Dim's Write Stuff

Influence and impact. Two words lightly applied to a number of situations and experiences yet can carry a great deal of weight. Where does one gain inspo? Why are the touted influences of a few often revered by the many? How does this impact on societal well-being or more importantly on the individual? When podcaster and noted educator, Karen Caswell invited me to join her for a session of shared inspiration, I was super excited. And anxious. What possible gems of wisdom could I possess that others might find useful? Fortunately for us both, my innate ability to wax lyrical about myself, my wants, likes and pet peeves reminded me that most of us revel in self-talk, have a tendency to overshare and thus will inadvertently pass on some nugget of truth or bearing that will eventually tumble into smoothed meaning for others. Well, I hope so.  You be the judge. Tap on the links below or explore your fave podcast platform to listen to my takes on what I do, why and whom for, seasoned wit...

Change, albeit intense or imperceptible, is a part of the whole life deal. I think kids are in an interesting position, one full of challenges that promote a constant need for discussion. Thankfully, our bookshops are saturated with children’s titles promoting awareness, kindness, and global supplications for hope. Today, I want to visit a place in kids lit just as important but a little lighter. A place populated by…dogs. You either love ‘em or want to wipe the floor with them… on behalf of your cat, but whatever your persuasion, there is no denying animals, pets and in particular, dogs score high on the love-o-meter with kids. Dogs, whether in anthropomorphic roles or as themselves, relay stories with warmth and humour that is especially appealing for youngsters because they often draw no differences between themselves and their pets. It’s important to take advantage of this golden period of acceptance through story-telling to better instil understanding and caring in kids. Plus, h...

ABCs and 1 2 3s are not only the fundamental building blocks for learning and communicating, they establish connections with ourselves, our cultures and humanity as a whole. These next few picture books are perfect for exploring those connections, introducing sounds, letters and numbers to pre-schoolers whilst providing sound material for ever important reading time, during lockdown time or anytime! B is For Baby ABC books come in an infinite number of guises. This one is singularly different because it focuses on just one letter of the alphabet rather than all 26, in this case, the letter B. We begin with the obvious, Baby but as the story evolves, we and baby are introduced to a marvellous collection of other B words: beads, basket for example. But what is in the basket…? Bananas of course! Or is it something more? This spectacularly illustrated non-fiction picture book is really a cyclical visual journey of baby’s unplanned journey from her African village into town where...

Fly high with your favourite little book birdie! Yes, it's Pippa and together we were lucky enough to share the storytime couch with fellow picture book character, Glitch and Michelle Worthington on Channel 9Go's new children's educational show, reading@homeTV. Reading@homeTV is one of three learning based programs devised by the Queensland Education Department's drive to deliver (shows to) support language and literacy development for children in kindergarten to Year 3.  In collaboration with the Autism Hub and Reading Centre , the department partnered with Channel 9 and several well-loved local SE Queensland and interstate children's authors to read and share their favourite picture books. The program features reading coaches as well who read books aloud and facilitate interactive learning experiences to enhance every child's schooling-at-home experience. The show also encourages children to become involved with the Premier's Reading Challen...

With the world in upheaval and enforced isolation encouraging a surge of forgotten habits such as staying put and reading more, I happened upon an old copy of the Winter 2019 SCBWI Bulletin. The article that caught my eye was by Susan Salzman Raab, a SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) marketing consultant and the author of An Author's Guide to Children's Book Promotion. Susan spoke about the expression of human rights and how we as creators are obligated in no small way to help the forward movement and enforcement of human rights through our roles as storytellers and story sharers. I found her discussion meaningful and inspiring, ironically, even more so in our current climate of disruption and uncertainty. Judge for yourself. Excerpt from Sarah's SCBWI article Winter 2019. 'Children’s authors and illustrators have always had a unique role – that of being allowed to share their ideas with other people’s children. And the canon of...

It's no secret I love a good read. If books were chocolate, I'd be as big as a whale because I just can't say no to them. Perhaps what I love most about my role as a kids' author is knowing that somewhere out there one of my stories is being savoured and enjoyed as much as a tubful of chocolate. Even better is when that story is being shared. Reading a story to another human is in my mind, one of the most intimate, caring and valuable shared experiences we can give each other. There is something about hearing another person's voice express a world of wonder and intrigue that simultaneously entrances and soothes. I think that's why Story Time on Playschool is still my favourite part of the show. So to emphasize the wonder of reading, the international reading campaign to encourage kids to get adults to read to them is all set to run again on the 19 March. International Read To Me Day , was created as another essential cog in the literacy advocacy wheel. It...

I love lists. Being on lists - good ones - is something I don't exactly aspire to but am thrilled to learn about when it happens. I'd be lying if I denied that feeling of inclusion and validation doesn't feel good. So when Nicky Johnston , illustrator of both The Fix-It Man and At The End of Holyrood Lane messaged me a screen shot of their listings, I may have let the thrill escape a little. Well, okay...a lot. For most of my child's primary school years, we have been part of a Premier's Reading Challenge, attempting to foster a love of reading and exploring as many new, interesting, enlightening titles as possible. I think the thrill of the challenge enthused me more than it ever did her but nonetheless it did expose us to an ocean of children's stories. The 2019 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge runs from the 4 March to 30 August and is one of the most exciting ways to dive into that story ocean because so many wonderful books are there wait...

About six years ago, I launched my first book, PS Who Stole Santa's Mail? I was a consummate newbie to the book launching game and filled my presentation time (and my audience's ears) with platitudes of gratefulness and incredulity. However, there was one point I did linger on ... the joy of hearing a book read aloud. For me, listening to story time on Play School is still one of the purest joys on earth. To hear another human's voice relay ' the flow of language ', slowly unveiling a story you can't wait to hear the ending for is indescribably soothing and fulfilling. I think this is because from the inception of speech, it is something that we have been conditioned and accustomed to. I'd forgotten how good this made me feel until I was lucky enough to listen to a teacher librarian read a clutch of picture books to a group of children I was conducting the Read Up program with at the time. Again, hearing the rise and fall of a human voice bring the ...

November 13 is World Kindness Day Comos - WKD floral symbol A day to ' to look beyond ourselves, beyond the boundaries of our country, beyond our culture, our race, our religion; and realise we are citizens of the world. As world citizens we have a commonality, and must realise that if progress is to be made in human relations and endeavours, if we are to achieve the goal of peaceful coexistence, we must focus on what we have in common. When we find likenesses we begin to experience empathy, and in such a state we can fully relate to that person or those people.' For me, it's the supreme power of story that promotes empathy. Stories collected over time, through life experiences, embellished with hope and humour and ultimately shared , like the stories we share with children. The best stories of all. When you read with a child, you share more than just a tale in words (and pictures). You share smiles, distribute joy, radiate love and yes, generate emo...

A writer's life is the sum of many things, usually words. Author engagements and presentations fill the gaps in our solitary days, often in the most unexpected and sunny ways. This month I had the good fortune of spending time in not one but two centres of learning where the educators were powerful advocates for kids' lit and their students were heavenly, both reminding me why I do what I do and how much I love doing it. Plus, there were bears and dragons! Photo courtesy of Beth Peterson Durack SS Principal Tuesday 5 June I visited the Carey Lane ELC annexed to St Hilda's School in Southport, QLD. Sharing some 'beary' beautiful book love I was invited to help launch their inspired educational reading program, BEAR - Books, Engagement and Reading. It was a sparkling morning full of reading, books and wee furry friends looking for new homes and finding them. The premise of this program being that each pre-school child is entrusted with his or her own...

As weeks slip away into months I want to share one last session round up from my time in Singapore at the Asian Festival of Children's Content . It is the session I was asked to present on Bibliotherapy as part of the Writer's and Illustrator's Conference . My objective was to: Explore the value of creating bibliotherapy themed diverse picture books (PBS) and debate their usefulness in combating various social issues affecting children. To discuss what works, what doesn't and why. This sounds straight forward enough but past experience has shown me that when you add the word therapy to anything relating to Kids' Lit, it has an immediate polarising effect; people either love the term and what it infers or they are vehemently against its implications. So what exactly is Bibliotherapy and its implications? Melissa Tan's impression of my session - she tells me, she was too involved in the topic to illustrate profusely. I first introduced delegates t...

'Books have a powerful way of triggering the imagination of children and building their understanding of the world.' CEO  Elaine Ng of the National Library Board, Singapore This was a sentiment echoed not only in my own seminar at this year's Asian Festival for Children's Content 2017 (AFCC) but in many other sessions I attended and moderated for as well.  The official AFCC 2017 program, which ran from 17 - 21 May 2017, is nearly 90 pages long bursting with over 120 conference sessions and book-related events for delegates and the general public. That's a lot of talking, work-shopping, pitching and exchanging. I was delighted to be in the thick of it having been invited to present and launch my latest picture book there. I can but hope to reproduce the animated vibe and sense of camaraderie I experienced wondering up and down the multi-floored, air-conditioned halls of the mighty National Library, but I'm going to try... Leslee Udwin punchin...