Dim's Write Stuff

Ripping up roots can cause wilt; in saplings at least and, as it turns out, in young human beings like Queenie Jean Anderson. Queenie is a girl with a passion to rock and roll. At least, she plays a mean guitar but what she has in raw talent, she lacks in confidence. Stricken with stage fright and the belief that her ex-bestie, Sparrow, will out best her every time, Queenie chooses to flee at every given opportunity rather than face the possibility of abject failure. Leaving, exit stage left, is one thing but when she and her mother are forced to move from their rented ramshackle home, aka Peachy, things take on a more desperate and tension-filled tone. Salvation comes in the form of temporary refuge in Queenie’s mum’s place of work, the Diamond Sands Seniors Village. Adaptation is the key to survival and Queenie soon becomes the oldies’ favourite but the situation is short-lived and so begins a hopscotch journey from one place of abode to another. Throughout this pell mell of movi...

Music Is there a young somebody under your roof with a passion for reality? Then I recommend you scoop up this little non-fiction wonder, Music . Released by What on Earth Publishing , this resplendent encyclopedia of music is just one of the many non-fiction titles this company specialises in all designed to engage (a child’s) natural curiosity and passion for learning . And they are simply astounding. Music is a fold-out graphic history of music which means it can be read from cover to cover as a normal book, but each page is actually a concertina fold which when unfolded spreads out into an engrossing timeline 2.5 metres long! This musical odyssey begins with an overview of the world allowing readers to gain a sense of time and place that is all encompassing. Time is measured in the religiously neutral but same timeframe as BC, BCE and CE (AD) and begins with ancient music from prehistoric times. It’s a fascinating journey and one I am certain adults will want to experience ...

Stories are for listening to, right? So if watching an animated story time session is not your thing, why not settle back and LISTEN to it instead? If you've got kids in the car or need an audible distraction for your little ones, tune into Little Rockers Radio  every morning (11.00 am) and afternoon (5.00 pm) this week for some online Pippa pitch perfect fun. Little Rockers Radio is a  live streaming program  24/7 online radio station specifically tailored to entertain and enlighten children from birth to six years of age and their parents! Apart from story time there are sessions devoted to songs, nursery rhymes, yoga, mediation and much more.  Pippa's story time sessions are delivered by the uber animated, entertaining duo, Anthony and Lauren behind Story Surprise. In fact you can tune into their Little Rockers Radio podcasts for dozens of other fun story time adventures. 

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...

When I was much shorter and younger, I loved engaging TV shows that leapt from one activity to the next. Variety was indeed the spice of my young life. It still is. So when Lauren and Anthony, founders of The Side Show Factory - a place that houses their fantabulous entertainment shows for kids, wanted to involve a certain little pigeon as part of their engaging and stimulating program, how could I refuse. Story Surprise is about all the things that put the happy in glee: music, stories, art and craft; all tied together with nifty interactive song and dance routines that are guaranteed to get kids up and moving. There's a bear in there too; Mick the Teddy is cooler than icy poles and a hoot to watch.  The 15 minute or so high energy episodes more than satisfy the young at heart but are brilliantly tailored for the under sixes. Each themed  Story Surprise  video incorporates educational snippets, easy to make and do activities, craft, audience shoutouts and catchy origi...

Perhaps the greatest expression of song is Yaxley's exceptionally lyrical prose. This is My Song is a sweeping story told in three parts across three continents, embracing three monumental periods of time. The story of young Rafael Ullmann's rising love for music amidst the growing tensions of the 1940s is chocked with heartbreak and wrenching disappointment. He survives the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp but at the cost of losing his passion for the thing he loved most, music. His song lies withered, abandoned and forgotten like a childhood pet that died long ago. By the time his daughter, Annie arrives, Rafi has accepted his world of silence and regret. Annie is a child of the sweeping isolation of the Canadian prairie lands, yet she is a bird eager to fly and seeks a freedom she cannot enjoy with her parents. It is her son, Joe, an uncertain modern-day Aussie youth seeking a solid sense of self from a history he knows nothing about, that eventually helps them ...