On the evening of 21 August, after the announcement of the 2015 CBCA Book of the Year Awards in Melbourne, Elizabeth (Libby) Gleeson was presented with the CBCA Nan Chauncy Award, created to honour individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of Australian Children’s literature. Originally conferred every five years, this award is named after the renowned award-winning Tasmanian writer, Nan Chauncy. Established in 1983, it was first presented to Marcie Muir. In 2000 it became biennial. As was experienced by those in attendance for Libby’s gracious acceptance speech, Libby is an exceptional communicator. She remarked, “I…
Author: Admin
Congratulations to all! Older Readers: Winner – The Protected by Claire Zorn | UQP Honour Book – Nona & Me by Clare Atkins | Black Inc. Honour Book – The Minnow by Diana Sweeney | Text Publishing Younger Readers: Winner – The Cleo Stories: The Necklace and The Present by Libby Gleeson, illustrated by Freya Blackwood | Allen & Unwin Honour Book – Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks | Random House Australia Honour Book – Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell | ABC Books, HarperCollins Publishers Early Childhood: Winner – Go to Sleep, Jessie!…
Ronojoy Ghosh, Ollie and the Wind, Random House, 1 September 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk) ISBN 9780857988485 Is the wind being naughty or playful as it whips off with Ollie’s scarf, hat and balloon? Ollie and the Wind is a sweet story of observation, experiment and discovery as a young child is left to his own devices on a windy island to make his own fun. This is a book where the illustrations take centre stage and the simple yet rich text illuminates the pictures. The two characters in the story are cute and cheery Ollie with his flushed cheeks and freckles,…
Lili Wilkinson, Green Valentine, Allen & Unwin, August 2015, 288 p., $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781760110277 Lili Wilkinson is an Australian YA author, who uses humour and romance in her novels to make them appealing and fun. Her protagonist is usually loud, un-stereotypical, and often breaks rules and crosses boundaries. Her books challenge expectations, and ask teenagers to look at their choices, and be sure they are making them for the best reasons. Her latest book, Green Valentine exhibits three extremely significant characteristics of the best Australian Young Adult novels. The first one is diversity. Astrid is the main character, and the narrator, and…
Lesley Gibbes (text), Sue deGennaro (illus.), Bring a Duck, Scholastic, 1 September 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 978 1 74362 582 8 This is an enchanting story about Pig’s birthday party to which guests are bidden to bring a duck. Bear obliges and has a wonderful time participating in duck variations of the traditional party games such as pin the tail on the duck. Each page is superbly illustrated with amusing drawings of every imaginable type of duck, all having tremendous fun. Young children will recognize the elements that make a birthday party so exciting for the guest of honour…
Becka Moor, Foxtrot, Five Mile Press, 1 September 2015, 32pp., $35.99 (hbk), ISBN 978 1 76006 3412 Children will love this tale of a quirky fox who dances everywhere, oblivious to the chaos he is creating. The story not only presents all sorts of enticing dances, including the tango, mambo, jive and boogey, but also introduces words such as ‘mayhem’, ‘calamities’ and ‘petrified’ that may also be new to young children. The hilarious illustrations make clear what they all mean. There is further real humour as Foxtrot’s friends try to devise ways to stop him dancing and he finds new…
Laine Mitchell (text), Renée Treml (illus.), Daddy, You’re Awesome, Scholastic, 1 August 2015, 24pp., $16.99 (hbk), ISBN 978 1 76015 050 1 Cori Brooke (text), Giuseppe Poli (illus.), Fearless with Dad, New Frontier, 2 July 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 978 1 925059403 Daddy, You’re Awesome involves ten baby animals celebrating the special things that they love doing with their fathers. Creatures as diverse as polar bears, tigers, owls and crocodiles have fun making things, telling stories, identifying insects, and camping. Their adventures are related in (sometimes forced) rhyming couplets but the shared enjoyment is evident on every page…
Roald Dahl (text), Quentin Blake (illus.), Matilda (Theatre tie-in), Puffin/Penguin, 19 January 2015, First published 1988, 256pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 978 0 141 34124 8 Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly have created a new musical, adapting Roald Dahl’s Matilda. I haven’t seen it yet, and I don’t know how much the story has been tweaked for the stage, but Penguin have brought out a new print of the original novel, to promote the musical, and to encourage a re-reading of a popular favourite. So I did just that – re-read it after nearly thirty years. Dahl’s masterful control of plot…
The University of Tasmania has presented Dr Christobel Mattingley with an Honorary Doctor of Letters at the winter graduation in Hobart today. The release states ‘Many of her books have been shortlisted, won awards, or been translated into other languages… Dr. Mattingley has also made a nationally significant contribution to the recording of Indigenous histories, most recently through her work with remote Anangu communities in South Australia affected by the British nuclear tests at Maralinga on their traditional country’. Read the full press release. The Children’s Book Council of Australia has often recognised her literary achievements throughout the decades Dr…
Here is a link to the winners. It’s great to see the children’s choice awards being announced alongside the mainstream winners. Here are links to the reviews already posted here. Jim’s Letters Maori Art for Kids The ANZAC Puppy Night Vision