Publication Date: October 2018
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780525555452
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with New Junior Reviewer Evie Bee!

Review: To The Bridge: The Journey of Lennie and Ginger Mick

Review: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a story of hope, peace and love. It is based on the life of a real child, who lived from 1943 to 1955.

Sadako was two years old when an atomic (nuclear) bomb was detonated over Hiroshima, Japan, near the end of World War II. As the story begins, Sadako is twelve years old, an athletic student who is close to her family and her best friend, believes in good luck symbols and is a fast runner who longs to make the school running team.

However, just as Sadako is running at her best, she notices dizziness and episodes of fatigue. She keeps her symptoms a secret, hoping they will disappear, until one day she collapses. Sadako is afraid she may have the atom bomb disease. Soon she is in hospital. Sadako has leukaemia, like so many others in her city who were affected by the radiation from the bomb.

In the hospital, Sadako's best friend brings her some paper and shows her how to fold a paper crane, and reminds Sadako of the old legend, if a sick person folds a thousand paper cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again. Sadako begins to make paper cranes, throughout all her treatments and her ups and downs, and the number of cranes grow.

The story is told as a narrative, as if from Sadako's perspective. Whilst the author, Eleanor Coerr, would have imagined the conversations and some other aspects of the story, it is all based on extensive research into Sadako's life. Coerr lived in Japan for a number of years, where she first heard about the story of Sadako, and was able to obtain a copy of a rare book, called Kokeshi, which contained an autobiography written by Sadako and letters she wrote to her classmates during her illness.

Although Sadako had the best treatment that could be given at the time, she died from leukaemia. Today, when people have leukaemia, it is not usually from radiation like Sadako experienced, and many people recover after very intensive treatments, but this was not the situation in Sadako's era.

Sadako did not live long enough to make one thousand cranes but her classmates completed them for her and Sadako was buried with one thousand cranes. Three years after her death, a monument was built, of Sadako holding a crane, in Hiroshima Peace Park. It is known as the Children's Peace Monument and commemorates all the children who lost their lives and were affected for many years as a result of the bombing.

Such is the significance of this story, this book has been reprinted 39 times since 1977, sometimes with two or more reprints in a year. This story speaks to children and adults all over the world with its messages of hope, love and peace.

Title: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Author: Eleanor Coerr
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books Australia, $12.99
Publication Date: 1 December 2002
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780733617324
For ages: 9+
Type: Narrative Non-Fiction




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Review: World's Wackiest Animals

Review: Lovable Lottie and the Shy Sheep

Lovable Lottie is now one year old. It is time for her to be given the responsible task of protecting the chickens from foxes. There is one impediment - the long grass. Daphne, Dolly and Dolores are brought in to resolve the problem. Lottie loves meeting new friends. Although she tries her best to make the sheep welcome, they keep their distance.

As in the previous book by Asia Upward, Lovable Lottie and the Lost Toydocuments Lottie’s day-to-day activities for a week.

On Monday Lottie prepares the house for visitors. They don’t turn up.

On Tuesday there is baked pie to share but no one to share it with. On Wednesday, the bees pollinate the blossoms to produce honey. Lottie experiences it alone. Thursday, a bubble bath is prepared for the sheep to relax in after a long day munching grass. But the bubbles evaporated in the tub. Friday finds the artistic alpacas painting portraits of the orchard. But no sheep arrive to admire the beautiful art.

Saturday sees the chickens waiting in vain to meet the sheep. Sunday a picnic is set up under the trees. Who stays away from a blanket covered in food? Guess!

A new week begins. Will things be the same for Lottie and the other animals in the orchard? Will the shy sheep stay away from friendship forever?

Stunning photography fills the pages with the divine images of the real and famous 100-year-old Logan Brae Orchard on which Asia Upward and her family live with Lovable Lottie. Her puppy antics inspired this series. Animals such as alpacas, chickens, a fox join the sheep to take part Lottie’s story. Lots of toys are scattered about. Trees are covered in gorgeous blossoms while country craft fills every corner of every page to create a smorgasbord of peaceful images.

Seek and find interaction encourages little ones to find the shy sheep in every spread. At the end of the book there is a series of duplicate images from the book with the hidden shy sheep circled for children to check out.

While continuing their support of the Starlight Children’s Foundation, 20% of the profits from this book, will also be donated to Rural Aid.

Title: Lovable Lottie and the Shy Sheep

Author/Illustrator: Asia Upward

Publisher: New Holland Publishers, $19.99

Publication Date: October 2019

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781760791308

For ages: 3+

Type:Picture Book

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Review: Eureka: A Story of the Goldfields

Eureka: A Story of the Goldfields is inspired by the real life of Catherine Martin, daughter of an English immigrant and Pan Ah Shin, a Chinese farmer that worked on the Goldfields.

The story retells the Eureka rebellion against unfair laws and enforced licence fees on the goldfields at Ballarat. It portrays in text and visual images, the environment on the goldfields, the intense dislike of the Chinese miners by others, and the social structure of the times.

Molly and her dad arrive at the goldfields to make money for a new life. Her mother has died leaving Molly only a gold locket.

Father and daughter know nothing of how to pan for gold. Licence fees are enforced and plans to increase them have the miners up in arms supported by their leader, Peter Lalor.

On the 3^rd of December, 1854, the Eureka stockade is attacked by police and soldiers in a fight that lasted fifteen minutes.

Mark Wilson’s exquisite visual portrayal of this tragic event in Australian history is breathtaking. The splendour of his illustrations can hardly be done justice with words. Many of the full page images look like photos but are not.

Created in striking colour using photo-realism in acrylic painting on canvas and board, permanent markers, and watercolour, each picture dictates the technique.

Stunning external covers depict Molly being taught by Chen how to pan for gold. A wide strip on the back cover continues the attack on miners by the soldiers beneath the Eureka flag as it wafts in the wind above the slaughter.

A poignant backstory leads to the happenings of that day. A happy ending dissolves the sadness.

Title: Eureka: A Story of the Goldfields

Author/Illustrator: Mark Wilson

Publisher:Hachette, $24.99

Publication Date: January 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9780734416810

For ages: 5+

Type: Australian History

Come back and visit on the 8 April when KBR uncovers exactly what Mark is reading in the way of kids' books in our popular, Look What I'm Reading! posts.

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Meet The Illustrator: Robert Henderson

Name: Robert Henderson

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
My own books. Concept driven. As little drawing as possible.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Brain space. No visible other things I could be doing. Right amount of strategic clutter. Books. Lack of children.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I don’t draw well and I am petrified by the idea of spending hours on something and then ruining it. So I either create in Adobe Illustrator with my trusty undo button and bezier handles, or by digitally layering media from charcoal to collage to ink to paint to pixels.

My work tends to jump in and out of the computer. Create, print, trace, rough-up, scan, layer, print, photocopy with a wiggle, fold, photograph with phone, halftone the photo, save. Create physical texture, scan, overlay, save, duplicate, multiply, print, dip in 3 litres of orange juice and photograph through a translucent glass table. That sort of thing.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Ridiculous to choose three, but floating through my head presently: Kathleen Jennings, León Ferrari, Patricia Piccinini. I am more often inspired by ideas and their thinkers.

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

None, particularly, I think. Maybe a cloistered scribe or illuminator?

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

I like to hop back and forth between illustration, concept and language without having to explain myself to a third party. Everything can stay flexi and fluid for as long as possible until that wave function collapses. That sounds suspiciously like “a need for control”. 

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

Nah, I have no dedicated space. Writing usually happens in the car. I do love working around the Brisbane cultural precinct, though.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

Concept development. Imagining. Research. Anything that doesn’t involve the stress of actually illustrating.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Find things that work for you.
Creatively side-stepping your shortcomings can make your approach unique.
Don’t keep buying expensive supplies and equipment unless you’re sure you’ll use them.

Robert Henderson is a prolific non-graduate from a range of prestigious Australian universities and an actual graduate of Griffith University's Queensland College of Art. Robert lives in Brisbane with his partner and two young children who help him with his work and make sure he never has to eat a sandwich by himself. Robert's work was recently longlisted for the CBCA Notable Award and Australian Book Designers Association Award.

For more information please follow Robert on instagram.

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Video: StoryMakers with Hervé Tullet: Mix It Up!

Hervé Tullet has created more than 80 books for children, starting his journey as an illustrator when he was in his thirties. As he explains it, he tries to elicit dialogue between children and adults. His books are certainly an unusual and entertaining experience.

This interview with Hervé Tullet explores his ideas, creative process, and how he enjoys taking readers on an 'expedition'. Seeing how Hervé reads his books will change the way you read them! Hear a little of Mix It Up! and how to discover the way colours work. There's also a great demonstration of making and exploring sounds with The Trail Game.



Title: Mix It Up!
Author/Illustrator: Hervé Tullet
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $22.99
Publication Date: 2014
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760110956
For ages: 2+
Type: Picture book

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