Insanely creative and hectic October zooms into November as we torpedo into December and these are a few of the things everyone’s celebrating:-
FUN & FABULOUS – INSIDE STORY – writers & illustrators across the world give the INSIDE STORY of creating their books to thousands in bookshops from Sydney to New York!
From Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver in the USA to our own stars. Tony Flowers’ illustrates the BEST dragons!
In Australia Black Cat Book Café Paddington in Brisbane; The Little Bookroom in Melbourne, and The Children’s Bookshop Beecroft in Sydney splashed illustrations and dragons and story through the community. yeah to books!
Celebrations for our Hazel Edwards famous author of There’s a Hippopotamus Easting Cake on the Roof, Antartic explorer stuck in ice writing those stories of icebergs and adventurers, defending authors rights and so much more - received her ORDER OF AUSTRALIA to huge cheers from the Australian writing community.
Engrossed in the brilliant theatrical performances of the outstanding play ‘Rapture. Blister, Burn’ by Gina Gionfriddo cut into the heart of relationships at the Ensemble Theatre – one of the world’s most picturesque theatre nestled into the harbour overlooking sailing boats and bushland in Kirribilli.
SCBWI Room to Read’s writer ambassadors celebrating books for kids across Asia and Africa where they build a library every 4 hours!
As writer ambassadors, Deborah Abela and I were at Berkelouw’s Paddington – but there were SCBWI authors everywhere like Kate Forsyth, Belinda Murrell, Oliver Phommavanh, Sarah Davis – illustrator extraordinaire at Berkelouw bookshops through Sydney … and more.
Deb and I dressed up as a sheep and pig - we got HOT heads and a few PATS!
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The USA tour was so fabulous – from New York to Maryland to Washington State
- sharing I Am Jack and my JACK books and Butterflies which have been just published by Kane Miller Books in the USA.
Meet fabulous people – special thanks to Professors Ernest Bond and Patricia Dean at Salisbury University.
Caught up with fabulous writers and illustrators like Frane Lessac and Bruce Coville and many more.
Special thanks to Tabatha Roach representing Kane Miller Books and her great team especially Lisa and Jen.
THANKYOU!
The Quakers have a long history of tolerance and commitment to peace, so it was special to enter this very old school near Union Square in New York.
‘Torture is a Moral Issue’ was draped across their prayer hall
It was PEACE WEEK at the school and my visit was a relevant adjunct to it.
I shared ‘Ships in the Field’ with students and teachers and the journey of refugees to rebuild their lives in new ‘fields’.
I shared the deep honour as the child of refugees whose parents came to a new country with memories of war and communism, to receive an Order of Australia for services to children’s literature:-
from parents who worked in factories, sharing one room, without language, to standing in our Government House with all its pomp and splendeur.
‘Ships in the Field’ is such a beautiful picture book.
Anna Pignataro the illustrator’s journey was the same as mine, and so many others.
The children at the Quaker School identified with the story as so many of their families made that journey through Ellis Island to find home in the USA.
Thankyou to Constance Vidor the Head of Library Services for welcoming me to this caring school.
It’s been a wonderfully chaotic August Book Month especially with National Year of Reading – authors and illustrators visiting schools everywhere.
Some favourites this week were:-
- ‘Ships in the Field’ with Truscott Street Public School North Ryde. They loved the journey of escaping war to find home here and especially loved my Order of Australia medals I shared with them.
- ‘I Am Jack’ with Curl Curl North kids and teachers who really engaged in No to School Bullying with ‘I Am Jack’ .
- ‘Ships in the Field’, and ‘I Am Jack’ with McAuley Catholic School Rose Bay.
Loved them all.
I got the chance to share the National Year of Reading – www.love2read.org – with the kids and teachers
And the Carpet Court Storybook Challenge on radio with David Collins on 106.9 FM .
Carpet Court Storybook Challenge brings authors to schools where we inspire kids to love reading; as well as submit an illustrated story about their love of their community to the Storybook Challenge.
www.facebook.com/CarpetCourt.
The Queen’s Honours list – I am overwhelmed and teary by this honour from my country.
Order of Australia
I’ve set up a special file for the beautiful congratulations, emails, phone calls, letters …
Thankyou to my friends across Australia and the world.
Special thankyou to Society of Children’s Book Illustrators and Writers SCBWI - states across USA, Hong Kong, Scotland, Singapore … to India – for your messages.
Thankyou to Room to Read, the NSW Writers Centre, the Children’s Writers * Illustrators Network at The Hughenden, the school librarian’s network … and family and friends.
Feel embraced by your all. THANKYOU.
LOVE YOU ALL!.