Dim's Write Stuff

Word's just in; a little fellow I've been spending a bit of time getting to know online had finally arrived in Australia. We've yet to set eyes on each other in real life but I'm told he's a stunner. I can't wait to meet him. Only a few more weeks to go. I wonder how I'll feel holding his story in my hands, knowing I had some part in its creation, accepting that it was demanding to tell but emancipating to share, feeling his exasperation and exhaustion and frustration...his fear, for real.  He's rather shy and reclusive but I know that together we can initiate ripples of greatness that might cause waves of change, acceptance, understanding and hope. We'd both like that very much. He sent me a little compilation of his story thus far and I'm allowed to share it with you. Ready? Here it is, the book trailer of Oswald Messweather , my next special little picture book - arriving 28 March 2021! We hope you like it. Let us know what you think. Ozzie an...

Since last year, I have been invited to present specialised language programs for gifted and talented school students throughout Australia for the G.A.T.EWAYS Education organisation. It’s always a privilege standing in front of a group of motivated young students no matter who they are. The G.A.T.EWAYS kids are especially challenging for they love to question. Fortunately I love to find answers; to questions like: ‘Where did that idea come from?’ and ‘How to you grow an idea?’ My latest workshops cover these precise quandaries focusing on what ideas become…why marvellous stories of course! Stories themselves illustrate this point best which is why I was delighted beyond words to unearth this gem, What Do You Do With An Idea? by the quietly brilliant award winning, Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom. This book embraces the notion that everything, every single thing, you see and experience around you was once an idea; a huge concept that Yamada breaks down into an absorbing narrative starr...

Animal lover that I am, I am also an unashamed omnivore with a discomfiting appreciation of bacon and ham, thus a picture book so titled could not fail to set the salivary glands in motion. Ahem… but jokes aside this is a serious(ly funny) situation for one little porker aptly named, Ham. Ham and his barnyard buddies, Satay, Chops and Stew – notice the theme here – luxuriate in each other’s company and their benignly serene farm lifestyle until one day reality arrives with a heart-seizing shock; the realisation they are part of the human food chain. This is a devastating life blow that Ham takes particularly hard owing to his gorgeously, plump, voluptuous, wobbly …rump. Determined to foil the farmer’s intent and their inevitable fate, Ham and his mates devise multiple plans to ensure they do not end up on a dinner plate. Each salvation attempt results in near annihilation but Ham refuses to be beaten, read: eaten. They decide on a more vegan approach but the farmer’s veggies are re...

In just a few more days, the lumbering Ox takes over from the scurrilous Rat in the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rat was arguably one of much shifting and called for quick-wittedness at which the wee rat excels. The new year of the Ox promises a more measured, assured and progressive adventure, one marked by restoration, resoluteness and renewed strength. I wonder how this will translate on a global scale. One thing is for certain, no matter what your beliefs or desires, all can be enhanced by wisdom, patience and the practice of compassion. So this year’s Chinese New Year offering is the enchanting picture book by new picture book duo, Steve Heron and Benjamin Johnston, Ling Li’s Lantern . Ling Li is the youngest child of Da Zhi, a highly respected village elder. She is his only daughter and shares the family home with quick-thinking, Jingming and fun-loving, Miao. Mindful that all aspects of success are built with wisdom, Da Zhi devises a great challenge for his offspring to...

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...

Regrettably, Gary Paulsen was a bit of an unknown to me until discovering this transcending story about his childhood. A multi-award winning author of young adult fiction, Paulsen reveals how his ability to smith words developed as a consequence of his remarkable upbringing, or more accurately, lack thereof. Paulsen was, not literally an orphan, but he was a lost child. Gone to the Woods begins with one such journey adrift an ocean of salacious events thanks to his mother and her penchant for supplementing her hourly wage at local Chicago clubs. At just five years of age, Paulsen is dumped upon a train bound for a relatives’ farm in north Minnesota not far from the Canadian border. It proves to be his temporary salvation and a place he acquires the art of patience, a deep respect for nature and an appreciation of what genuine kindness tastes like. Edy’s motherly compassion and Sig’s reticent guidance nurture the abandoned boy until a sense of who he is begins to emerge. It’s bone...

The trouble with advent calendars is their finite nature. Once the occasion is reached or the countdown completed , one is left with a lingering sense of,  'Well, what now? ' Well not this Countdown! In case you've missed the last three week 's worth of cracking Christmas bookish gift ideas, cast your eyes downwards. Here you'll find all the links to take you to all of the afore mentioned must reads. There's something for every taste from thrilling YA to heart-melting picture books and middle grade marvels, fabulous non-fiction and even the odd autobiographical true story by yours truly. You'll be fighting the kids for them and don't worry if good old St Aussie Post couldn't quite deliver on time...these beauties are most assuredly anytime-of-the-year-reads.  It's been a mighty year with monumental challenges but one thing has remained resolute for me; the absolute power a book has to transform, uplift, support, entertain and reassure in times ...