Dim's Write Stuff

In a wild fit of self-indulgent promotional puffiness, I'm sharing this recent 'Meet The Author' feature courtesy of Jackie Hosking, founder of the ace Kids' Lit e-zine, PIO . If you don't already subscribe to this online publication, consider it. It's a regular veritable smorgasbord of publishing insights and opps, competitions and conferences, industry event notification and workshops and courses info to keep you on the right career trajectory. Not to mention opportunities to meet fellow creatives, like ME! So what are you waiting for. Grab a cuppa and have a chat with me ... and Pippa, of course! Hi Dimity! Thanks for sharing your creative journey with us today. Are you an author, an illustrator or both? Both - I wish! As an author, I only paint with words but I adore the alchemy of combining words with pictures. Please tell us about the book that you would like to talk about today? Pippa and the Troublesome Twins is the next thrilling episode in young Pi...

Family. Always there. Usually supportive. Supremely significant. And, forever changing. A shift in family dynamics may be as inconsequential as a new goldfish or as disturbing as moving house. It might be easily accepted and temporary in nature like a visiting relative or as permanently disruptive as a new addition to the family. Double that turmoil when not one new sibling but two appear and you've got twice the potential for trouble. Imagine the confusion and disorder a young child might feel, how these emotions might galvnize into feelings of displacement, resentment and pure fury when faced with a pair of cute but persistent attention hoggers.  Now pretend you are a young pigeon with the whole world before you, keen to keep on exploring its wonders and your capabilities only to have your dreams curtailed by two very small, very noisy, extremely annoying baby brothers. This is what our favourite feathered friend, Pippa encounters following the arrival of Pepi and Penn, her new...

I'm not super great at make vids. I still can't sing in tune. Colouring in between the lines is the extent of my illustrative prowess but ... I do know a thing or two about pigeons. So when the youngsters at many of the schools I visit wanted to know more too and specifically, know what Pippa's next adventure was, well I had to do something. So ... have I got news for you!  If you have been craving to find out what ever happened to that pertinacious pigeon, Pippa well wonder no more. Pippa is back! and ready to soar to new heights but two little weights keep dragging her down – her troublesome twin brothers! Pippa longs to take off on more adventures but the two new noisy additions to her family continually thwart plans and divert attention. Sound familiar? She loves her brothers, Pepi and Penn but their constant mess and cries for attention are driving her batty! How can she be a good big sister and still have fun? Find out by joining our feisty pigeon on her latest feath...

This sounds just the sort of race I'd love (being fairly average at most other sports!).  There's no way I could run out of steam with so many exhilarating stories to fuel imagination and interest like the ones included in this year's QLD Premier's Reading Challenge .  The Premier's Reading Challenge is an annual statewide initiative for Queensland state and non-state schools and home-educated students from Prep to Year 9, as well as children (aged up to 5 years) enrolled in an early childhood centre, that aims to improve literacy and encourage children to read for pleasure and learning.  It's on right now, but there is still plenty of time to register. And the best part, for this little grey pigeon anyway...? PIPPA is part of the amazing array of children's titles for 2020. You'll find Pippa's self-titled picture book in the Prep - Year 1 List. So what are you waiting for?  Register , Get your Wall Chart, Get Ready, Set and READ! For those of you ...

For practically every single one of us, this Easter will be some sort of departure from the norm. We are normally on the road somewhere, camping in the Kombi with the pooches - together. Or else we'd be spending long lazy days on the bank of a river fishing with mates - together. Often this special weekend is spent hosting a colossal barbie with family - together. It's a time for rebirth and celebration. This year, of course, will be slightly different. Crazy as it sounds, my little family pod are not entirely sure what to do with themselves or each other away from the usual external stimuli. I suspect many others are experiencing this odd 'What now?' sensation on some level, too. One thing is for certain, it's a fantastic time to reconnect, reinvigorate old family fun rituals, invent new ones and...drag out the camping games for lounge room use. Before you get suckered into a five hour Monopoly marathon though, why not continue to explore the plethora of ...

Pippa pigeon has certainly been clocking up her flying hours the last month or so. In case you haven't been able to keep up with her feathered fiascoes, here's a pictorial collage from the first couple of Book Launches for Pippa's self-titled story, PIPPA ! Enjoy.  If you want to meet the real Pippa and her amazing chaperon, aka me, Dimity Powell, please do not ignore your urge to get in touch . We'd both love the chance to visit your school, library, care centre, bookshop or event. Assurance Pledge: Pippa is 100% house-trained and exemplary in confined spaces with small humans. If you can't be bothered scrolling through these book launch happy snaps, check out the mini-movie below for a few of our best moments. (Photo credits to all and sundry who attended, Maria Parenti-Baldey, and George Ivanoff ) Pippa Book Launches August 2019 Riverbend Books hosts Pippa's Brisbane launch August 2019 The peerless Samantha Wheeler donning he...

If you're the type to pick a picture book by its cover, you'll find it hard to walk past Under the Same Sky. Its sumptuous velvety blue cover is bedecked with shining rose gold stars in the same glinting foil as the looping title. Stars shoot through the night sky although we don't yet know what they might portend. Once inside we are plunged into the worlds of two young children who despite living on opposite sides of the world share a common wish - to share their lives as friends. It's an immense concept, wanting and waiting for someone when you are so very far away from them. This story about a city-dwelling nameless boy and countryside nameless girl, explores the desire to reduce distance with metaphoric reality. The boy draws on figurative comparison - like the sun and moon...always seeking...the sky and the sea...always apart - in an effort to understand his situation. The longing is always there but so is the separation until realisation dawns and with a ...

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