Meet The Illustrator: Sarah Matsuda

Name: Sarah Matsuda

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Colourful acrylic and mixed media in a semi-realist style.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
A good light for working at night (I have a Uniqu phone stand with LED lighting), my iPhone for listening to art podcasts, my Macbook Pro for research, a spray bottle filled with water to wet my palette - even though I use acrylic, I can use the paint over days/weeks if I spray it often and cover it after use. That way I have wet paint ready to use in those little fragments of time that exist in motherhood and I don’t have to constantly clean my palette and waste paint.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?

I love to mix it up with layers of acrylic paint, Conte pencils, Posca pens and Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils in 8B (The B stands for black and it’s quite different to other graphite pencils). Sometimes I use pastel too.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Mary Cassatt, Adrienne Stein, Elly Smallwood.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Probably the American Renaissance, because I would love to see John Singer Sargent paint. His work seems so effortless, but I have heard he carefully considered each brush stroke before he laid it down.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

My background is fashion design, specifically couture wedding gowns. I would always draw theatrical sketches for my clients of their gown design before it was made-to-measure. I always adored looking at fashion illustrators' work such as David Downton.

 
I’m a third generation artist and when I moved to Brisbane from Sydney, I decided to give up fashion design and focus on art. I was extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work with my best friend Cate Storey who was starting a new publishing house called Wet Season Books focusing on books for children about Australia’s ecology.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I live in a two bedroom apartment with my husband and daughter. We all sleep in one room (as is the Japanese custom), so the second bedroom is a combined playroom and my workspace. We have a basement that I was planning to use as a studio, but that hasn’t worked out so far as my daughter is with me most hours of the day and it’s not very stimulating for her there.

 
My workspace consists of a simple Ikea desk. I have worked on quite large pieces there, but it would be awesome to have more space! I also have to constantly pack things away and make sure they are out of reach of curious hands!

 
I try to keep things a bit minimalistic and not waste, but I think a true artist needs to vary their methods and techniques from time to time! So I do have quite a range of materials from Lami pens, inks, pastels, watercolours!

 
I also move between spaces occasionally, going to my artist Mother Robyn Bauer’s studio. My Mum helps me look after my daughter so I can get some work done. So it’s essential that I keep my work portable.. I often have to lay artwork that is still wet on thick plywood boards on the seat or floor of the car to transfer between studios. I also carry my big palette with its cover around too and a pencil case of materials.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I really enjoy when I have planned out the picture and laid down some basic lines and I’m starting to splash around the paint. Also when I’ve done a few layers and I break out the pens and pencils and add extra brightness and sharpness.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Don’t worry about trying to find your style. Just draw lots of different subject matters and eventually it will start to emerge. Also try to practice drawing from life, it’s so different to using a photo reference and really helps you loosen up and become a better drafts-person!

Sarah Matsuda is a fine artist and illustrator interested in maternal themes and the human figure. She has illustrated two children’s books: Snuggled Away about Australia’s nocturnal wildlife and The Perfect Hollow about a Greater Glider searching for a home. Sarah is currently working on book three about Australian birds.

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

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Review: The Heartbeat Of The Land

12 Curly Questions with author Yvette Poshoglian

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you. 
I once wanted to become Prime Minister. Or play cricket for Australia.

2. What is your nickname?
Posh/Poshy/Poshington

3. What is your greatest fear?
Driving along a cliff road.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
My writing style adapts to the story I wish to tell.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Connection, change, warmth, community, imagination.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I always wanted to be George from the Famous Five – she was so brave!

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would have loved to visit Shakespeare’s times in Tudor England, perhaps around 1600. Also, Sydney in the year 1878, a year I spent researching about Cockatoo Island. Sydney was changing and developing as a colony at that time.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
You may not be Prime Minister, but you can still change the world for the better through words and actions.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
I’m inspired by strong and powerful women like Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Julia Gillard, Grace Tame and others through history such as Anne Frank.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I had so many stories I wanted to tell. I love to escape into other worlds, so hopefully I can create these for readers too!

11. What is your favourite word and why?
It’s a secret word that my brother, sister and I invented as kids. We still use it and we’ll never tell you what it is or its meaning!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My mum’s old recipe notebook with handwritten notes. It’s our connection to our past and contains wonderful stories as well as delicious recipes if you look hard enough.

Yvette Poshoglian is the author of over 40 books for children and young people, including the bestselling Ella and Olivia series. Born and raised in Sydney, Yvette taught secondary English in southwest Sydney and now manages major education projects for the NSW Department of Education. Currently, she works at the intersection of pedagogy, technology and innovation with the Technology 4 Learning team at the NSW Department of Education. Many of the STEM and technology developments occurring in schools around NSW are captured in Dear Greta. Yvette has loads in common with her character Alice Boghosian, apart from Alice’s horrible nickname. For more information, see www.yvetteposh.com.

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Review: A Walk In The Dark

Review: Dirt By Sea

Guest Post: Cassie Veselovsky on Making Reading More Musical

For over 20 years I have been serving as a youth librarian providing storytimes and programs for the children and families in my community. I am loud, goofy and I make mistakes, but I hold dear an unwavering commitment to support the kids and their grown-ups.

I strive to help grown-ups recognize how easy it can be to help their children learn by utilizing the five early literacy practices of reading, writing, talking, playing, and singing.

I am passionate about early literacy and encouraging and supporting grown-ups in their role as a child’s first teacher. Throughout my years I have created numerous songs and rhymes when I couldn’t find something to fit a storytime theme or program plan. Sure, many times my songs were met with chuckles, but kids and grown-ups sang and had fun together!

Singing is one of the five early literacy practices that many people struggle with and in my humble opinion, it is the most fun! Singing can make everyday activities exciting; it can make daily chores more fun!  To top it off, because of the magic that is music, creating a song about something you need to remember, can help you remember it!  (Try teaching your kids their address using a song!).  And when it comes to early literacy development, songs help children hear the individual syllables of words and develop their phonological awareness.

We all are not blessed with golden vocal cords, and that is ok! Years ago, when I had my daughter, all my education and experience flew out the window. I couldn't remember one single lullaby.  I felt lost.   I'm dating myself here, but the songs I turned to were TV show theme songs from my childhood:  Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan's Island.  I used the themes and made up my own songs at 2am trying to soothe my dear one and get her back to sleep. 

Familiarity is comforting.  It didn't matter that I wasn't singing a proper children's lullaby or that my voice was off key; I was singing and engaging with my child. She relaxed with the sound of my voice, and I grew confidence as a new mother.  There are many picture books written to the tune of old, familiar songs, but you can make up your own songs as well. Take any five-letter word and create a song to the tune of Bingo. How about a new counting song about over in the park instead of Over in the Meadow. Don’t sing about Five Green and Speckled Frogs; sing about Five Blue and Furry Monsters! The options are endless. Yes, they are silly and goofy, but if they bring about positive engagement with you and your child and you are spending quality time together, then the songs are golden.

Cassie Veselovsky has worked in or for libraries for 40 years (which obviously means she’s part time lord). Her passion for early literacy has led her to be an active member of many youth services committees as well as present at conferences, in classrooms and via the internet.

Her commitment also drove Cassie to write. She is the author of the Bingo Books series as well as Over in the Outback, Old MacDonald had a Cat and Five Tasty Tacos sharing her love of reading and singing (and goofy songs) with the under-5 crowd and their grown-ups.

Discover more at: lonecow.blogspot.com or connect with Cassie via her socials: Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest

 

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Review: Meerkat Christmas

Hip hooray! It’s Christmas Day! Meerkat One, it’s time to play.

Jump into the Christmas spirit with 10 cheeky meerkats who love to spread joy through their mischievous shenanigans.

As they jump, leap and climb to get the Christmas tree ready for its special day, readers can count along with each Meerkat. 

But watch out for those itchy noses that cause some sinister sneezing. It might wreck everything!

Meerkat Christmas is a joyful rhyming picture book for everyone who loves a bit of Christmas cheer and/or cute little meerkats. It’s joyful, fun and a perfect gift in the lead up to the festive season or on Christmas day.

Short, sweet and filled with darling illustrations, award-winning author/illustrator Aura Parker delivers the goods with Meerkat Christmas.

And don’t forget to check out the gorgeous endpapers, which tell a story of their own through the stunning illustrations.

Title: Meerkat Christmas
Author/Illustrator: Aura Parker
Publisher: Puffin, $19.99
Publication Date: 5 October 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780143777229
For ages:  3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with Millie Lewis

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
OK, I’ll let you in on a secret: If I am ever late to a meeting or event, I will usually say that it was because of traffic. This is a lie. More than half of the time, it’s because somewhere on the way to that meeting or event, a random dog has made eye contact with me. I am addicted to giving good-boy-belly-rubs!

2. What is your nickname?
As a child: 'nose in a book' (what a cliché!). As a teen/adult: Millie or Milly (my real name is Amelia).

3. What is your greatest fear?
This one is oddly specific – I love to paddleboard at the beach (very inexpertly), and my greatest fear is crossing into that darker stretch of water where you can no longer see what’s underneath you. I’ve been attacked by many vicious seaweed strings and plastic bags over the years.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Experimenting with ideas, playing with language, and seeing what sticks.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Funny, silly, playful, energetic, rhythmic.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Matilda Wormwood, because I can’t help but feel that the powers of telekinesis would make
me at least 98 per cent more productive.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
1985, because the music was banging, the movies were ridiculous, and ‘the sprinkler’ (my signature dance move) was still cool.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Congratulations on finding a job that isn’t boring! Also, why are your eyes so baggy?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
I grew up on Pamela Allen’s picture books – lots of rhyme, lots of nonsense. I definitely see elements of that in the stories I love to write.

10. What/who made you start writing?
My son (but not for the usual lovey-dovey reasons). I was so excruciatingly tired and bored during the first six months of maternity leave (during COVID-19 lockdown) that I could almost feel my own brain atrophying. Writing classes were a gift to myself to survive that period – and a reminder to myself that my mind still worked!

11. What is your favourite word and why?
'Bamboozle', because it just feels great coming out of your mouth.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
William Goldman’s The Princess Bride – who could resist that delicious combination of romance, fantasy and comedy? Plus, it’s immensely quotable.

Millie lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and a rather cheeky two-year-old. Her lifelong ambition is to accumulate enough books to justify an extravagant home library like the one in Beauty and the Beast. Her debut picture book, Mr Price’s Pet Emporium, is out now, published by Larrikin House. For more information, see www.millielewisauthor.com.


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Review: Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt

Two dogs, worlds apart, destined for greatness… and each other.

Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt couldn’t be more different. Scuttlebutt is a disgraced greyhound (after an unfortunate itching powder incident), and Pugnacious is a cranky, rude pug who only cares about himself.

But when they both end up in the dog pound, they must find a way to get past their differences (and Scuttlebutt’s itching butt) to break free. Can they do it? Can they not betray one another? Will Scuttlebutt’s butt ever stop itching?

Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt is a brilliant new junior fiction novel from Adam Wallace and Wayne Bryant. Packed with humour, silliness, butt-scratching and awesome illustrations, it’s one for the jokers and tricksters. It’s for fans of laughing and chuckling and butt jokes galore.

This is a straight-up joyful book. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s all about entertainment. With illustrations galore on every page (which are fun, engaging and hilarious), short chapters, big text, and super-fun layouts, it’s a great one for reluctant readers + kids looking for something shorter.

If you love funny, fast-paced books filled with excitement, this one is most definitely for you.

Title: Pugnacious and Scuttlebutt
Author: Adam Wallace
Illustrator: Wayne Bryant 
Publisher: Larrikin House, $14.99
Publication Date: 1 November 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922804013
For ages:  6 - 9
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: The Ultimate Pet Handbook

Meet The Illustrator: Forrest Dickison

Name: Forrest Dickison

 
Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Bill Peet meets NC Wyeth meets Looney Tunes.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My library! The more books the better.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I love the old-school earthiness of pencils and gouache, the versatility of a Wacom, and the buttery flow of oil paint.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Herge, Georges Beuville, and Edgar Payne.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I'd love to visit the early days of Disney when the Nine Old Men were inventing the artform of animation as we know it today. Watching them reshape the collective artistic imagination of Planet Earth would be something else. This would also be a convenient time to swing by Edgar Payne's studio and talk colour theory.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I grew up reading Tintin, Asterix, and Calvin and Hobbes. I was fascinated by those worlds and characters that came alive through lines and shapes. I've been imitating 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 current studio is on the second story of my house. Just out of frame to my left is a window that overlooks the backyard. When I need a break from the art, I can watch my girls playing, plants growing, and chickens chickening. It's all gloriously ordinary. The corkboard above my desk is filled with scribbles and notes from various projects currently under construction. The drawing of Jafar above my head is by Andreas Deja. It was an impulse buy at CTNX a number of years ago and is the closest it's ever been to being framed and hung on the wall. Maybe next year. My easel and overflowing bookshelves are set up behind the camera. All in all, it's a great place for picture making.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I love the earliest stages of the process - the part that consists of venturing into the vast, unknown world of a blank piece of paper, armed with nothing but a pencil and my imagination. The more I illustrate, the more I feel like an explorer or an archeologist who's digging around in the dirt for things that have existed long before I was even born. Finding them is thrilling. Sprucing them up for presentation is still fun, but a different kind of fun.

  
What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Dead artists are the best teachers. It's easy for students to mistake artistic trends for fundamentals. Copying illustrators and artists whose work has stood the test of time is the fastest way to build good habits.

Forrest Dickison is the award-winning illustrator of Hello Ninja, which was recently made into a Netflix original series. When he isn’t illustrating books or working on animated shows, Forrest can be found in the great outdoors, chasing the light (and clouds) with a brush and some paint.

For more information, please visit Forrest's website.

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Review: Need a House? Call Ms Mouse!

Need a House? Call Ms Mouse! That’s both the name of this fabulous STEM-themed picture book, and the message of its animal characters.

Ms Mouse is Henrietta, a talented architect whose imagination and creativity are put to excellent use. This book is like a portfolio of Henrietta's work.

There are many animals who want the home of their dreams, so Henrietta listens carefully to their brief, then designs a house to meet them. 

From Lizard’s desire for a beach house to lounge in the sun, to Owl's tower with an observatory to gaze to the stars. Caterpillar has a snug home packed with features that allow him to store plenty of food. There are also homes for Squirrel, Spider, Trout, and others.

Whether simple or grand, Henrietta will find a solution, and she might just inspire future architects and designers to do the same.

George Mendoza's text helps readers understand a little about design and building, and to learn about the animals' needs and environments.

Doris Susan Smith's illustrations are a brilliant visualisation of Henrietta's designs. They're in pen and ink and watercolour, and take a cross-section approach to depicting the various houses. It lets you explore the nooks and crannies of the house design.

Need a House? Call Ms Mouse! is a reprint of the original, first published in 1981, and a favourite childhood memory for those who read it in the '80s. I hadn't heard of the book before, which is surprising given my particular interests, but it appealed to me straight away and I'm happy to have been able to enjoy it.

It's great to know Allen & Unwin set out to find the copyright holder so this book could be republished at last, much to the excitement of those who have long awaited it, and for all the new readers of today.

Detail and creativity abound in Need a House? Call Ms Mouse! I highly recommend you find a copy and share it with your family, and keep it for future readers to enjoy as well.

Title: Need a House? Call Ms Mouse!
Author: George Mendoza
Illustrator: Doris Susan Smith
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 November 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761066016
For ages:  3 - 7 
Type: Picture Book

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10 Quirky Questions with author Deborah Abela

1. What's your hidden talent?
I am a brown belt in Judo. So watch out everyone... I’m also very short, so that may not be as scary as it sounds.

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
I love Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’s so mean and wicked and has no idea of how unfunny he really is, which of course makes him hilarious.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Kate DiCamillo, David Walliams, Julia Donaldson, Jacqueline Wilson, Katrina Nannestad. I think that would be a fun party!

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
A Skymouse (Arlo from The Book of Wondrous Possibilities has one).

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Chaotic, messy, surprising, shambolic, wondrous.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Imaginative, heartfelt, exciting, warm, brave.

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
A view, light, a fresh breeze, friends nearby when I need to play, and a huge pot of tea.

8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Bully on the Bus by Kathryn Apel. ‘Walk,’ she says, which I do because I know she’s angry and don’t want to do anything that’ll make it worse.

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
Kate Di Camilo, can you hear the voices of your characters when you write, because they feel so real, as if they really do exist.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
What! What a terrible choice! I can’t choose. Don’t make me! Please! Reading makes me want to write and writing making me wants to read... it’s part of the same lovely circle.

After training as a teacher, Deborah Abela travelled to Africa where she was harassed by monkeys, caught in a desert sandstorm and thrown in jail... twice! She’s worked as a child wrangler and a rides operator at Luna Park, but her first real job was as writer/producer of a national children’s TV show at Network TEN. She has since become an internationally published and awarded author of 28 books, including her cranky climate change trilogy, Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm. Her family’s survival in WWII and migration to Australia inspired Teresa A New Australian. The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee and The Most Marvellous Spelling Bee Mystery were inspired by her fantabulous Grade 4 teacher, Ms Gray. She’s also written picture books: Wolfie, An Unlikely Hero and the 2021 CBCA Notable, Bear in Space. The Book of Wondrous Possibilities is her love letter to books, booksellers, librarians and readers. Deb’s won awards for her work but mostly hopes to be as brave as her characters. She’s a proud ambassador for the charities, Room to Read and Books in Homes. For more information, see www.deborahabela.com. 

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Guest Post: Kylie Mort on The Inspiration Behind Big Emotions

Review: The Edge Of Limits

Guest Post: Cherie Bell on $5 Book Reviews

Review: Kill Joy

Guest Post: Susanne Gervay on The Edge Of Limits

Review: Digging Up Dad - And Other Hopeful (And Funny) Stories

12 Curly Questions with author Mike Lucas

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I am a very long-time member of the Curly Wurly Club. And I have a card to prove it.

2. What is your nickname?
I’ve never had one, but I’m open to suggestions of a complimentary nature.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Somebody setting fire to my vinyl collection.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
I make it up as I go along. That’s it. (I’m counting that’s as one word)

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Proud, persevering, supported, fortunate, improving.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Winnie-the-Pooh because everybody loves him and his world is so perfect.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Probably 1865 to prevent my great-great-great grandfather from blowing up his house and killing nine people. But then again, I may wipe out my own existence by interfering...

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Why didn’t you take writing more seriously from a younger age? You always knew you could do it.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
It has to be Stephen King. I’ve been reading his books since I was 11.

10. What/who made you start writing?
Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, mixed with teenage angst.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Discombobulation. It’s a fabulous word that makes you feel exactly what it means.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Neverending Story (I’m being clever here!)

Originally from the UK, Mike moved to South Australia in 2010. He is the author of several picture books and his first YA novel, What We All Saw, was published this year with Penguin Australia. Mike also owns a bookshop in Adelaide and works full time as an engineer. For more information, see www.mikelucas.com.au.

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Guest Post: Morris Gleitzman on His Secret Friends and How They Inspire Him

We spoke to former Australian Children's Laureate, Morris Gleitzman to learn about inspiration, humour and his new book, Digging Up Dad.

Where did you get the ideas for the stories in Digging Up Dad?
They just sort of slowly came to me, thanks to a creative technique that has served me well over the years. The one where you make slow circular meditative movements with a sponge in a sink full of dirty dishes and let your mind wander.

While I was waiting for the burnt bits to soften, I found myself thinking about how everyone’s problems seem to be a bit bigger these days. And more complicated. And harder to fix. And when I say everyone, I'm including the planet that lets us park our cars on it.

I also found myself thinking how a lot of us grown-ups aren't feeling as confident as we used to about making things better. And how young people are probably noticing this. And perhaps wondering if they might be able to do a bit of making things better themselves. Not just in their own lives, but also in the lives of their families, pets, teachers, neighbours, local shopkeepers, members of parliament etc.

Which got me hoping I could meet a few kids like that in my imagination. And then, when they found they'd got a mate with a laptop and a big sink, they might feel hopeful enough themselves to have a crack at it. And along the way, even if they hadn't planned it, inspire us grown-ups to be our best selves too. In somewhere between three and seven thousand words with not too many adverbs.

The stories in Digging Up Dad have certainly made me feel more hopeful, which is why I put the word in the extra bit of the title. I also did it to remind young readers that if they come across a grown-up who’s not having a very hopeful day, sharing stories with them might just help.

How do you incorporate humour into serious subjects?
Stories are always about characters struggling with problems. So as their author you want to equip them with as many believable personal strengths and qualities as possible. Especially when the characters are young.

Empathy, bravery, optimism, resilience, creative thinking, the capacity for loyal and loving friendships, the ability to stay up much later than adults think they can - you can make your own list. If young characters can start out with at least some of these, the problem-solving journey helps them develop even more.

It's never easy for young characters - bombarded with new experiences, out of their depth, desperate sometimes - so they often use what they've got in unconventional and not always parentally-permitted ways. And this is where humour often comes in.

But, an important note. No matter how much humour there is on the page, every story is a serious story. Even if at first glance it doesn't seem like it. Even if you don't stop chuckling from start to finish. And that includes the stories in Digging Up Dad.

I would like to point out, though, that no swimming-pool swamp weed, flared stretch leotards, federal politicians, nervous speed bumps, giant sloths, lumps of toe fluff, rugby-playing wheelie bins, real estate agents' teeth, scary removalist trucks, very naughty year six dance and drama groups or bouncy bouncy settees were hurt in the writing of this book.

What inspired you to start writing?
My secret friends. As a young kid, like most young kids, I spent countless hours with secret friends in my imagination having unsupervised adventures. In year five, when we had to start writing stories, I realised I already had everything I needed. And I still do. Thanks, secret friends. Sorry about you not being so secret anymore. (Actually, they don't mind. I know they don't because their publicists tell me.)

How do you know what types of stories people want to read?
It's actually quite easy. Because there's only one type of story. Character, problem, laughter, tears, physical journey to try to solve or survive the problem, emotional journey so we can all share the experience. The rest is packaging. And while packaging can be fun, every teacher knows you can't keep a class transfixed and facing the front for an hour just with packaging.

If you could choose just one, what is the main message you'd want young readers to take away from Digging Up Dad?
Sorry to be unhelpful, but there aren't any messages in Digging Up Dad. Stories aren't allowed to have messages. It's illegal under the Federal Telecommunications Licencing Act. Stories are only allowed to have richly immersive visual and emotional components that remain inert until they enter the infinite realm of the reader's imagination and there come gloriously alive. Sorry.

Morris Gleitzman grew up in England and came to Australia when he was sixteen. After university he worked for ten years as a screenwriter. Then he had a wonderful experience. He wrote a novel for young people. Now, after 43 books, he’s one of Australia’s most popular authors. He was appointed the Australian Children’s Laureate for 2018–2019.

Reproduced with permission by Puffin Books. Keep an eye out for our KBR review of Digging Up Dad by Elizabeth Vercoe - coming this Wednesday!

 

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Review: Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination

Jørn Utzon is a child who sees the world through a very specific lens. Obsessed with building, creating and thinking outside the box, this is the story of how he harnesses both his own ideas and resilience in ways that don’t always make sense to others.

He even collected ideas from his orange peels at breakfast!

It’s also the story of how ultimately, he enters and wins a competition to design and build our iconic Sydney Opera House.

A quote from the adult Jørn Utzon opens the story, and it applies equally to his unique Opera House design and to the warmth and inspiration of this picture book:

The architect’s gift to society is to bring joy to the people from the surroundings they create. 

John Utzon's, Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination is written with the wonderful lilting cadence of repeated phrasing, alongside the anticipation of ‘expected’ surprises through language. Writer Coral Vass easily - and cleverly - takes us from Jørn's youth to adulthood with an elegant economy of words, deftly explaining all the while how his creativity is nurtured and grown.

We see so many ways in which young Jørn could potentially be thwarted and give up, but he obviously is not and does not (in the long term, at least!). Other people’s opinions of his work aren’t always kind, but it seems that Jørn is able to believe in himself and his dreams enough to follow through on his ideas, regardless of what others think – which is perhaps a life lesson for us all.

Nicky Johnston’s pencil illustrations are gorgeous as ever, divinely expressive and perfect for this work. The cover gives us a clear indication of what’s inside, with its hand-drawn lettering and young Jørn happily clutching compass, pencil and ruler. The front endpapers with their torn pictures depict orange peels, shapes, buildings, flowers, shells, and patterns that eventually all contribute to the design of the building that we know and love. My very favourite illustration is of the fist-pumping Jørn when he finally creates his masterpiece. It’s pure joy.

The back endpapers contain a beautifully rendered pencil timeline of Utzon’s life, which offers useful information for school projects and research. And of course, to provide the impetus to look further into this interesting and colourful life.

A wonderful true story. Highly recommended.

Title: Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination
Author: Coral Vass
Illustrator: Nicky Johnston
Publisher: EK, $24.99
Publication Date: October 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922539144
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture Book

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Meet The Illustrator: Anna Walker

Name: Anna Walker

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Quiet, whimsical, hopeful.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Daylight, small wooden owl, coffee and my paints. :)

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
At the moment I am enjoying exploring mono printing! The process brings surprising textures and marks.
Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Japanese label Minä Perhonen: founded over 20 years ago by the designer Akira Minagawa. A producer of clothing and textiles which are so beautiful in their design, colour and imagery.

Hayao Miyazaki : a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, manga artist - the director of Totoro.

Tove Jansson: author, novelist, painter. Creator of one of my favourite books Comet in Moominland.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I would like to visit the Victorian era and see the dollhouses made for children during that time complete with wallpaper and miniature light furnishings! Growing up, I had a special doll’s house made for me by my grandfather. I used to make couches from match boxes and cover them with fine floral corduroy. Doll houses hold a special place in my heart.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

Fairy tales. I was enchanted by the tiny creatures that lived in the pages of the books I looked at as a child. When I was around four years old, I remember thinking this is what I want to do when I grow up.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I am lucky to be in a beautiful studio space shared with friends. While we work we can often hear musicians practising or in summer we can hear the sheep at Collingwood Children’s Farm.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
Mixing a palette of colours and painting.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Draw, paint, visit exhibitions, try new things, be brave. Persist. Know that you will doubt yourself - listen, but keep going!

Anna Walker is an award-winning illustrator and author of many picture books for children published around the world. Her books include Florette, which was a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book. Anna creates illustrations with watercolour, pencil, and collage. Her stories are inspired by the quiet and sometimes joyful details of life. She lives and works in Melbourne.

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

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Review: Rodney Forgets It

Review: Neverlanders

Graphic novel fans… have I got some gold for you!

If you love graphic novels, Neverlanders is an absolute MUST-read. From award-winning author/BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Tom Taylor and comic artist Jon Sommariva, Neverlanders is the bee’s knees when it comes to new graphic novels on the kidlit scene.

It tells the story of street kid Bee (previous pun intended!). Bee and her friends (also living on the streets) are navigating a cruel world, where food is scarce and adults can't be trusted. They stick together. They look after each other, and when they meet Paco, they invite him to share what little they have.

But Paco has a secret. He's not from this world. And he desperately needs their help.

Paco is from Neverland, but it’s not the Neverland you might be familiar with. In this Neverland, the pirates are on the verge of destroying everything. The fairies, mermaids and Paco are doing their best to protect it, but they are losing the fight. Peter Pan is gone, and things appear hopeless. Until Bee and her friends step in to help.

Wow, this is a roller-coaster read. There are so many twists in this book. Amazing, show-stopping twists that will have your jaw dropping. It’s immersive, engaging and addictive. It is non-stop action all the way through, but cleverly layered with character development throughout, so you really do become one with Bee and her group. You’ll want to join them. You’ll want to be them.

Sommariva’s illustrations are superb. They are beyond frame-worthy. They are works of art. And from a kid’s perspective, they are bright, colourful and action-packed.

There is some violence in this novel — some guns, a bit of blood and some epic battle scenes — but no more than a PG movie. It’s definitely a book kids are going to WANT to read, and it’s a great one for reluctant readers with full-colour illustrations filling every page in graphic-novel style.

If you love graphic novels (no matter your age), I highly recommend taking a look at Neverlanders. And if you’re trying to get a reluctant reader to open a book, this one just might be the ticket!

Title: Neverlanders
Author: Tom Taylor
Illustrator: Jon Sommariva
Publisher: Penguin, $22.99
Publication Date: 20 September 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761049071
For ages: 7+
Type: Graphic novel

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Review: Nothing More To Tell

Guest Post: Shaye Wardrop on The Magic Of Anthologies

Anthology is a big and kind of intimidating word, but if you swap it out for “a collection of stories”, it doesn’t seem so scary. And that’s really all they are — collections of stories or poems (or even art and songs).

Anthologies come in lots of different forms, and this is part of their magic. They might be themed, have one or multiple authors/creators, have stories that are linked and/or connected, have short stories, short-short stories, poetry or a mix of them all.

But no matter what form they come in, each one delivers a magical journey. And these journeys deliver several benefits for readers — particularly kids:

1. If the thought of reading a whole novel is kind of terrifying, an anthology can be your best friend. As a collection of many stories, they allow you to dip in and out and tackle shorter pieces, one at a time.
2. Want to try out some new authors, but don’t want to commit to a whole novel? With an anthology that features multiple authors, you’ll be able to sample new creators and see which ones you like best.
3. Themed anthologies allow readers to explore that theme from different perspectives. This is a great experience for curious minds and it’s also beneficial for classroom study. No two viewpoints are the same, and when you get lots of different creators to write or draw about the same topic, the results are always an adventure.
4. Anthologies provide bite-sized reading experiences. This is great for bedtime, travel or if you’re just in the mood for a quick story.
5. Anthologies can help you discover different forms of writing you never knew you loved! Some of the most powerful stories I have ever read were 50 words or less. Until reading them, I didn’t even know a story could be so short or that this form of storytelling has a really cool name — flash fiction!

Today, there are SO many great anthologies being published, and so many written specifically for kids. Some of my recent favourites include 10 Minutes of Danger by Jack Heath, Brain Freeze by Oliver Phommavanh and Laugh Your Head Off 4 Ever by NINE awesome and hilarious authors.

An anthology is like a magical door to a world of story. If you’ve not explored one before, I highly recommend you give it a try.

 

Shaye Wardrop writes for kids who love the fantastical. We’re talking cool creatures, fantasylands, superpowers and everything in between. Her short story Dragon Sized features in It’s a Kind of Magic: Stories and Spells for Second-rate Sorcerers, a magical anthology published by Michelle Worthington and Share your Story, raising funds for Children’s Rights Queensland.

Keen to know more? Shaye journeys the Internet on Facebook, Instagram and shayewardrop.com.

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Guest Post: Chloe Hooper on What To Read To Your Children When Explaining Loss and Grief

Last month I fare-welled a dear friend as she left our world in the form we'd always loved her in to become another. The loss was felt all the more keenly for the fact that she was a youngish mum leaving two beautiful children behind. This is not the first time such a loss has occurred and in all likelihood, it won't be the last. Such is life. Before she died, I sent her and the children a copy of my picture book, The Fix-It Man hoping it will provide some degree of soothing and comfort, understanding and peace in their days to come. 

I'm a fervent believer in the power of storytelling to address and normalise the more weighty and onerous moments in life. So too is Chloe Hooper, bestselling author of, Bedtime Stories. What follows is a collection of picture books she curated and reviewed with her young sons. There are some absolute gems here. Feel free to add , The Fix-It Man, if you wish. Ed.

When Chloe's partner is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive illness, she has to find a way to tell their two young sons. By instinct, she turns to the bookshelf. Can the news be broken as a bedtime tale? Is there a perfect book to prepare children for loss?

Hooper embarks on a quest to find what practical lessons children’s literature—with its innocent orphans and evil adults, magic, monsters and anthropomorphic animals—can teach about grief and resilience in real life. From the Brothers Grimm to Frances Hodgson Burnett and Tolkien and Dahl—all of whom suffered childhood bereavements—she follows the breadcrumbs of the world’s favourite authors, searching for the deep wisdom in their books and lives.

Chloe: Reading books on illness and bereavement to my children? The thought filled me with heart-knotting dread. Why would I do it to them or me? Well, one reason is that children are natural philosophers who are intrigued by life’s biggest mystery, death. The right book on this subject can be informative and comforting—light is cast into the shadows. I’d now encourage adults to add this topic into children’s literary diet early, to not wait until your family is forced to confront this conversation in extremis. Giving children a framework to think about death, provides them ballast when the inevitable hard time comes.

Recently I asked my seven- and ten-year-old sons to help me review a selection of picture books concerning loss and grief. These books sparked conversations that were thoughtful, pragmatic, candid and enlightening. The following is our joint review.

Cry Heart, but Never Break - Glenn Ringtved
A black cloaked figure visits a house of children the night their grandmother is to die. The children try to distract the uninvited guest who finally tells them a story explaining, 'Who would yearn for day if there was no night?' In our house, this book was a big hit. The visitor is revealed to not be so frightening. The idea of grief and sorrow being a counterweight to joy and delight made intuitive sense.

The Memory Tree - Britta Teckentrup
Animals in a forest hold a memorial for their beloved friend, a fox. As they share their recollections, a beautiful tree grows to give them shelter. 'I absolutely loved this' said the older co-reviewer, 'especially the way emptying out their sorrows made them lighter.'

Beginnings and Endings with Lifetimes in Between - Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen.
Both younger reviewers thought this was fantastic. 'Most of the other books were a story about death, but this was unique in that it explained death,' said my ten--year-old.

The Invisible String - Patrice Karst
'Ten out of ten,' says the seven-year-old. Personally, I am not a huge fan of this bestseller, but I’ve noticed the comfort to be had in imagining a magic thread connecting us to those we love best: 'The idea of the string makes me happy.'

The Boy and the Gorilla
After a boy’s mother dies, he is followed by a gorilla. Both reviewers loved the stunning watercolour illustrations and the idea of a child’s grief morphing into a spirit animal that gives protection. They also liked thinking of 'where you might go' after death.

I’ll Say Goodbye - Pam Zollman
A boy stays with his terminally ill uncle by the sea, offering a metaphor about a person outgrowing their body as a crab outgrows their shell. The book lead us to an interesting conversation.

What Happens Next? - Sinsuke Yoshitake
We all loved this quirky, original book. After his grandfather’s death, a boy finds his grandfather’s notebook containing often hilarious ideas on an afterlife: 'it makes death seem like a holiday in a luxury resort,' said one child. The boy decides to write his own book on how to best live. Highly recommend.

If All the World Were… - Joseph Coelho
A granddaughter recalls all the ways her grandfather has made her life richer. We all loved Allison Colpoy’s illustrations, and the message that our loved ones live on in our memories.

Death, Duck, and the Tulip - Wolf Erlbruch
A duck has the feeling of being followed. Looking over its shoulder, it spies a skeletal character: 'Good,' said Death, 'you finally noticed me.'I think this is a solid 9 out of 10, but have to admit the kids only gave it 6.5.

Michael Rosen’s SAD Book - Michael Rosen
Written after the death of his son, Rosen gives incredibly eloquent expression to the experience of grief, 'a cloud that comes along and covers me up.' This is complemented by the stormy palette of Quentin Blake’s beautiful illustrations. Again, this is a book that older readers might appreciate – let’s not pretend children’s books are only for children!

Leaf Litter: Exploring the Mysteries of a Hidden World - Rachel Tonkin
I can’t not mention this stunning book, which chronicles a year of change in a forest’s undergrowth. ('Leaves teach us how to die,'wrote Thoreau.) A blue-tongue lizard decays, and we see in cross-section the carcass breaking down, its nutrients moving through the soil.

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney - Judith Viorst
In this classic from 1971, a family holds a burial for their cat and a child is asked to recall the ten best things about the pet, the tenth thing being the cat fertilising the earth.

Let’s Talk About When Someone Dies - Molly Potter
This is an excellent practical guide to helping kids understand the mechanics of death, the mixed emotions of bereavement and our different cultural beliefs regarding an afterlife. 'Basically an encyclopedia of death,' one co-reviewer suggests.

Read Elizabeth Vercoe's exclusive KBR review of Chloe's Bedtime Story. 

Here is Tania McCartney's KBR review of, The Fix-It Man.

For more picture books that teach children about grief, happiness and love, read another KBR Guest Post by Laura Reid. 

Chloe Hooper's most recent book is the bestselling The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire. The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island won the Victorian, New South Wales, West Australian and Queensland Premiers’ Literary Awards, as well as the John Button Prize for Political Writing, and a Ned Kelly Award for crime writing. She is also the author of two acclaimed novels, A Child’s Book of True Crime and The Engagement. She lives in Melbourne with her partner and her two sons.

Both memoir and manual, Bedtime Story is stunningly illustrated by the New York Times award-winning Anna Walker. In an age of worldwide uncertainty, here is a profound and moving exploration of the dark and light of storytelling.

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Review: The Bewilderbeast

Review: Our Dreaming

Goodjagah, little one, walk with me ... I want to tell you our Dreaming as the Elders told it to me. Award-winning storytellers, Gunai woman Kirli Saunders and Bigambul man Dub Leffler, explore a deep love and respect for Country and all her spirits ... past, present and beyond.

This is a truly beautiful book which was warmly embraced by the Year 3 class with whom I shared it. We all loved the text - which has the effect of being both soothing and gentle -and the children loved guessing the meaning of the words in language used throughout.

Kirli's lyrical and poetic words are so superbly matched by Dub's visually eloquent illustrations. We were all entranced with our close examination of them, and the chosen palette of subdued colours not only evokes the colours of the bush, but further added to the sense of calm our reading conjured up.

Mother and puggle echidna wander through the pages as the narrator explains the meaning, depth and wisdom of the chosen Dreaming. Many will think that there is only one Dreaming in First Nations culture, without realising that for each nation or language group there will be both similarities and differences across the traditional stories. 

One thing in common however is the paramount importance of the love and respect for Country. This is a concept which all Australians should take on board and, indeed, more and more non-Indigenous citizens are beginning to deepen their connection with the land.

It is without doubt one of the most emotive picture books I've seen this year and, certainly, one that is valuable for our sharing of cross-cultural perspectives. I highly recommend it to you for your readers from as early to Prep right up to upper primary, where it will do much to promote understanding and respect.

Title: Our Dreaming
Author: Kirli Saunders 

Illustrated by: Dub Leffler

Publisher: Scholastic Australia, $24.99
Date of Publication: August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781742995113
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Wonderful Wasps

Explore the world of wasps, with Wonderful Wasps from Katrina Germein and Suzanne Houghton.

This brilliant non-fiction picture book takes flight with a range of Australian wasps, including introduced species like the European wasp and a variety of native wasps, like spider and paper wasps.

Learn about their size and appearance, their role as sky pollinators and their connections to other Australian animals.

This is a great non-fiction book for junior readers. The information is delivered through rhyming story, and each page is filled to the brim with stunning and detailed illustrations to help guide understanding. Then, at the back of the book, go deep and explore the detailed facts about all the wasp species mentioned in the book. There’s also a glossary at the end to help with definitions.

I love how accessible this book is. It can be read both to kids and by kids, making it a great one for school libraries. I also love the focus on native animals and plants, shining an important light on the beauty and importance of our native insects.

This book is truly wonderful!  

Teachers notes are available from the publisher’s website. 

Title: Wonderful Wasps
Author: Katrina Germein
Illustrator: Suzanne Houghton
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, $24.99
Publication Date: November 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486315734
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book, Junior Non-Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Lynette Noni

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I fell off my horse when I was 16 and broke a bone in my neck. It’s actually a funny(?) story since I hurt my knee bad enough to need an x-ray, but since my neck was stiff as well, they checked that, only to find it was where the worst damage was, not my knee!

2. What is your nickname?
When I was studying at uni, one of my housemates affectionately called me 'splinter-butt' because I was so bad at making decisions that it was as if I was always sitting on the fence. Thankfully, that nickname didn’t get used by anyone else, haha. To my friends and family, I’m just Lyn — nice and simple!

3. What is your greatest fear?
After way too many traumatic encounters, I have a deep terror of huntsman spiders. I’m okay(ish) with smaller spiders, but those beasties haunt my nightmares. *Shudders*

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
I write, first and foremost, what I want to read.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Creative, thoughtful, ambitious, heartfelt, passionate.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Oh wow, that’s a tough one. Is there a character that can jump in and out of other books? Or, ooooh, actually, maybe I’d choose to be like Mo from Inkheart because he can bring things out of books just by reading aloud — but I’d want that ability without the curse of having to lose something (or someone) into the book every time it happens! Eeek!

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Somewhere in the future! I’d love to see how much things have changed in, say, 100 years. Alternatively, I’d love to go back and find out what happened to the Lost City of Atlantis!

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Probably some random horse fact — I was obsessed with horses when I was 10, and my entire life revolved around them. My early love of reading even came from my obsession, since I would read anything and everything that had a horse on the cover!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
A lot of people have influenced and inspired me over the course of my life, so this is a difficult one for me to answer. But the first person who comes to mind is my mum, who raised me to believe I could become anything I wanted to be, and gave me her love of creativity in all its various forms.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I started writing in the post-Twilight era, when the YA market began to really gain some traction. There were so many books being released to meet the demand, and all the ones I read had different elements that I loved, but I wanted all those elements combined in one book. So I decided to try and write the book I wanted to read — and Akarnae was a result of that.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
It changes every day, but today, it’s 'effervescent'. Tomorrow it might be 'verisimilitude' or 'serendipity' or 'bubbles'. 'Kerfuffle' is always a good one, too, as is 'mellifluous'… and many, many others! I just love words! *Heart eyes*

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Nooooo, you can’t ask me this! Purely because I absolutely cannot answer! I have this motto: “Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.” So similarly, there’s no way I could read just one book for the rest of my life! (*Gasp* The horror!)

Australian author Lynette Noni studied journalism, academic writing, and human behaviour at university before venturing into the world of fiction. She is now a full-time writer and the #1 bestselling and award-winning author of The Medoran Chronicles, the Whisper duology, The Prison Healer and The Gilded Cage. For more information, see www.lynettenoni.com.

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Review: Back On Country