February 5, 2012
Review: Nobody owns the moon
There are a hundred reasons I love this book. For a start: it’s humane and humble; it’s intelligent, witty and observant; it’s egalitarian … more >
November 21, 2011
Split-page Australiana
No book has ever made our 4-year-old laugh so much as Crocoroos and Kangadiles. A dingo crossed with a starfish is, apparently, wildly hilarious. … more >
September 6, 2011
Interview with Helen Chamberlin: A quiet voice
Shaun Tan describes her as “wonderful”, Mark Wilson as “brilliant”. Helen Chamberlin’s influence on Australian picture books today, however, is probably best summed up by this quote from the LaTrobe University website: … more >
August 4, 2011
Interview: Sally Rippin
Sally Rippin has been writing and illustrating books since she was a child. Her second picture book, Fang Fang’s Chinese New Year, won the Children’s Book Council Crichton Award … more >
August 3, 2011
One Dragon’s Dream
I just borrowed this intricate book, written and illustrated by Melbourne’s Peter Pavey. This Australian classic, originally released in 1978, was reprinted in 2009. While – I believe – it owes much to Maurice Sendak, it’s a lovely and original work that young children can pore over. … more >
August 1, 2011
A top six: great picture books for pre-school kids (aged 2+)
I’ve just been skimming the Guardian’s children’s books site for kids, and found this selection of 9 ‘Bedtime treats for the youngest readers”. … more >
May 12, 2011
Children’s book illustration short course
In April 2010, I took a short course at the Centre for Adult Education (CAE) in Melbourne, on children’s book illustration. The idea was mostly that it would get me back into the real world once a week … more >
Sketchbook on Flickr
