Dim's Write Stuff

Fate and circumstance are curious things that can set storytelling wheels in motion with the most extraordinary outcomes. From the dexterous mind and unfathomable imaginings of Kate DiCamillo comes a new, spellbindingly illustrated fiction that bewitches and bemuses. Five exquisite puppets each with a personality and power peculiar to their maker’s whimsy are locked in a trunk after their former master forsakes them, their story and himself. And that is where their real story begins. An adventure, a quest, a parody of unfortunate near disasters, twists and awkward turns that involves each of the puppets in turn and ultimately as a one for they are all in the same story. Of this they are certain and so vow to each other to remain in the telling until the end. Their journey evokes wonder in simple beauties that are easily overlooked; the colour of moonlight through an open window for instance. The vagaries of misguided vanity. The heartbreak of unrequited expectations. And like the ...

Beauty comes in many forms: the bizarre, the whimsical, the wondrous. Author illustrator and two-time Caldecott Medallist, Sophie Blacknall embraces the very best of beauty in her visual and imaginative picture book narratives creating imagery that makes your heart swoon. Here are two of her latest masterpieces. If I Was A Horse When I was much shorter, I dreamed of owing a horse. It was a dead-end desire however my love for all things equine never diminished so instead of walking, I galloped. Instead of speaking, I whinnied. Instead of sitting in the shelter shed at lunchtimes, I careened around the school oval …like a horse. I didn’t just want a horse. I was a horse. This is the premise of Blackall’s 2023 release; exploring what a child would do if she were a horse. This joyful expose of imaginative play and sense of self is splendidly supported by Blacknall’s exquisite illustrations created with a combination of media including watercolours, pencils, and collaged materials res...

Stressed Anxious Nervous Drunk Overtired Suffering from Tourette Syndrome? Answer: A Streamer No, not a party streamer, but a video gamer who regularly broadcasts live using the Twitch platform . And while this little black duck may be more inclined to dance around with streamers in her hair rather than pretend to understand the online world of live gamer streaming, she can now claim to have yet another SM platform that she barely comprehends! The good news is, she shares this new found space of interactive entertainment with the clever clogs at Story City and did so in hilarious fashion recently as part of their weekly Adventure Hour eps . Let me explain. Several moon dips and rises ago, I was part of an immersive, interactive storytelling project with Story City. The result was a WA Premier's Book Award shortlisted locative digital narrative cheekily entitled, The Chapel of Unlove . This immersive, choose your own styled, multi ending adventure is a slapstick, riotous romp throug...

A recalcitrant goat, a gung-ho orphaned boy. An exiled self-doubting monk and a battle-scared girl who would be queen. These are just some of the extraordinary characters that people The Beatryce Prophecy . Bubbling with medieval barbarities at a time when misguided kings and ruthless ambition collide with common decency and humanity, this tale embraces an astonishing number of ideas all deftly woven into one rich reading experience thanks to DiCamillo’s sure hand. Beatryce is found blooded and battered in the stalls of Brother Edik’s monastery. She is feverish and unresponsive. The monastery’s arch nemesis, Answelica, an irascible goat who prefers to bite first and consider later, stands guard. She answers to no one but when Brother Edik announces to the goat that he must tend to Beatryce, a reluctant acquiescence occurs on Answelica’s part. And so then begins an incongruous relationship the deepens with time and necessity. Beatryce is nursed back to health but presents a new dan...

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...

Are you a not-for-profit, academic with social research, or other type of social enterprise trying to do good in the world? On behalf of Story City , I'm super excited to announce the launch of the Story City Social Impact Projects . Their award-winning platform and team are volunteering their time and resources to bring your stories and the stories of those you help to life via interactive experiences, providing you with the ability to literally put the public in the shoes of your cause. Whether you help homeless veterans, residents of a region in historic conflict, a countryside newly ravished by fire, or refugees without access to education, if you’re looking to help marginalised people and those in need to have their voice heard, Story City can help. Find out more about the unique Story City Social Impacts Projects  offer and its  community mentors available by visiting their website . Applications are now open to projects across the world and close Ma...

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...

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 ...

It's funny coz well you know, some days, it's true. Proud to be part of this creation, delivering stories in accessible, educational ways that enhance reading experiences and compliment books. For the love of story. Have You Seen My Spots? - available to download today

Winter marks the release of yet more of my picture book stories into the wide blue yonder. This is an exciting time for me and those lucky enough to be flying Virgin Airlines, plugged into the Children's Inflight Entertainment program for that is where you will find my stories, as part of the new Kindergo immersive story app . They are stories aimed for younger audiences, bouncing with fun and frivolity and like my previously published digital narrative, The Chapel of Unlove on the Story City App in 2016, fulfil a maturing desire to expand my repertoire and use of cross media platforms to tell my stories. But what exactly is cross media story telling? What are the various platforms to exploit and how can creators used to pen and ink utilise them? Story Telling Across Platforms with Jyotirmoy Saha This session was moderated by the blatantly cheeky, creative industry crackerjack, Marc Checkley. Between them, they described the conception and development of a Filipino based ...

  “If you want intelligent adults, give our children stories, because each story increases the neurons in a child’s brain. If you want creative adults who can mine the asteroids or find three million ways to cope with drought, pollution or global warming, give them stories now.”  Jackie French AO. Jackie French's take on the power of story. What follows is my truncated take on her impassioned speech last night at Riverbend Books in Brisbane on why books matter and must always matter. Books give kids the ability to choose what they want to be and who they could be, not necessarily describing to them who they are already. One kind act can change a life . Kindness is as contagious as evil and anger. BOOKS MATTER – books improve, enhance, stimulate and, strengthen our intelligence. It’s a scientific fact. CREATORS MATTER - as creators, what we do matters. LIBRARIES, TEACHER LIBRARIANS AND BOOKSHOPS MATTER . - Kids need guidance when it com...