Meet The Illustrator: Simon O'Carrigan

Name: Simon O'Carrigan

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Energetic and versatile – but always partly a study of light!

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My plants! No, first and foremost my favourite headphones. It doesn’t matter whether I’m working digitally, with watercolour, with ink, or anything else — I can’t work without music.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
For artwork, watercolour or ink – it’s a tight contest. Either way, pigment floating in water that evaporates! (Even though a lot of my published work is digital). For publishing, I love to work on my iPad so I can make quick changes. (The ‘MaxPack’ brushes by Max Ulichney are amazing for anyone looking for good watercolour brushes.)

Name three artists whose work inspires you.

Bill Watterson, Ella Okstad, and Sydney Smith.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Tomorrow! Because either I can keep working on something that is going well; or I can try again if it wasn’t working today!

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I’ve always loved art, drawing, and painting. I also have always loved reading and writing stories, so I like to use my artwork in a narrative format one way or another.

 
While I like to make artwork for exhibitions so people can own an original artwork by me, I also like to make my art accessible to people with less money, through art prints and published books and things like that. When I was young, I spent so much time in my local library looking at all the art books, magazines and comics. I still spend a lot of time in my local library! I feel that illustration is a very accessible artform, and that means a lot to me.

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 have a studio in a shared building full of about thirty artists, in Melbourne’s inner north. It’s my home away from home and I spend a lot of time here! A lot of my creative working time is not drawing, but thinking, so it’s important my space is comfortable for sitting and napping and feeling relaxed. I have a working table, a reading table, and a nice green rug to nap on if my mind needs a break.

My studio has a big north facing window, which helps me feel like I’m not stuck inside (I find it very hard to stay at my desk on sunny days when I could be running through parklands, kayaking on the river, or swimming at the pool!). It helps me to keep lots of plants in my studio which is very grounding, because sometimes being a freelancer and submitting artwork to clients can be very anxiety inducing!

One of my favourite things about my studio is my pinboards covered in swatches of watercolour, these are scraps from testing colour mixes as I work. It makes me happy to have this much colour floating behind my screen! I also like to collect all of my pencil shavings and have jars and jars of them stacked up! It reminds me that good work comes out of just making lots of work, and then choosing the good bits.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I love scratching out early roughs with pencil, black ink, or on the iPad. I can spend weeks trying to “get to know” a character for a book and when they finally “click” and feel like a real person to me it is very exciting.

On the other hand, I love mixing colours on my enamel watercolour palette, and watching them run together and transform. I am fascinated by making a colour warmer, cooler, more or less saturated, until it is just right.

 
But honestly the best bit about it about my work is getting to listen to music all day! I listen to music about eight hours a day and I am always finding new music to inspire me.

 
When I am starting a project, and thinking deeply, I listen to my local community classical radio station, 3MBS. Once I know where the project is going and need the energy to make the work, then I switch over to my favourite music — noisy punk music from the 70s and 80s! There are some great radio shows on PBS FM that I stream while working.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Be nice to yourself and don’t spend too much trying to find a style! It’s really easy to be overwhelmed by all the great work you see others do. It’s also easy to think you need to have “one style” and try to force it. But your style will slowly and organically evolve the more work you do. So it’s best not to be too precious, let yourself make mistakes, know that each project will be better than your last and just keeping to try and make it fun for yourself. Once you have work you are very proud of, it will be much less intimidating to show it to potential clients.

Simon loves being an illustrator because it allows him to learn about, engage with, and reflect on the world around him. He works with ink, watercolour, and sometimes Photoshop. His illustrations are sketchy and loose – just like real life.

For more information, please visit Simon's website or follow him on instagram.

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10 Quirky Questions with author Lana Spasevski

1. What's your hidden talent?
I’ve recently started making bread, short-crust pastry, pasta and anything that has a dough that needs to be made from scratch. After working in food marketing for over a decade and now on a kids’ book series all about food, I’ve been inspired to take more risks in the kitchen and upskill!

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
The White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is such a fascinating villain. I love wintertime and who wouldn’t want to have access to a magical potion that creates enchanting foods like hot chocolate and Turkish delights. Except I would use this magical potion for good causes like creating bottomless pits of writing snacks.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
I’d invite the masters of middle-grade fiction that have inspired generations of kids through the years – Lucy Maud Montgomery, Katherine Paterson and Nova Weetman. I’d also invite my two middle-grade reading children who are budding authors themselves and are in the process of writing their own first novels. We would laugh, listen and learn from one another over a scrumptious four-course meal (with a double serve of dessert of course!)

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak – perfect for escaping and finding moments of calm to squeeze in more uninterrupted writing time.

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Daydream, plot, plan, speed-type, and REPEAT!

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Inspiring, authentic, heartfelt, engaging and inventive.

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
My favourite writing space has plenty of natural light streaming in, my cosy lap cat to help me edit, lots of research papers and reference books scattered everywhere, a gigantic mug of coffee and a pen and paper to scribble down any random thoughts worth keeping.

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!)
The closest book on my desk at the moment is my sparkly advance copy of A Slice of Sadie, the fourth book in the Sadie Series. The second word in the first sentence of page 22 is they. My line is inspired by a wonderful bunch of book-loving children that I met today at an author visit: They spent the afternoon pawing through the mountain of new library books. The books had sparked a connection and a furious debate on the agenda of the next book club meeting.

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I’d ask Jane Austen: ‘If you were alive in today’s world, what would you write about?’

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
I would never be able to go a day without reading a book so in that regard I would give up writing to be forever surrounded by the power of other people’s words and perspectives.

Lana LOVES writing kids’ books just as much as Sadie LOVES sprinkles! Her writing is endlessly inspired by her young daughters who she lovingly calls her little book butterflies. Lana spends many hours treasure hunting in bookshops and attempting messy home bakes. She hopes to inspire a love of storytelling through her books and sensationally sweet characters. The latest book in the Sadie series is A Slice of Sadie, out now with Affirm Press. For more information, see www.lanaswrites.com.

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Review: An A to Z of Dreaming Differently

Absolutely brilliant, this alphabet of inspiring words and messages pulses with positive energy. Uplifting and engaging, it reinforces how wonderful it is to be yourself.

Its outstanding design and layout, and Lucia Masciullo’s insightful illustrations, complement Tracy Dembo’s excellent text, which weaves itself over the page in capitals and lower case, to portray in a bright and carefree manner, what each letter represents.  

The covers feel like cloth. Smooth to the touch, they entice a look inside.

This is a reading experience which can be a revelation for children who see themselves as separate from others; different.

But different is unique.

An A to Z of Dreaming Differently will appeal to picture book readers of all ages. It speaks of kindness, optimism, and the advantage of exchanging negative feelings for positive ones, or accepting that at times, negative ones will come and go. 

It encourages children to dream and think big; to be full of hope. Ask questions, and be happy with who they are.

I loved this book, filled with joyful words of a future with dreams that generate confidence.

It is ideal for initiating conversations between teachers and students, and parents and children, about why looking at things differently, is a good thing.

Title: An A to Z of Dreaming Differently
Author: Tracy Denbo
Illustrator: Lucia Masciullo
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 8 August 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780143778905
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Junior Review: The World's Worst Monsters

Vampires all the way through to the loch ness monster.

The World’s Worst Monsters has ten mini stories about mythical creatures — like the abominable snowman and werewolves.

If you’re into flying and mysteries, you’ll like the story about the vampire. 

Amber is a bright and positive girl who really wants a sibling. But when she gets a baby brother (little Alucard) she starts to notice strange things about him, like the fangs growing from his mouth.

If you’re into fishy monsters and evil grannies, you’ll like the story about the creature from the black pond. 

Sally has wicked grannies who always do horrid things to her, like make her pick their noses for them. At night, Sally likes to wander into her garden to look at the black pond. Until one night, a webbed hand reaches out and Sally meets an unexpected friend.

If you like stories about ghosts, gorgons, evil teddy bears, an abominable snowman that’s super nice and a friendly zombie, there’s something in this book for you.

I loved how these stories were weird and unique. They were not what I expected, and I learnt about new monsters I had never heard of. The stories were funny and easy to read, and I liked the fact there were ten different stories in the one book. I also liked the evil characters and the ways the good guys saved the day.

There are lots of illustrations in this book. They are life-like, cute and really detailed. Bright colours and cool characters.

Kids who like monsters and magic will like this book. I’m excited for book two, and I loved the way David Walliams told me that it’s coming. But you’ll have to read the book to find out.

Title: The World's Worst Monsters
Author: David Walliams
Illustrator: Adam Stower
Publisher: HarperCollins, $24.99
Publication Date: 26 July 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780008581633
For ages: 7 - 11
Type: Junior Fiction

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Guest Post: Alyssa Ainsworth on Why Theme Is So Important In Children's Books

When I first started writing, I knew I wanted my first book to be a fairytale, but wanted a theme that reached beyond the pages of the book. 

What I find so vital about the theme of my first published book, Tea Time With Tolly, was that the parents do not shy away from allowing her (Olivia) to have such an open mind and a vast imagination. When she goes to bed that night, she dreams of the people who could show up at her door, but her dream has some restrictions on who might show up.

In Olivia’s mind, she keeps the guests relatively realistic, as most children would. She thinks maybe it is her parents, or that the knights of the kingdom are going to join her, and lastly, she dreams that her friends from other kingdoms arrive to join her. 

Although her suggestions are realistic, her father goes above and beyond to nurture her imagination and grant her wishes of wanting real company.

The overarching theme is to show the significance of nurturing your children’s imagination and letting them explore the world with a vast and open mind. This is an amazing way to allow children to grow and explore their own life, and I hope my book will encourage parents to let their children have a never-ending imagination, and an open door to exploration of the world through their own unique eyes. 

I know that because my parents allowed me to explore the world with an open mind and vast imagination is the reason, I am able to write a book with such an important theme. A few of my readers reached out not realizing that they could enjoy this book with both their daughters and sons due to the guest who shows up, and it is so important to try not to put limits on what stories your child reads because that too can leave them with less of an open mind toward certain books. Even though the book is recommended for ages three to eight, it is never too early to start reading for your children. Following Princess Olivia’s unexpected guest she spends the night dreaming of her next big tea party adventure, and who might join her next time.

Growing up, I found myself to be very open-minded and creative. I never loved the idea of getting older and having to do adult responsibilities and jobs. I craved the imaginative and open atmosphere of theater camps, art classes, reading, writing stories, and anything that allowed me to use my own ideas and creativity in life. That’s why after I graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology, I originally went into education and child care. Working summer camps, I was able to be the big kid running games, activities, and crafts that made my kids use their imagination, it was an amazing time.I like to consider myself someone who can hold onto their inner child, and use it to my advantage, and that gave me the idea to write a children’s book. I wanted to write this story about a princess because I love going to Renaissance fairs, and love playing Dungeons and Dragons.

Using my hobbies and things I enjoy now, as an adult, made it even easier to write a children’s book with such an important theme. This shows that memories made in your childhood still have an importance in your adult life and influence your choices. Writing this book allows me to let parents have these memories with their children that they can hold onto forever, just like I did with my family growing up. I hope that my inner child, my vast imagination, and my open-minded book bring joy into you and your children’s lives, and help you teach your children about the importance of their own imagination. I cannot wait to continue writing children’s books, a journey of never-ending fairy tales, that provide important themes as well as a sense of child-like imagination and wonder.

Alyssa Ainsworth is a first time children’s book author from just outside of Washington D.C.. With her Bachelor’s in Psychology, Alyssa plans to pursue writing using her unique skill set to create books that will help children grow emotionally, mentally and socially.

Find her on Instagram @ThePaper.Hive  

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Review: Honey and the Valley of Horses

Sickness has enveloped the world. To find a safe place, Honey’s family escapes the city in their converted ice-cream van, with enough supplies to last them for some time. 

It is Honey’s fourth birthday. Her brother Rumi is still a baby.

They drive into a rainforest which seems the perfect place to camp. As they fear there is no entrance visible, one is opened by a herd of enchanted horses. 

A bridge magically appears, which they cross into a secret valley, which then closes behind them.

In this valley of horses, the family begins a new, self-sufficient life. 

They learn to forage for food, fish, live day by day in nature, and make do by repurposing everything that is at hand to use as clothing and tools. Lessons and daily chores fill the children's days.

They believe that there is no one left alive outside the valley. Their phones have no reception, and they know nothing of what is happening in the world beyond the valley.

Two of the horses which Honey names Lightning and Moongold, become the family’s protectors and the children’s best friends.

When Papa becomes seriously ill, Honey sets out on Moongold to try to find anyone out there to help.

It is exactly seven years to the day and Honey’s eleventh birthday.

Will she find an opening to the outside world in time to save her father? More importantly, will the valley let them go, or will they remain trapped in this magical place forever?

This is a great adventure story filled with magical mystery.  A delightful read which centres on personal growth, family unity, strength, courage and hope.

Wendy Orr’s words paint pictures that are easily imagined, and that add richness and scope to the background stories.

Title: Honey and the Valley of Horses
Author: Wendy Orr
Publisher:Allen & Unwin, $ 17.99
Publication Date: 1 August 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761068492
For ages: 9 – 13
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Mini and Milo: The Big Flappy Ears

Mini and Milo are back in Mini and Milo: The Big Flappy Ears.

Mini has big ears, just as you'd expect an elephant to have. The trouble is, the size of her ears doesn't mean they're better for listening.

Mini hears what she wants to hear. 

A request to clean her room becomes play time. And Mini gets so excited about an excursion to the museum, she starts daydreaming instead of listening to the teacher's instructions.

Missing the excursion is a prompt for Mini to make a change. She must improve her listening skills.

Perhaps Milo the rabbit can help? Milo is excellent at listening.

Mini learns the importance of being a good listener, and develops a strategy to remind herself how to listen well. It works magnificently, at least most of the time.

The Mini and Milo universe is populated by animals who live just like human children do, going to school, playing games, and so on. They're cute characters and extremely relatable situations. The illustrations by Natashia Curtin are active, with lots of colour and movement, just like life with young children.

Written by Venita Dimos, who is a lawyer, mediator, coach and mum, Mini and Milo: The Big Flappy Ears is the second book in the Mini and Milo series, bringing to life the reality of children's development and learning about social skills (read our review of book 1, Mini and Milo: The Teeny-Tiny Voice). It's a great concept with plenty of scope for more books.

The Mini and Milo series is a must-have for home and school libraries, and I highly recommend The Big Flappy Ears.

Title: Mini and Milo: The Big Flappy Ears
Author: Venita Dimos
Illustrator: Natashia Curtin
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $25.99
Publication Date: September 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760656164
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Junior Review: Wylah the Koorie Warrior: Custodians (book #2)

Wylah is a strong and kind girl, but she’s been through a lot. Her grandmother passed away and her family got kidnapped. 

In book 1, Wylah had to reunite the five guardians of the tribes so she could become the Koori Warrior. 

But her tribe and her family are still missing, captured by evil dragons.

In book 2, Wylah and her crew (her cousins Po and Merri, Merri’s new friend Jayden and the guardians) must travel through the most dangerous place — the Valley of Spirits — to get to the gold mines.

They’re hoping to trade gold for their people, but things don’t go to plan. Drop bears attack, a giant emu tries to trample them, and angry Yowies like to make trouble.

Add to that, not everyone is telling the truth about who they are. Wylah’s crew is betrayed, and they end up captured and in great danger. Can Wylah learn who to trust and get her tribe back from the dragons?

I love that this series is based on First Nations history and culture. I feel like I’m learning lots as I read it. I love the glossary at the end of the book that helps you learn the Peek Whurrong language. It has meanings of the words and how to say them.

The illustrations are great. Very life-like. They are black and white and there are lots of them throughout the book.

Journey with Wylah and learn her story.

Title: Wylah the Koorie Warrior: Custodians
Author: Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard
Illustrator: Richard Pritchard
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $15.99
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761180040
For ages: 8 - 14
Type: Junior Fiction Middle Grade

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Winner: Roobee Roo Board Book Prize Pack!

Our lucky winner is ...

Lily Polujan, NSW 

Congratulations!

You have won all four books in the adorable Roobee Roo series including: Roobee Roo: That's Me, Roobee Roo: Sunny Day Treat,s Roobee Roo: Fun in the Sun, Roobee Roo: Under the Stars. 

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: The Map of William

It is Western Australia, 1909.

William is one of six children. At fifteen, he is indentured to a well-known architect. 

The placement is months away and it comes as a surprise when his father, a prominent surveyor examining land and mapping water sources, announces that William will accompany him on his next expedition.

This expedition will become a rite of passage for the inexperienced boy, who for months will be amongst older men, riding through the roughest country fraught with threats and dangers.

William doesn’t know what to expect, but is excited by the prospect. 

With the trust of a loving father and his mother’s words repeating in his mind, he sets out on a journey filled with life experiences and challenges,

undertaken with the measure of his conscience. He will return enriched and transformed by the friendship, sense of justice, kindness, and camaraderie of his companions.

I loved this well-crafted novel, rich in Australian history, that juxtaposes William’s life with the mapping of the country in which the characters travel. Full of warmth, it also exposes the savage cruelty white men perpetrated against the natives, on whom a bounty was set, dead or alive.

Beautifully presented, the superb innuendo that replaces a hundred words and flavours every page, is accompanied by a delicious flow of turn-of-the-century language. Words lost have been found again, and images of how people thought and acted come across clearly.

Characters with morals and those without, cross swords while an enjoyable underlying  humour exists throughout the narrative - even in the most sensitive situations.

I adored the quotes repeated in William’s mind of his mother’s words that guide him through difficult decisions. 

The lives of the people on this journey are a collection of stories; entertaining, funny, sad, and heartbreaking.

An outstanding book that will give great pleasure to every reader. This superb novel is inspired by the author’s life.

Title: The Map of William
Author: Michael Thomas
Publisher: Fremantle Press, $32.99
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Format Paperback
ISBN: 9781780992187
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult

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Review: Phonobet

When we speak, how often do we pay attention to the parts of our body being activated to form words? 

You may well ask, what is she talking about?

You will be surprised!

After reading this novel book, you will never take speech for granted again.

 Phonobet describes the sounds that letters make alone, and together with others. 

Full of beautiful noise that children will have fun experimenting with, added to the stunning design, colour and characters that entertain on the page while children learn, I know of no other book like this.

 

 It explains in a simple way, the complexities of the English language. 

The different sections such as fricative: a type of consonant made by the friction of breath in a narrow opening, affricative consonants, (explained in detail), and vowels, come with analogies that kids can associate with.

At the end of the book, in the section Exploring Your Voice, eye-opening information will leave old and young, with the urge to try every sound with focus on which areas of your face and body, produce the delightful sounds of speech.

There are activities for children to try with word sounds – voiceless and voiced, and a Treasure Hunt to find sounds.

I can’t write highly enough about this incredible book. All I can add, is, look inside the exceptional covers, and you won’t leave without it.

Great fun. Lots of learning. Too good for words!

Title: Phonobet
Author: Kathy Weeden
Illustrator: Kim Drane
Publisher: NLA, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 June 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922507471
For ages: 4+
Type: Junior Non Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Tracey Dembo

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I once accidentally wandered onto the set of a Mexican soap opera.

2. What is your nickname?
Trace and Tray.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Having to answer these sorts of questions on the spot. It’s truly terrifying!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Trying to paint a fresh picture from my chaotic imagination.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Quirky, tenacious, inventive, feisty, mischievous.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would love to be Pippi Longstocking — because she is super strong, goes on wild adventures and gets to spend the day hanging out with her pet monkey and horse.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would love to go back in time to meet Frida Kahlo. She was a creative genius.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I’m so happy you found your imagination again. Hey, you wanna go play Nintendo?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My kids. They remind me how best to look at the world.

10. What/who made you start writing?
My love of books is what got me started as a kid. But it was reading to my own kids that reignited that spark as an adult.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Kismet. It is an old Yiddish word that essentially means ‘fate’ or ‘meant to be’. It makes the universe feel orderly.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What!!! Only one book??? Well then it would have to be something rich, delicious and moreish, like a piece of chocolate mud cake. Maybe something by Margaret Atwood or Neil Gaiman. Or perhaps an anthology of fairy stories or folk tales from around the world. 

Tracey Dembo is a children’s author who is passionate about encouraging big questions, daring dreams and wild imaginations. She believes in the power of good stories, well-timed jokes and freshly baked cakes. Tracey lives in sunny Perth – on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar – where there are many excellent beaches. When she is not writing or sitting on a beach (or writing while sitting on a beach) she likes to spend time with her family and friends. Tracey loves that her official job as an author involves inventing lots of mischief and nonsense. In her other life as a lawyer and a community-based director, she does not do that. Ever. For more information, see www.traceydembo.com.

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Junior Guest Post: Nia Shetty's Summer Reading List Recommendations!

Gifted words smith and KBR junior reviewer, Nia Shetty, gives us her top picks for sensational 'summer' reading. You don't have to be in the Northern Hemisphere to enjoy these gritty, provocative and classic YA reads though. Check them out for yourself.

The Class by Erich Segal - Follow the lives of 5 Harvard students from different backgrounds as they navigate personal struggles, relationships, and the challenges of life after college in the 1960s. Recommended for ages 16 and above.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton - Explore themes of friendship, loyalty, and social inequality with Ponyboy and the greasers as they navigate their way through 1960s Oklahoma which will do anything to make them feel like outsiders. Recommended for ages 14 and above.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Through the lens of Junior, a Native American teenager, he navigates identity, poverty, and cultural expectations while attending an all-white school. Recommended for ages 14 and above.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo - Experience the power of poetry in this novel-in-verse that tells the story of Xiomara, a Dominican-American teenager who discovers her voice while challenging societal expectations and family dynamics. Recommended for ages 14 and above.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - Join Santiago on a transformative journey across the desert as he discovers the true meaning of life, destiny, and the pursuit of one's dreams. Recommended for ages 14 and above.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - After witnessing the shooting of her unarmed friend by a police officer, Starr Carter stands up for what’s right and uses the power of voice to fight for justice. Recommended for ages 14 and above.

Holes by Louis Sachar - After being falsely accused of theft, Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake, where he is forced to dig holes as punishment. He learns the importance of friendship and how his family misfortune affects him to his day. Recommended for ages 12 and above.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - A gripping dystopian tale where Katniss Everdeen is chosen to fight against other teenagers for survival in a televised competition. A tale of rebellion, love, poverty, and war. Recommended for ages 12 and above.

Vivacious KBR junior reviewer, avid reader and reviewer, Nia Shetty , is also an adept columnist and lead copy magazine editor! Find her work and reviews @niaspage2page on Instagram.

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Review: Timefire

This is a thrilling mystery; a fantastic read with twists filled with adventure and time travel. 

It is based on historical events surrounding the most destructive bushfires our land has experienced. 

It is 2033, Gilbert is branded a firebug. Life is unbearable as everyone shuns him. 

It is thirteen years since the country’s worst fires, for which Gil’s mother was accused of starting. His dad refuses to talk to him about his mother.

But why does Gil always know when there is going to be a fire? His premonitions come on via a pain from a burn mark on his shoulder.

To get Gil away from the constant harassment and accusations from peers and townspeople, his dad decides to send him to boarding school, far away.

Just before Gil is to leave, he meets Vargo, a mysterious man that has been shadowing him. He demands Gil accompany him.

Who is Vargo? What is he keeping from Gil?

The fires have already started.

Reluctant Gil is taken to the mouth of a fire where a tunnel appears. teleported to a place 200 kilometres away, it is 1983 and the fires of Ash Wednesday are burning.

This begins his search for truth and reason, for his mother, and the answer to questions about his family line, their Fire Seeking skills, and more.

Why has Gil been chosen to time travel to the major bushfires in Victoria: to 1939 and the Black Friday fires, the ferocious fires in Victoria of February 1851, the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, the worst in Australia’s history, and the Currowan bushfires in 2019.

 Each visit reveals more information on his family history. What is his real role in all this tragedy? How can he make the choices expected of him, and will they answer his questions?

Title: Timefire
Author: Nean McKenzie
Publisher: MidnightSun Publishing, $17.99
Publication Date: 1 July 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922858030
For ages: 10 – 14
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: The Art of Making Friends

How do you make a friend? 

That's the question addressed in The Art of Making Friends.

It's a sweet and appealing book, the kind that should attract the attention of young girls in particular.

Friends can come in all shapes and sizes, and can be found in all kinds of places. 

The Art of Making Friends is full of friends created by a child's imagination. Friends crafted from cardboard and socks. Painted friends, snow friends, and plant friends.  

But no matter how much you try, friends are not truly imagined. They can't be conjured as if by magic. Real friendship is something that grows and takes effort.

Mary Anastasiou's rhyming text is full of relatable situations, both real and imaginary, and the words encourage expanding vocabularies. Sam Loman's illustrations are a lovely, whimsical expression of a child's world.

Friendship is something young children sometimes have difficulty navigating. Putting a copy of The Art of Making Friends in the hands of your children will be a good reminder, and prompt for discussion, about the value of friendship and what it takes to make friendship strong.

Title: The Art of Making Friends
Author: Mary Anastasiou
Illustrator: Sam Loman
Publisher: Five Mile, $ 24.99
Publication Date: June 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922857903
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Meet The Illustrator: Anna McGregor

Name: Anna McGregor 

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Stripped back, vibrant and textural.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My to-do list and pomello timer to keep me focussed and a large corkboard filled with bits of inspiration.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I’m primarily digital and love my iPad Pro and the Procreate app. However, recently I bought an airbrush and I’m loving it. I like to misuse it with the nozzle protector on, so it spatters and then I scan it and layer it into my digital composition.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Carson Ellis, Felicita Sala and Jon Klassen

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I love mid-century art and design, but given the opportunity I would choose to visit 10 years into the future to see where we’re heading with AI.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

Becoming a mum and rediscovering picture books.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
Unfortunately not; our whole house is currently packed up in boxes, as we’re about to move house. I’m very excited to have a new studio space to make my own. Instead, I can share a window display I recently installed at The Little Bookroom in Fitzroy North.

 What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
The moment in the beginning when I realise I have something that could be a story and I see the path forward.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
If publishers aren't calling you with a project, be proactive and create a book yourself. If writing eludes you, try a simple concept book, there is so much you can do with numbers, alphabets, animals, shapes, weather etc. Bring an original visual narrative to it. All my opportunities have come from being proactive in creating my own stories. Even the ones that will never see the light of day have led to opportunities.

Anna McGregor is a creator of modern, quirky, innovative stories with humour and heart.
Having begun her career as a graphic designer, Anna is now emerging as an award-winning Author/Illustrator. Her titles include Colouroos, Anemone is Not the Enemy, A Pair of Pears and an Orange and her newest title, Who’s Afraid of the Light?

Anna’s driving purpose is to delight and entertain children through timeless storytelling. She explores evergreen issues through a child’s lens and allows them to gently interpret the stories in their own way.
Anna has a deep curiosity about all things and finds her ideas by turning the mundane on its head, merging ideas or exploring wordplay — but always with a story that connects to the human experience.

Anna lives in Naarm / Melbourne, Australia, with her Husband and Son.



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

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Review: Mizuto and the Wind

This story is inspired by the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011 which took over 18,000 lives. 

Poignant and uplifting, it shines a light on the amazing tale of the wind phone of Otsuchi, and its role  in providing comfort to the distraught and grieving families of those missing.

Mizuto is a young boy who loves spending time with his father. On this day, as always, he farewells him as he leaves for work. Then everything alters.

For as Mizuto’s father takes the seaside route to work, the wind changes. The sea surges. Waves crash to the shore. Huge walls of water sweep everything and everyone away.

From one moment to the next, what was, isn’t anymore.

Louisa Gioffre-Suzuki's stunning watercolour illustrations are powerful and portray their own story. Her immersive translation enhances the mood and emotions of the characters, the power of the sea, and force of the tsunami. They leave a significant impression on the reader while complementing Kaye Baillie’s emotive, and carefully selected words.

The boy refuses to believe that his father won’t return. Overwhelmed by grief, his mother shuts herself away from him.

Mizuto sees his father in everything. Light has left his life.

This sadness is captured in a back view of his image in black, walking alone, away from his friends.

He overhears someone speak of Kaze no Denwa. Where is it and how is this unconnected phone connected to the wind?

Despite his mother’s disbelief, the boy sets out full of hope, to find this wind booth where people can send messages to those that are missing.

The following pages are filled with brightly coloured images, reflecting hope as it comes alive in the boy; the hope that his father will receive his messages of love. 

Stunning covers speak volumes. End pages use leaves floating on the wind to represent words being carried to those missing. Simple, perfect images.

Title: Mizuto and the Wind
Author: Kaye Baillie
Illustrator: Luisa Gioffre-Suzuki
Publisher: MidnightSun Publishing, $29.99
Publication Date: 1 June 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922858023
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with author Chemutai Glasheen

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
From the time I was about 10 years old, I would pick up a newspaper and go straight to the notices page. I loved reading the obituaries of strangers. I look back and wonder if it was to confirm that the ones I loved were not in them. I was always fascinated by how someone’s life could be summarised in a few words. Maybe that is where my love for short stories began.

2. What is your nickname?
Tatai. My youngest sister couldn’t say Chemutai and so she would say Tatai. It has stuck with my family.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being cold and having no control over it.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
I invite you to approach new worlds and extend compassion.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Engaging, colourful, creative, attentive, honest.

6. What book character would you be, and why?.
Just for a day, I would want to be the Ugly Duckling in the fairytale. I would want a chance to say to myself I am not a duck and it is okay. I am enough as I am.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would go to 2123. I would want to know if the prejudices of today would still exist 100 years from now. What stories would young people be reading then?

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
So you wrote a book and still can’t ride a bike!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My mother. She opened the worlds to me by surrounding me with books. She raised 10 amazing children who continue to be my rock today. She is full of compassion and it is what I want to do in my stories – expand compassion,

10. What/who made you start writing?
It began with my love for reading. My Grade 5 teacher introduced me to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and I could never have enough of them. I was fascinated by the strange world and strange food. I guess that is when I began to want to recreate something that was familiar to me and my world. It was only after I wrote my first ‘real’ short story as part of an assignment at university that I began to believe I could become an author.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Enough. It is a word that gives me permission. If I don’t like something, I get to say enough and walk away. The best part of that word is when I say I am enough. As I am, I am enough. I have enough. It is permission to be happy.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Bible as it is a library in itself. It was written at a very different time but has ongoing relevance to me. It inspires me as a writer to want to reimagine the stories for today and for my context. 

Chemutai Glasheen lives in Western Australia. She is a teacher and a sessional academic at Curtin University. She writes fiction for young people and her work is influenced by her interest and experience in human rights and education. She has written a collection of short stories which are set in east Africa. Her work has been published in ACE: Arresting Contemporary stories by Emerging Writers and in the Museum of Freedom and Tolerance website. She holds a PhD in creative writing from Curtin University.

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Review: The Amazing and True Story of Tooth Mouse Perez

In Australia we talk about the Tooth Fairy, and there are certain traditions about what happens when a child loses their 'baby' teeth. Do you know how the traditions began?

In Spain such traditions have deep roots (no pun intended). They have the Tooth Mouse, also known as Ratoncito Perez.

Once upon a time, when a child lost a tooth, they threw it backwards -- originally onto the roof, then into the fireplace -- and sang a little rhyme calling for the Tooth Mouse to collect it.

With the advent of ubiquitous electricity the fireplace was no longer an option. What happened then is explained in The Amazing and True Story of Tooth Mouse Perez. 

Tooth Mouse Perez is one of the descendants of the original tooth mice. He becomes part of newer tooth traditions, with children leaving their teeth under their pillow, and awaiting a 'gift' of money in exchange. One way Tooth Mouse Perez put the teeth to good use was as jewellery!

Tooth Mouse Perez is the just one incarnation of the tooth tradition, and when one of his descendants travelled outside his home country, he encountered the Italian Tooth Ant. And what do you get when you cross a mouse and an ant (because that's what happens when they fall in love)? A mouse with ant wings. And a mouse with ant wings can be mistaken for a fairy. A tooth fairy.

This story, originally told in Spanish by philologist and folklore specialist Ana Cristina Herreros, and illustrated by Violeta Lopiz, has been translated by Sara Lissa Paulson. It takes a traditional tale, and demonstrates how things evolve over time.

History, traditions, and an ever-changing world are part of the thought-provoking story that is The Amazing and True Story of Tooth Mouse Perez. Imbued with the magical and mythical atmosphere of folk history, it will capture the imagination of children and adults alike, and make them wonder, 'what if'?

Title: The Amazing and True Story of Tooth Mouse Perez
Author: Ana Cristina Herreros
Illustrator: Violeta Lopiz
Publisher: Enchanted Lion, $29.99
Publication Date: August 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:  9781592703593
For ages: 7+
Type: Picture Book

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Guest Post: Jared Styan on the True Story behind The Boy Who Ran Up A Volcano

In 2022, I published my first children's picture book, The Boy Who Ran Up A Volcano, which takes young readers on an exhilarating adventure while imparting valuable life lessons about bravery, travel and the joy of exploring the unknown. There is, however, a unique twist to my children’s book … it’s a true story!

In 2019, I embarked on a gigantic mission to conquer the towering volcano called El Misti in Southern Peru. I had been on a few adventures such as running up Australia’s highest mountain, trekking in the Himalayas and hiking through the jungles of Bolivia, but this was challenge unlike any other. 

To complete the challenge of running up El Misti, a 5800-metre volcano, I knew that training was key. At the time, I had no idea this adventure would become the foundation for my children’s book. 

Scaling the heights of El Misti required not only physical fitness but also mental fortitude. My training regime included summiting other mountains in the Andes region, preparing myself for the altitude and intense conditions ahead. I also ran about 100km per week, often wearing a heavy backpack to build up my muscles and physical endurance. 

On the day of the run, I was incredibly nervous but I knew I had done everything I could to prepare myself. The run ended up taking over 13 hours, but I managed to get to the summit and back safely. There were a few moments (which I go through in my picture book) where I didn’t think I'd be able to make it, but I picked myself up and continued one step at a time. It was an experience unlike any adventure I’ve embarked upon, and a memory that will stay with me for a lifetime.

During this time, to truly immerse myself in the rich culture and beauty of Peru, I spent two years living in the country as an English language teacher. I embraced the local lifestyle, explored the enchanting landscapes, and studied the Spanish language. These experiences developed a deep appreciation for Peru's unique heritage, which I wove into the fabric of my book. 

The Boy Who Ran Up A Volcano is not just a tale of physical endurance and conquering mountains. It is a story that teaches young readers about being brave and embracing new experiences. I believe my own journey serves as a powerful example of stepping out of one's comfort zone, embarking on thrilling adventures that broaden horizons and create lasting memories. 

I wanted my book to capture the imagination of children and inspire them to push their limits, face challenges head-on and discover the joy of exploration. The protagonist's journey up the volcano becomes a metaphor for life's obstacles, encouraging young readers to confront their fears and discover the resilience within themselves.

The Boy Who Ran Up A Volcano also offers a glimpse into the wonders of Peru and its rich culture, scenic landscapes and natural beauty. Through my tale, I hope young readers will be encouraged to seize every opportunity, conquer their fears, and create their own remarkable stories. 

Jared is an avid endurance runner, traveller, writer and fundraising professional for NGOs. His work can be found on his website and Instagram.

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