Presented in a quasi-graphic-novel format, Jandamarra is a picture … Continue reading ...
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By: [email protected],
on 4/22/2015
In just a couple of days we commemorate the legacy of the brave soldiers and the tragic events of World War 1 that occurred one hundred years ago. A beautiful selection of ANZAC books for children have been reviewed by Dimity here, but here’s a few more that certainly captured my heart with their touching […]
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By: Debbie Reese,
on 1/29/2015
In July of 2014, Holiday House released The Mayflower written by Mark Greenwood. Illustrated by his wife, Frane Lessac, some people think it is a contender for the Caldecott. I sure hope not, but America loves its birth narratives and many segments of America refuse to see it in a balanced or accurate light.
Greenwood and Lessac provide that same romantic story, as shown on these pages (source: https://wondersinthedark.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/caldecott-medal-contender-the-mayflower/). Here's Squanto:
By: JOANNA MARPLE,
on 11/12/2014
Naturally, my greatest reason for inviting an illustrator to be interviewed on Miss Marple’s Musings is because I admire her/his art, but often it is also because I am a little nosy (what writer isn’t?) and I want to find … Continue reading
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By: Susanne Gervay,
on 4/9/2014
The buzz is mega with some of Australia and New Zealand’s most loved authors and illustrators as delegates – Sarah Davis, Libby Hathon, Stephen Axelson, Corinne Fenton, Claire Saxby, Mark Greenwood, Dianne Wolfer, Sally Murphy, James Foley, Meredith Costain ….. and more ….
and then there’s Frane Lessac fighting off crocodiles to get from fremantle WA to Sydney!!!!!
Look out for the brilliant creators of Looking for Alibrandi and Jellico Road; Diary of a Wombat;Star Girl and Boy Versus Beast
Guess who they are?
Melina Marchetta
Bruce Whatley
Louise Park
And there’s more – Australia’s best publishers and editors from most publishing houses
And there’s more – US Senior editor from Roaring Brook (Pan MacMillan) USA
And there’s more – some of the best of Australia and New Zealand’s illustrators in the Illustrator Showcase
And there’s more – launches, illustrator’s duel, Christmas Press limited edition prizes; and there more …. and then the SCBWI BAND – dinner party sing along with the fabulous Meredith Costain, James Foley on the guitar with Scott Chambers and Chris Cheng
…….
The post Gorge yourself on authors, illustrators, kids’ books industry ~ SCBWI Conference at The Hughenden appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.
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4 Stars Drummer Boy of John John Mark Greenwood Frané Lessac Lee and Low Books Pages: 32 Ages: 4+ Jacket: Carnival is coming and the villagers of John John, Trinidad, are getting ready to jump up and celebrate with music dancing, and a parade. Best of all, the Roti King has promised free rotis—tasty friend [...]
By: Susanne Gervay,
on 8/14/2012
International Books for Young People – IBBY – we’re on our way to London.
Crossing Boundaries: Translations and Migrations, to be held at Imperial College, London, from 23rd to 26th August 2012.
It’s going to be fantastic and I get to see friends from all over the world.
Shaun Tan, Mark Greenwood, Frane Lessac – the fantastic Aussie contingent of authors/illustrators from the West are coming.
Can’t wait to speak about ‘Ships in the Field’ on a panel with Marjorie Coughlan editor of Paper Tigers
Zeynep Bassa (Author and Illustrator, Turkey)
Picture Books on the Theme of Migration in Germany
Questions of migration, discrimination, social marginalisation and integration appear as newly emerging topics in children’s books. Based partially on the author’s personal experiences as a migrant mother of two children in Germany and from work with migrant children, this paper reviews some of the children’s books published in Germany on the subjects of tolerance and acceptance of different identities.
Marjorie Coughlan
(Editor, Paper Tigers, U.K.)
Escaping Conflict, Seeking Peace: picture books that relate refugee stories, and their importance
Attention is drawn to picture books in English from around the world about children and young people who have been forced from their homes because of conflict. These are stories that need to be told, whether they are biographical or fictionalised accounts, for understanding of the past, healing in the present, and hope for the future.
Susanne Gervay (Author, Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrato
By: Susanne Gervay,
on 3/25/2012
If you’re not away or flying back from Bologna or at festivals and conference, the SCBWI Network is:-
5-7 p.m.
Monday 2nd April
at The Hughenden
14 Queen Street Woollahra (near Paddington, Sydney).
I have been on a conference and festival trail where I have met kids, librarians, teachers, adults, even politicians from Queensland to Picton to the beautiful Dixon Room in Sydney’s heritage Mitchell Library overlooking our Botanical Gardens towards the Opera House.
I’ll be keynote at the Glouceter Festival , touring the USA with my ‘Butterflies’, visiting Taree, Melbourne ….and more ….. and I am looking forward to speaking at the IBBY Congress in London. It’s crazy but the wonderful life of a writer.
Deborah Abela, Serena Geddes, Lesley Vamos, Christopher Cheng … are just back from Bologna Book Fair; and
shared a fabulous time with heaps of brilliant authors and illustrators in Somerset on the Gold Coast like Jacqueline Harvey, Michael Wagner, Oliver Phommovanh, Ursula Dubosarsky, Tristan Bancks, Karen Brooks, Leigh Hobbs, Scott Westerfield, James Roy, Georgia Blain and the brilliant list goes on.
Frane Lessac, Mark Greenwood, Sally Murphy, Norm Jorgenson, A J Betts, Dianne Lawrenson, Samantha Hughes …
….and all those WA writers and illustrators are on the move throughout WA and NT at festivals and reaching remote indogenous communities.
Sarah Davis and Deborah Abela have flown to Alice Springs to join them. Love it.
Aleesah Darlison is back from Hong Hong; Jan Latta just back from China speaking at festivals; Jacqueline Harvey is doing her Alice-Miranda tour in the USA and UK.
Sue Whiting’s at All Saints in Perth which I loved when I spoke there last year
This is the coolest community ever!
If anyone is in Sydney on Monday 2nd April, there’s a great talk by Wendy Blaxland on non fiction writing; catch up with SCBWI Conference information on 29th June-2nd July and networking at The Hughenden.
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By: Susanne Gervay,
on 6/9/2010
Flew to Perth and talented author and friend Norm Jorgenson met illustrator Ann James and me at the airport. He drove us The Fremantle Gaol – now the Fremantle Kids Literature Writers Centre run by the enthusiastic Lesley Reece.
Met Kirsty Murray there doing a 3 week literature tour with Lesley.
There’s not enough room in the Fremantle Prison for both Ann James and me. So Ann is bedding down in the prison with visiting ghosts. I’m at a heritage bed and breakfast across the road and loving it.
Did the tourist thing with Ann James in Freo – the harbour is beautiful and lots of restaurants.
Ended the day in the gorgeous, colourful, artistic historic home of talented illustrator-author team Mark Greenwood and Frane Lessac. Frane’s artwork decorates the wals with arts and crafts handing from the ceiling to hidden in the bathroom next to the claw bathtub. Do I love it? Yes. 
By: Susanne Gervay,
on 9/10/2009
Frane Lessac, awarding winning illustrator, sent her love to the kids of the bush fires for the SCBWI HOPE card, with her painting filled with colour and children participating in life.
Frane Lessac and her husband Mark Greenwood collaborated on their last picture book - Simpson & His Donkey (Walker Books Australia) -to receive numerous awards including the prestigious Honour book award for the Children’s Book Council Australia Award (CBCA).
Logo Frane Lessac created for SCBWI Australia
Frane Lessac Hope Card from Western Australia
Some llustrations by Frane are on display in the Australian children’s book illustrations exhibition at The Hughenden Sydney
www.franelessac.com; www.thehughenden.com.au
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By: Susanne Gervay,
on 8/29/2009
New York is a whirlwind with all the publishers, theatres, restaurants and people everywhere. Times Square is party time all the time.
Borders and Barnes & Noble have brilliant Teen sections. The standard of YA books is very high and well displayed. They have a YA section that adults go to as well as teens. Checked out the Australian authors and found - Markus Zusak, Randa Abdul Fattah, Catherine Jinks all face out.
Exciting news was to see Mark Greenwood and Frane Lessac’s picture book. Saw Frane’s New York, New York - displayed at the front of a Barnes & Noble store. Good one Frane!
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By: Just One More Book!!,
on 10/1/2008
Author: Mark Greenwood (on JOMB)
Illustrator: Frané Lessac (on JOMB)
Published: 2008 Candlewick Press (on JOMB)
ISBN: 0763639133
Deceptively simple looking folk art illustrations, uncluttered narration and sparse, intimate utterings deliver some of the dark, disturbing details of war in this eye-opening, true tale of courage, carnage and camaraderie.
More war and peace on JOMB:
HOTLINE VOICES: Bobby (a grade two teacher in Phoenix, AZ) describes a difference of opinion between he and his fiancée (a grade one teacher) and asks the question, what is the best way to read books to a group of children?
Put the question out to Twitter. Here is a taste of the response:
@terriebittner: Children need to see the book in hand to help them love books. Anything else is just tv in disguise.
@kaymathews: The teacher-librarian I was says: book in hand. You’re creating a common experience, you want to pull the kids into your circle, create a sense of intimacy and close connection with the book/with you as story teller. It’s also part of storytelling — you can use the book to pace yourself, to create tension, in a way you can’t otherwise. But it’s still putting another layer between teacher/storyteller and students/listeners. I’m sure it has place…
[…] the help of a document camera and projector, but we did put the question out to Twitter and the few responses we received were highly in favour of book-in-hand group reading and the tactile pleasures of the […]
Is it okay for me to weigh in?
Technology becomes a “middle-man” and interrupts the flow and experience. I’d say to get down in the middle of all of the children, walk around with the book or pass it around. The reading activity is about the connection between the listener, the reader and the book, not about focusing on a televised version of the book.
I recently saw a class where every kid had a copy of the book (a small class of 15 kids, and they were paperback copies) but that was ideal - every kid got to follow along. Maybe the idea is that you read the same book a couple of ways to the same kids - they actually LIKE the repetition. So maybe read it first the old fashioned way, book in hand, casting that magic spell over reader and listener. Then, another time, read the book again, and do it on the big screen. Kids get to read along now, and see it HUGE. That might be worth a try…
Lee
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