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Gung Hay Fat Choi! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Year of the Sheep/Ram/Goat!

So how are you celebrating? Here are some of my favourite children’s books for Chinese New Year:

The Year of … Continue reading ... →

‘Once Upon A Christmas’ dedicated to:-

SANTA CLAUS!

Launched in the heritage courtyard of Balmain Library with community, kids, parents, fabulous librarians on a balmy Sydney night.

Compiled and edited by Beattie Alvarez who did a brilliant job – it contains the funny, joyous, quirky stories, poems, snippets, illustrations of some the best known authors and illustrators about Christmas:-

Ursula Dubosarsky, Libby Hathorn, Duncan Ball, Kate Forsyth, Sally Rippin, Michael Pryor, Kim Gamble, Adele Geras, Pamela Freeman, Stephen Axelson  ……my small anecdote ‘Grandma’s Christmas’ remembers my children’s Grandma and Grandpa … I can’t wait to give it to my family at Christmas.

Melina Marchetta joined in with her daughter

‘Once Upon A Christmas’ is the brainchild of the multi-award winning author Sophie Masson and Christmas Press and the Christmas Press team – Beattie Alvarez, gifted illustrator David Allen and Fiona McDonald.

Fabulous authors Jesse Blackadder and Melina Marchetta came along to cheer on the launch.

Room to Read Writer Ambassadors were there spreading the word about literacy for the kids of Asia and Africa.

Who sets up a new publishing house in this crazy publishing climate? Sophie Masson of course. With its first title last year, it’s already selling out.

Called Christmas Press

A small press with big ideas..

Born in the early months of 2013, Christmas Press specialises in beautiful picture books for children, featuring traditional tales–folk tales, fairy tales, legends, myths–retold by well-known authors and stunningly illustrated in classic styles that reflect the cultures the stories come from. We also publish special anthologies, full of wonderful stories, poems, memoirs and illustrations, with the first of these, Once Upon A Christmas, just released now for Christmas!

The post Who’s Coming down the Chimney? Santa Claus! appeared first on Susanne Gervay's Blog.

Saturday morning talk – lovely crisp winter day, with Mt Rainier rising above the city, the beautiful harbour, and ready to go Starbucks coffee cartoons

- LOVED TALKING  TO THE FABULOUS AUDIENCE

- sharing my books and  life experience and the importance of opening discussion for young people on what matters to them.

Just love the Kane Miller Books’ representatives – they are passionate about their books reaching kids.

I hear Sally Rippin is coming later this year to tour – she’ll love it too.

Saturday afternoon was off – free time to explore Seattle and I hit Pike Market -

choas with a myriad of alleyways, arts, fish markets, chewing gum alley …. and a rest stop looking out over the harbour with Seattle’s favourite food stop – soup in a roll! Delicious.

Ending with Starbucks – Seattle is the home of Starbucks- warm coffee as it was getting cold at night.

The Year of the Snake slithers in this weekend but have no fear! Ancient Chinese wisdom says a snake in the house is actually a good omen because it means that your family will not starve. The sixth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, the snake represents wisdom, intelligence and self-control. The snake also represents the ability to strike at will, quickly and powerfully. The Year of Snake promises to be a time of steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for all of us to achieve what we set out to create.

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar and celebrations take place around the world . What better way to get into the spirit by reading some Chinese New Year children’s books! Here are a few books we’ve blogged about that we would definitely recommend:

Tales from the Chinese Zodiac series by Oliver Chin,

The Great Race / The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Anne Wilson;

The Day the Dragon Danced by Kay Haugaard, illustrated by Carolyn Reed Barritt

Fang Fang’s Chinese New Year by Sally Rippin

The Race for the Chinese Zodiac by Gabrielle Wang, illustrated by Sally Heinrich

Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat by one of my favorite authors Grace Lin. Be sure to visit Grace’s blog t0 read about her plans for bringing in the New Year with  her daughter Rain Dragon and to get some New Year crafts suggestions.

My Mom Is a Dragon and My Dad is a Boar and Hiss! Pop! Boom! by Tricia Morissey

Happy, Happy Chinese New Year! written and illustrated by Demi. Read our interview with Demi here and see our gallery of her stunning illustration work here.

And here’s a special kidlit New Year celebration  for those of you who live in San Jose, CA, USA.  Children’s author Oliver Chin will be reading from his new book The Year of the Snake: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac, on Feb. 19th at the Joyce Ellington Branch library. Details here.

Last week after I posted about Shaun Tan‘s book The Arrival being set to a musical score, I spent some time searching the internet to find out about other children’s books which had been set to musical scores. Interestingly enough the first event that came up on my search was for a January 2012 production of another Australian author’s book:  The Race for the Chinese Zodiac by Gabrielle Wang. I had been just been in contact with Gabrielle a few weeks ago when we posted our review of her book The Garden of Empress Cassia so I quickly sent off another email to her and she provided me with the following details on the event which is taking place at the Melbourne Recital Centre in Melbourne, Australia:

THE RACE FOR THE CHINESE ZODIAC

Date: 11 am, Sat.  Jan 21.  For ticket info click here.

Based on the picture book The Race for the Chinese Zodiac by Gabrielle Wang (author), Sally Rippin (illustrator) and Regina Abos (designer) and inspired music by the Australian Chinese Music Ensemble, led by Wang Zheng-Ting, this concert will delight and amaze children and their families as they enjoy one of China’s favourite fables.

The Jade Emperor has declared a great race: the first animals to cross the river will win a place in the Chinese Zodiac.  Thirteen animals line up along the shore.  But there are only twelve places to be won.  Who will miss out?

The story of how the animals of the Chinese zodiac came to be is told through music and projected images.  Learn about the story behind the Rat, the Snake, the Horse and other endearing characters of this traditional tale and discover the sounds of Chinese instruments.

CHINESE PAINTING WORKSHOPS FOR CHILDREN

Date: Sat. Jan 21, Sun. Jan 22. Click here for times and ticket info

Gabrielle studied Chinese painting at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Art in Hangzhou, China. In this workshop she will teach children the four treasures of the painting studio and the basics of Chinese brush painting with plenty of hands on practice. Come join Gabrielle and leave with a finished Chinese painting of your own.

DRAGON TALES

Date: Sat. Jan 21 Click here for times and ticket info.

Celebrate the new year of the Dragon by taking a special Dragon tour. Gabrielle Wang, award-winning author of The Race for the Chinese Zodiac, will teach you how to draw these mythical animals, and then make a scale to place on the dragon that will wind up the Chinese Museum’s staircase.

Young men in navy shirts strode into the Queensland State Library auditorium singing – it made your heart soar – the power and the beauty – the words of one country, one people Australia.

It was inspiring.

Rachel Nolan Minister for The Arts gave a heart warming welcome.

Anne Prachett winner of the Orange Prize on ‘What Now? held the audience with the power of resilience.

However Shane Koyczan an award winning USA performance poet made the audfience laugh and cry and demand social justice.

Heaps of people were at the opening from Susan Hayes Director of the Australia Council, authors Wendy Orr, Sue Gough, Sally Rippin, Sue Whiting, publishers, journalists, so many from the Arts Community, writers, illustrators from overseas and Australia – what a night.

Loved it – loved it all!!!!!!

Congratulations to Jane O’Hara Festival Director!!!!!!

The ghost adventure is dark, eerie in the Woodland 1880s mansion at Ipswich Festival.

Leigh Hobbs creator of the famous and fractious ‘OLD TOM’ was being ‘scary’ with fabulous author Meredith Costain hamming it up as his doppler behind him.

General Macarthur stayed at Woodlands and his red leather chair and desk dominates an upstairs room. So of course the guys all sat in the General’s chair. Then the girls go into the act.

Highlights:-

Hanging out at the pool table with all the writers & illustrators – author Sue Whiting and illustrator Anne Spudvilas were hilarious at our game of chance and dice – I rolled a full 5 dice!!!!!!

400 hundred kids packed into the performance of  ‘I Am Jack’ held spellbound -Lowood, Silkstone, Bethany, Bundamba, Toogoolawah, Brassall, Kentville, Lockrose schools were FABULOUS!

Morning walk with illustrator and author mark Wilson, illustrators Anne Spudvilas and Leigh Hobbs through the mist and field.

LOVE the authors and illustrators there – Deborah Abela, Brian Faulkiner, Sally Rippin, Gabrielle Wang, Gus Gordon, Lucia Mascuillo, Mark Wilson, Tristan Bancks, Sheryl Gwyther, Angela Sunde and ……

Thankyou to Festival Director Jenny Stubbs.