Dim's Write Stuff

What's your favourite colour? It's a great character defining question, but have you ever considered why you like the hues you do. Do you even know from where colours originated or how they are made? The second most asked question I get asked as an author of picture books is: 'Did you draw the pictures?' The answer is a hard, NO! I can't draw a straight line well. But that doesn't mean I am not fascinated by colours and how they are employed to  visually tell my stories.  One can appreciate great art after all, even if one can barely wield a paintbrush. The Mystery of Colour by renowned artist and master paint maker, David Coles is a non-fiction picture book that not only sates the appetites of those like me, but provides a substantial reference point for artists and the curious at heart, aka kids! He begins with that introductory question and establishment of his considerable creds as a real life colour-maker. Yes! Imagine creating beautiful new shades of col...

Do you remember making abstract ink art with your toddler? You know, the type involving splodges and straw blowing? Perhaps you were more into spotting cloud shapes. Maybe finding patterns in chaos is more your thing. The geometry of the natural world and its accidental occurrences is not something we consciously celebrate. These two picture books however standout because of their focus on simplicity and artful creativity. Read on, or better, experience the incisive visual literacy of these books first hand. What's That Splat by Johanna Bell & Amelia Luscombe I love the feel, look and premise of this book. Let's talk about the bevelled, rounded corners first. These give the book a cosy, comfortable feel suggesting there's nothing scary inside here, just a bit of fun. Lusciously thick GSM (page density) guarantees a long life of frequent page turns and reinforces connectivity with the target audience, ostensibly two-year-olds and above, plus it's easy to turn. Colou...

One is never too old, nor delightfully too young, to widen one's knowledge of the natural world. Especially when that natural world is a veritable ocean of wonders and mysteries and ... cetaceans! Following on in his exquisitely illustrated and concisely factual picture book series, What's That? Myke Mollard has triumphed with his latest volume focusing on our own hemisphere of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Each category of these ancient ocean dwelling mammals is divided into clear sections and this is where realisation spawned into renewed understanding (for me!). That a toothed whale and porpoise are one in the same, that there are several species of dolphin whose appearance is similar but habitats and behaviours differ and that the roto-tail jump is a unique signature move for the Striped Dolphin.  Introductory information about each species found in or around Australian waters and coastlines is revealed in compact paragraphs. Tantalising titbits are showcased in floatin...

One of my all-time absolute Aussie animal favourites is the dingo. It is often also one of the most misaligned of native Australians thanks not to its reputation or standing as an apex predator but because of our own human occupation of its territories. It's time to get a more realistic appraisal of this fascinating wild canid which is exactly what Dingoes Up Close  by Jane Forge does. This no-nonsense non-fiction picture book doesn't mess around with text boxes and flashy fonts. It delivers straight forward, easy to read facts in clear narrative blocks. Serif font is used to describe the dingo's history, introduction to Australia, habitat and unique behaviours. Uncommon words are capitalised and bolded for emphasis and focus.  Particularly interesting are the explanations of dingo human interaction. First Nation groups were as important for the welfare of the dingo as the dingo was for them. The relationship between some indigenous groups and dingoes was almost spiritually...

Connections. I like the serendipitous ones the best. Unplanned, organic, braided by curiosity, like mindedness or rapt admiration. Which is how I embarked on a fascinating exchange with Dub Leffler , book illustrator, animator, mixed media artist, storyteller and foremost, proud Bigambul man. I knew and had admired Dub’s work from books co-created by industry mates of mine but the artist’s true identity remained a mystery to me, one I’ve only began to appreciate through his daily social media story shares. Visual musings. Sneak peaks, Animations camouflaging a more encompassing tale, too abridged for the small screen. It felt like I was glimpsing something slightly off stage, in the wings, waiting full exposure … I recognised part of what I saw, faces and images that seemed poignantly familiar. More than drafts and spreads, these late night, early dawn reveals were the heartbeats of a soul of a story soon to become a stirring new picture book, The Drover’s Son. Penned by Leah Pur...

The meaning of life. The beginning of time. Existential significance for human kind. Pretty hefty topics for pre-schoolers and those over 14 years of age. And yet, here are an eclectic collection of picture books that I feel do these notions proud. Funny, informative and touching; the scope is broad as are the concepts but their combined purpose further serves to broaden our children’s minds in the aspects of time and space and humanity. Enjoy! Ada And The Galaxies by Alan Lightman and Olga Pastuchiv and Susanna Chapman Ada loves the night sky and not just for its twinkling stars. Yet living in the city can make it difficult to appreciate distant galaxies of stars, let alone see them! So, when Ada spends time with her grandparents at their seaside home, new universes of nature, meteorology and space become accessible in the most spectacular way. Visually arresting and factually fascinating. A gem in the night sky. Walker Books Australia (Mit Kids Press imprint), September 2021 ISB...

In the lead up to the silly season where, as everyone knows, the best present of all is a BOOK, it’s time to throw some scintillating options at you. This collection features content showcasing our reef and ocean life with a few surprises along the way. Click on title links to access more information for perfect summer reading. Enjoy! A Is For Australian Reefs: A fact astic Tour by Frané Lessac This is an ABC book with a difference. It’s not simply a collection of alphabetised sea creatures but a colour saturated, detail imbued meander around our coral reefs which includes nomenclature (species names) and terminology. Random fun facts pop up on every page adding interesting and depth to one of the most biodiverse environments on the planet. Highly recommended. Walker Books Australia, October 2022 ISBN: 9781760652258 Big World, Tiny World: Reef by Jess Racklyeft Another memorable masterpiece highlighting ocean life in and around our beautiful reefs. Racklyeft combines lyrical ve...

I’m currently embracing all things Aussie and story. This means my awareness and appreciation for the stories created on Traditional Country, Sky Country and Sea Country is slowly but surely growing. It’s a wonderful study to be part of, acknowledging the stories, culture and history of our First Nations people and basking in their enormous pools of knowledge. This new release from the creative brains of Brentos is not just another picture book listing the conservational status of our unique Australian wildlife, it is a colourful ode to the Aussie bush and surrounding seas connecting readers with the heart and soul of the land on which they reside. And it’s a corker. Sadly though, not every creature is thriving alongside our human existence or more accurately, because of it. Australian Animals From Beach To Bush , clearly identifies species from coral reefs to inland skylines that are vulnerable, endangered or currently doing okay. Definitions are coloured coded prior to journey...

Considering that over 75 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, it makes sense to invite a deeper knowledge of our wondrous oceans and seas. This selection of recent picture books are a feast of colourful fun and facts guaranteed to whet the curiosities of many budding oceanographers. My First Book of Sea Creatures Vibrantly illustrated by Zoë Ingram, this illustrated nonfiction picture book is a joy to read and cinch to navigate through. Colourful end pages immediately immerse readers into the world of 20 sea creatures ranging from clownfish, hermit crabs, narwhals and coral polyps. Species specifics are boxed alongside bold and brilliant ‘Did you know?’ fun facts. Particularly alluring are the size scales provided beneath each brief creature description for example, sea snakes are 17 – 128 cm long, equivalent to the length of a bicycle. Everything is reinforced with brilliant visuals. An index at the end of the book provides a colourful reference for kids to tick off ...

I often tell kids how lucky I am to live so close to so many wonderful worlds, Sea World being one of them. A recent visit beyond the sea to this world famous attraction plunged me back into all things Atlantis. It was marvellous. Fortunately, there is a raft of equally phenomenal picture books into which youngsters can immerse themselves for fun – and learning. Here are just some of the special ones. Bad Crab This is basically a wordless picture book with a restrained use of just one expression however when coupled with Philip Bunting’s comically styled illustrations, the result is a visually powerful and entertaining narrative. Crab is a cranky crustacean whose first reaction to newcomers is to claw nip them, an anti-social behaviour not uncommon among young biting pre-schoolers. His unaccommodating mood swings push his sea-mates literally to the edge and force them to abandon their cantankerous chum. A change of circumstance forces Crab to re-evaluate his behaviour leading to a re...