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Showing posts from July, 2019

Book Bites: Fun & Family

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Contemporary en point junior and middle grade novels are undeniably making a solid comeback. The variety of subject matter is virtually infinite yet one element common to the most popular choices 7 – 13-year-olds make, is humour. These next few titles expertly embrace funny as a way of relaying serious storylines in the most entertaining ways. Gorski’s Bitemare Frightfully funny, this easy to read junior novel will have 6 - 10-year-olds snickering with delight at Gorski the vampire's dilemma following a run in with the recalcitrant fruit-loving bat, Nectar. After being bitten by Nectar, Gorski's erstwhile vampish traits disappear at an alarming rate. Horrified, his family rally to reverse his transformation before it's too late and he remains a blood-phobic, fruit eating vampire forever. Cute twists, coffin-loads of pun-some fun (in nearly every paragraph which is choke-causing crazy for adult readers but which the intended audience should fine hilarious) plus p

Not Long Now: Pippa Book Launch Riverbend Books

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Do you know what makes Pippa such a clever cooookie? She can predict the future. She's an omen pigeon. Pippa's predicting fair skies and good times next Saturday afternoon at Riverbend Books and Cafe . Flutter on by and join us as we launch her self-titled book, Pippa ! #comeflywithme

Book Bites: Worlds of Pure Imagination

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Dreams and imagination go hand in hand, promoting and sustaining creativity, hope, and expectations; all crucial to developing young mind sets. The curious world of dreams was explored in picture book, Snoozette last week . If you want to view paradise… visit this collection of picture books that applaud unfettered imagination. My Real Friend What I adore about this recently released picture book by David Hunt and Lucia Masciullo is the way both artists give imagination a real persona. His name is, Rupert and he plays the fartlephone. He also has many shared pursuits with his real life friend, William. Together they share sporting and artistic activities. They share the same dwelling and venture on the same quests. It’s an exciting and varied existence however sometimes, Rupert wishes he could do what he wants to do and not be at the mercy of William’s imagination. As the school holidays draw to a close, William announces he’d rather a real friend. It’s a devastating blow

Review: Snoozette

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Andy Griffiths once defined imagination as ‘image + nation’, meaning our creative ideas are essentially the result of images we’ve harvested from a variety of places, experiences, and times…nations. I like to think of these collections as memory troves. Either way the imagination is treasure. And no one it seems understands this better than, Snoozette, the latest beguiling character to emerge from the Red Paper Kite publishing house. Snoozette is a picture book as big as a small scrape book. The size suits it well for the artwork that unfolds as you peel back each page is magnificent and worthy of the generous visual impact this slightly larger format allows. Secreted within each page is, Snoozette, a contentedly cloistered, cat-loving, tea-drinking individual with a penchant for nodding off. Her days follow an ordered melancholic regularity that matches the dreary weather and given her susceptibility to snoozing, we begin to suspect she may be afflicted with the kind of malai

Review: Ruben

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Bruce Whatley is one of Australia's more exemplary Kids' Lit creators. He writes, he draws, he explores techniques across a spectrum of media. And he masters them all exceptionally well. Yet after decades of producing highly marketable, best selling children's books, Whatley had a tale of his own he wanted to tell, in his own unique, unapologetic way. Ruben was that tale and through it, Whatley manifests his true skill as an accomplished storyteller. Here is a reprisal of my review of Ruben originally published on the Boomerang Books Blog . It took Bruce Whatley almost the same amount of time I have been plying my trade as an author to conceive and create this 96-page picture book (around 10 years that is). To call Ruben a masterpiece is a discredit to the complexity and intense beauty that harbours within each page. One might spend hours alone exploring the end pages, searching for clues and analysing the significances secreted within. This is not a p

Pippa: Publication Month

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There's a fair bit of chest-puffing and feather ruffling going on around here. Why? Because a certain little birdie is about to spread her wings and take flight for the first time. HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY - PIPPA! Pippa and I can't wait to share her story. She'll be winging her way through all great bookshops from the 1 July 2019 or you can visit Ford Street Publications to order your copy. I also have a few copies tucked away here in the home loft, so feel free to get in touch any time, (messenger pigeon or email works best) If you'd like to meet Pippa in real life, come along to her Brisbane Book Launch at Riverbend Books in August. Your invite is below! Just click on the image to register your attendance. We can't wait to see you out there!  #comeflywithme