Dim's Write Stuff

My ability to draw is only slightly less inspiring than my ability to handstand. I can however, picture my stories as I write them with razor sharp clarity, in my head at least. Translating these internal storyboards to a real life illustrator is not always easy so I'm lucky that illustrators like, Siobhan McVey who provided the striking visual narrative for, Oswald Messweather , are adroit enough to create strong ' visual partners ' for my words without my input. I was fascinated to learn that when a storyline and language resonate powerfully enough with a potential illustrator, their creativity leaps into unsolicited action. In other words, sketches and images, characteristics and colours flow authentically and without hesitation. The organic way a visual narrative uncurls in an illustrator's head, eventually spilling onto the page to hug and caress my words is, for me, the most magical part of the picture book making process. To experience more of the magic, read thi...

Unless you’ve been to the afterlife, and successfully returned, chances are you are not super familiar with the supernatural. These next few YA novels ease maturing young adults into spine-tingling conjecture about spectres, the worlds they habitat and conditions of existence they are forced to abide by. It’s bewitching stuff. The Ghost Squad This thriller by Sophie Masson takes place in the not too distant future following a global cataclysmic event which renders the world virtually tech-free. Living in a world stripped of modern day conveniences, young Polly is thrust into a heart-racing quest of survival. Guided by her own instincts and a beguiling young teen by the name of, Swan, Polly grapples with new found knowledge about two opposing clandestine organisations, the government run Ghost Squad and the Base whose shared intent is for the control of information about the afterlife. Since what is commonly referred to as the Pulse (theoretically a massive solar flare disturbing e...

A huge number (pardon the pun) of counting books regularly cross my reviewing line of sight, some fun, some novel, some nonsensical. The thing that sets Counting Creatures by the ineffable, Julia Donaldson and illustrator extraordinaire, Sharon King-Chai, apart is the exquisite presentation and thoughtful use of content. This is decidedly more than a counting book. It verses children in the prerequisite 1 - 10 then continues in multiple of fives which prolongs the enjoyment and exercises young brain muscles. A forest, tree top and meadow full of interesting creatures lurk, fly and float in a wonderful wildness of stunning colour and detail.  Children are invited to count these creatures and then venture a guess as to how many babies they might have; a bat has one for instance but who has more babies than that? The most exuberant thing about this counting and naming book is the gorgeous arrangement of flaps and fold out pages each hiding the answer and a surprise or two.  Comb...

The coupling of these two picture books may at first glance seem peculiar but spend time with each and you’ll soon appreciate their shared affinity. Both are exquisite examples of tender hearted story telling relaying huge-hearted subject matter in ways young readers can easily embrace. Both are illustrated with a gentle hand and soothing colour palette. I urge you to explore more… Extraordinary! Penny Harrison has hit her stride with this glorious picture book showcasing hope. At least this was the main message for me. So many children’s books attempt to broadcast the notion of ‘hanging on’ and ‘feeling hopeful’. We tell children regularly that they are special and unique. Sometimes, we even reward mediocrity in an effort to level their ‘feelings’ playing fields thus doing their self-esteems a terrible disservice. This book rejects all that in favour of acknowledging a child’s desire to dream without boundaries; to harness unicorns and sail around Mars for example. Of course childr...

If you’re after the sort of novel that lulls you effortlessly into mindless slumber, this book is not for you! Where do I begin? Luckily for us all, Craig Silvey begins with the end in his latest rousing novel, Honeybee . It’s an end some of us may have contemplated at some point in life especially those of more tender years enduring emotional turmoil.  It’s a beginning that catapults the reader into the tortured psyches of Sam and Vic, immediately establishing a powerful rapport between them and us, powerful enough to evoke first-class-page-turner status. Sam is teetering on the brink of fifteen but his heart still beats with tween-aged naivety and contorts with young adult anxieties. Fatherless since birth, Sam scrambles from one decrepit address to another with his young incomeless mother. Their bond is tighter than spandex but her creative dreams are stymied by the need to make their frayed ends meet and a spiralling moral compass. Sam looks forward to growing up just like ...

Before my beloved child transformed into a ghoulish teenager, her unconditional love for me was the wind in my sails, the gentle eddies that kept me afloat. It was the best (and most incredulous) thing ever being the best in her eyes. So books expressing the wonderfulness of motherhood create more than just joy through their tender sentiments, they stir up a certain wistfulness that turns dry eyes damp and melts hearts alloyed by time. Here are a couple of picture books that should find purchase with mothers at any stage of motherhood. The Best Mum I love this book. Its colour and verve jostle for attention from the gorgeous cover (which, along with the back cover, complements the story just brilliantly). I love the lux feel of the paper stock too, thick and glossy, perfect for repeated shared reading sessions with little hands that need to poke and stroke a story, like mine. Penny Harrison’s amusing rhyming verse paints a clear and comical comparison between one little girl’s mo...

This book had me at its title, Paws : simple and unambiguous with a huge promise of something cleverly canine exciting the dog lover in me. Having woofed this middle grade fiction down faster than my dog can empty a bowl of kibble, I wonder though if author, Kate Foster had other implications in mind when naming her latest book; we authors are fond of layered meanings and wondrous wordplay after all. For me Paws is a story about self-identity and recognition, of ‘pausing’ for thought not just to give ourselves more time to process a particular situation or emotion but also to appreciate another’s; so much easier to write than do especially if you are 11-year-old Alex Freeman dealing with autism.   Alex’s most pressing life goal is to secure a true and proper friendship before he is obliged to set sail on the unnavigable social ocean of high school. He believes his best chances lie in winning a coveted PAWS Dog Show trophy so spends his mornings and afternoons training his const...