Interview with author Mimi King

Who is this talented person? Robyn Smith (aka Mimi King)

Where can you peruse her work? www.poppybooks.com.au

What is her story? I am a mother of five, a grandmother of eight (all of them the love of my life) and I live on the south coast of NSW. My husband and I live on a property near the township of Moruya and we own and run an earthmoving business – hence the love of bulldozers and other plant equipment and machinery.

I also spend quite a large portion of my time working as a relief teacher in primary schools. I have been a teacher for many years and it is this long association with children and children’s literature that inspired me to want to write stories for little people.

How long has she been writing? Whilst Poppy Tried to Sleep is the first book I have written, I have read thousands of books over many years to my own children and countless children at school. It is this constant exposure to children’s literature that has provided me with a very good understanding of what children enjoy and what they relate to.

What inspired her to write this book? There is nothing quite like the pleasure of seeing little faces light up as children enjoy having a good story read to them. I have wanted to write for young readers since I attended teacher’s college where I became aware of the importance of children’s literature in impacting young children’s education and their desire to learn to read.

The quality of the books to which children are exposed is a critical part of their development and the more positive the interaction they have with books, the more they seem to want to read for themselves.

As well as the educational value of children’s literature it is also good fun and I think I enjoy a good picture book as much as the children do. In that regard I have been noticing that parents and grandparents are also enjoying Poppy Tried to Sleep.

Why does she write? It is the belief that a good story, well written, can have a positive and lasting influence in children’s lives that motivates me in my writing.

What pesky obstacles has she encountered on her writing path? I guess that the biggest obstacle to my writing was the general busyness of life! The desire to write was always in the back of my mind, but it took a back seat to all the other things that filled my life. It was only when I found a little time to 'smell the roses' that I finally saw the way clear to actually put pen to paper.

Where did her book idea come from? I had lots of ideas for stories but it wasn’t until I could actually pin the ideas to a particular character that the book started to crystallise. One day as I thought of how much my husband enjoys his work I realised that this wonderful attribute could form the basis of a book and that in general, children adore their Poppies. This was a real breakthrough for me and after that I was ‘off and running’.

What is her wish for readers of her work? It is my fondest wish that my books will bring much happiness to children (and indeed adults as well). Poppy is intended to be a kind and down-to-earth character who personifies the values that parents would like to instil in their children. He is a character that is easy to relate to and whilst fun and humorous, also has a life time of experience and wisdom.

How does she think children’s literature has changed over the past decade? From my observation, there is still a lot of excellent quality in children’s literature. However, the market has also been flooded with cheap, inferior books and parents and educators need to be very discerning as they sift through the copious quantities of books.

What books did she read as a child? I tended to read the books that were popular for that time such as Heidi, Anne of Green Gables, Blinky Bill, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and The Magic Pudding.

What are some of her favourite children’s books?
Bumbletum
I Love you Blue Kangaroo
Wombat Stew
Caps for Sale
The Kiss that Missed

If she couldn’t be a writer what would she be? I think at this time in my life if I couldn’t be a writer I would be a dabbler, dabbling in lots of new and different things. I think I would start with learning how to do my scrap booking electronically. Graphic design appeals to me but I’m not sure how I would manage with my limited computer skills.

Who is she in five words? Sociable, kind, maternal, creative and enthusiastic.

What fabulous advice does she have for other writers wanting to publish a book? If writing is something you want to do, the important thing is just to get started. I think this can be one of the biggest hurdles.

If you would like to learn about more about Poppy's adventures, visit www.poppybooks.com.au where you can purchase a copy of the book, and find a sing-a-long and a colouring competition.

See a review of Poppy Tried to Sleep here.

Review: Poppy Tried to Sleep

Title: Poppy Tried to Sleep

Author: Mimi King

Illustrator: Kieron Pratt

Publisher: Vivid Publishing

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 9 780980 638158

For ages: 2-6 year olds

Type: Picture book

About: Poppy needs sleep. A hard working farmer, this adorable granddad values nothing more than a relaxing bath, a lovely hot cup of tea and… a good night’s sleep.

But alas, the challenges of farm life, particularly when it comes to pesky critters, puts paid to any chance of rest, and poor Poppy finds himself so exhausted from a sleepless night, how can he possibly complete his work the next day?

Penned by Australian grandmother of eight, Mimi King, Poppy Tried to Sleep is the type of book kids will be scrabbling to re-read. Peppered with adorable characters and delicious subtleties (like the earth mover insignias on the bathroom tiles and bedspread) by talented illustrator Kieron Pratt, kids will be keen to spot Tootz the cat, a lime green frog and cackling kookaburras, among other endearing creatures.

King’s first book, the author writes with a simplistic rhythm that will charm children. An experienced teacher and lover of children’s books, the author has devised a clear plot that pulls the wide-eyed reader through a serious of ‘challenges’ to deliver a warm and humorous outcome kids will love.

Pratt’s big and bright illustrations are full of personality and emotion – and his brilliant take on the idiosyncrasies of real life will have adults rapt and perhaps even eliciting the odd chuckle or twenty.

Something I enormously enjoy about this book is that it manages to impart a deeply embedded Australiana theme – without resorting to stereotypes or ockerisms that pepper so many modern books with an Australian theme. King does this by her choice of characters, but also with the language she uses – opting for subtle references that make this first book in the Poppy series a worthy addition to the bookshelves of any proud Australian book lover.

See more on King’s upcoming Poppy books at poppybooks.com.au, where you can purchase a copy. Otherwise, ask for a copy at your nearest bookstore (Australia-wide).

Review: The Frank Frankie

Title: The Frank Frankie

Author: Ingrid Jonach

Illustrator: Cheryl Orsini

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 978 0 330 42414 1

For ages: 7-11

Type: Junior Fiction

About: When Frankie’s best friend Billy Bloom leaves town for the long hot summer holidays, Frankie fills her time by working on her school holiday project – a project that requires students to report on what they’d like to be when they grow up.

After meeting the journalist sister of her mum’s new boyfriend, Frankie is entranced by a promising newspaper career, and so sets about creating her very own local newspaper – with an initial distribution of three neighbourhood blocks.

Very soon, editor Frankie has some classmates involved in the production of the paper, but a lack of interesting news sees her fishing more locally for reportage… namely the shenanigans of her persnickety neighbour – Mrs Nitpick.

When Frankie’s very frank articles appear in the newspaper’s inaugural run, she never dreams the story will ‘actually even almost’ save a life. She also never imagines the newspaper could ‘ever possibly’ heal an important relationship. But this is the way of the newspaper world.

Talented young Australian author, Ingrid Jonach, has created a warm, funny and frank character in her Frank Frankie series of books aimed at 7-12 year olds. The first in the series – The Frank Frankie: The Newspaper That Helps People – follows the story of ten-year-old Anne Googanstein (known as Frankie to her friends) and her passion for local news. Frank local news.

The language Jonach uses in her books (Frankie goes to France is number two, and number three is in the works) is humorous, whimsical and saturated by characterization in the form of a lilting and childlike voice. Set in the first person present tense, the story is not only easy to follow, it is a joy to bounce along with. The books are peppered with gorgeous line drawings by Cheryl Orsini – drawings that beautifully capture the characters within.

Jonach may only be mid-way through her twenties, but this talented writer has already made writing her life’s work.

“Frankie was born during my time as a journalist,” says Jonach. “I knew finishing a manuscript while working full time would be a challenge and a half, so I decided to adhere to the old adage ‘write about what you know’.”

Jonach’s experience as a journalist is apparent in the Frank Frankie books – not only apparent in her rhythmic writing style, but also in the educational references to the newspaper world. Indeed, when lead character Frankie introduces a new concept or term to the reader, Jonach highlights the world in bold, to give it extra punch. She also does this with words that may be a little out of reach of the reader, making them seem oh so interesting… and easier to retain.

“All [of my] books play around with language, so it seems to be an ongoing theme with me. I think it is heavily influenced by my love of Roald Dahl, who was the king of nonsensical words and having fun with language.”

Even though Jonach shares Frankie’s love of the newspaper world, she insists she wasn’t as ‘frank’ as her lead character when she was a child. No doubt, then, it was fun to create a character who was adept at ‘telling it like it is’, making Frankie a memorable and fun creation that sends a strong message of empowerment to kids.

“I wanted to create a character that could really hold her own in a series and I was very inspired by Clarice Bean by Lauren Child and the much-loved classic Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. She is a kid with no fear, which is the exact opposite of me when I was her age.”

In Jonach’s second book, Frankie Goes to France, the character is expanded upon and experiences situations that will resonate with most kids – and what better way to bring kids into an imaginary world than by offering situations they can relate to? Jonach does that, and more. Her delightful books are something I thoroughly enjoyed as an adult and I’ll certainly be slipping them into the bookshelves of my own children, secretly even hoping the series will become a family favourite.

What more could an author want?

Well, Jonach does want one more thing. Like most children’s authors, she has the completely unfettered desire that kids will love her books. “I hope kids have fun reading them. That is my main priority with my writing. To entertain.”

If Frankie’s literary adventures are anything, they’re certainly entertaining. Positively absolutely.

Learn more about Ingrid's books at her website – www.ingridjonach.com

The Frank Frankie by Ingrid Jonach
(Pan Macmillan, July 2007)
A$14.95 RRP

Frankie Goes to France by Ingrid Jonach
(Pan Macmillan, June 2008)
A$14.95 RRP

A Lot of Things
(here publications, 2005)

Review: Third Transmission

Wow. I started writing this review after my first chapter of Third Transmission, and I was so gobsmacked, all I ended up writing was ‘wow’.

Several chapters later and now at the end of this breathtaking ride by young Canberra author, Jack Heath, I can pretty much utter the same word, but thrice – wow, wow and wow.

I’m not the most likely person to be reading Third Transmission. Sitting in a café recently, eyes wide behind the front cover, gnawing through my bagel like a rat on steroids, it didn’t dawn on me that this middle aged blonde housewife might look a right sight – eyes burrowed deeply into the pages of this high-impact, young and blokey tome.

True, I may not be a teen, and I’m certainly not male. And ok – I’m also not a super-adventure action hero wannabe. But this didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying this lightning-paced and brilliantly written novel.

…Third Transmission is so aesthetically-driven, reading it is like watching an action blockbuster unfolding in your head…

The third in the Agent Six of Hearts series (after The Lab and Remote Control), author Jack Heath has woven a thumping, pumping, tightly configured and deftly researched tale that takes his sixteen-year-old hero on a new series of missions; missions that link together like chain mail in an astonishing plot-weave that works so well, you could peel it off the pages and slap it on a movie screen.

Indeed, Third Transmission is so aesthetically-driven, reading it is like watching an action blockbuster unfolding in your head. Heath writes with clear, detailed and dexterous descriptives, however, the plotline isn’t sidetracked or bogged down in the process – the author has a knack for combining a fast pace plotline and lots of action with a narrative that is colourful and totally immersing.

After hunting down dangerous canisters containing a deadly weaponised form of the SARS virus, the challenges facing Agent Six just keep coming as ChaoSonic’s plot to wipe out the city unfolds around him. Not only that, an old and very dangerous nemesis is on the hunt for Six’s brain and the acrimony from his sister Nai continues to haunt him. Brother Kyntak and father figure King are on his side, but something strange is happening with the Queen of Spades, and what will come of Six’s growing closeness to gorgeous agent Ace of Diamonds?

When The Deck sends Agent Six of Hearts on his latest mission to recover a dangerous nuclear warhead, Six infiltrates a launch party thrown by mad ChaoSonic scientist Chemal Allich, but when Six learns exactly what Allich has managed to create and the impact it will have on mankind, he has no choice but to throw his world upside down and risk the lives of all agents working in The Deck.

…Heath’s story will literally take your breath away with its vigorous pace and extraordinary and highly intelligent plot twists…

From this short synopsis, it’s clear there’s enough packed into this clever novel to boggle the brain – and on top of all that, the action just doesn’t stop coming. Heath’s ensuing story will literally take your breath away with its vigorous pace and extraordinary and highly intelligent plot twists. A warning: stay focused. Even this worldly brain was tested and skewed in every direction in an attempt to keep pace with the momentum and plot weaving of Third Transmission.

Read the rest of this review and interview with author Jack Heath at Australian Women Online.

Review: Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham

Author: Dr Seuss

Illustrator: Dr Seuss

Publisher: Random House

Format: Hardcover

Language: English

ASIN: B000T63WF0
For ages: 0+

Type: Picture Book

About: I would have to say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this book was one of my very favourites as a kid. I must have driven my mother nuts with repeat reading requests because I remember it was read often, and my - this book has a tongue-twisting and lengthy text.

No matter. Like all Dr Seuss books, the rhyming rhythm is actually a pleasure to read - and I, too, read this book ad nauseum to my children, and can virtually recite it by heart.
Title:

I would not could not in a box.

I would not could not with a fox.

I do not like them in a house.

I do not like them with a mouse.

I do not like them here or there.

I do not like them anywhere.

I do not like green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

The charm of this book is not only in the hilarious persistence of Sam-I-am, but in the reluctant insistence of our reluctant muncher, who refuses to try this vile-coloured dish, no matter the tempting scenario.

Of course, as we all know... we simply cannot know if we will enjoy something... unless we try it first. And the message of this book goes beyond puke-coloured food. It hits somewhere deeper in all of us and sends the message that life is a smorgasbord of opportunity and deliciousness.

If only we had the chutzpah to take a bite.

Be sure to add this to your collection.
Teacher's Notes
http://www.seussville.com/

Interview with Action Author Jack Heath

Who is this talented person? Jack Heath

What does he do? Writer

Where can you learn more about him? www.jackheath.com.au

What his story? I've spent most of my life in Canberra, and I hate travel, so I'll probably never leave. I live with my partner Venetia, who's a jeweller – we share the house with our friend, Sam and out cat Onyx. Having a pet makes working from home far less lonely.

How long has he been writing? I've been writing for as long as I can remember – I always knew it was what I wanted to do. But I didn't start my first novel until I was 13, when I was dismayed by the dullness of the books we were being given in school, and I thought I could do better.

Does he remember the first story he ever wrote? I vaguely recall a story about werewolves I wrote when I was five, and another one about a jailbreak in the afterlife from when I was about ten. But most of the things I wrote before starting The Lab are a bit of a blur, now. I don't have copies.

What inspired him to write for young readers? I didn't start out with the intention of writing for teens – I was just writing for myself. That turned out to be a good way of going about it, since most teenagers liked the same things as I did.

How did he get his first book published? I was 17, and I didn't have an agent or anything – I sent the manuscript to just one publisher, and they sent me a list of suggestions. Excited, I used them all, and sent it back. They reread it and made more suggestions. This went on and on until they offered me a contract, and the book came out when I was 19.

I've been working hard ever since. I know how lucky I was, and now it feels like I have to retrospectively earn my big break.

What other genres has he written in? Each of my books is a blend of crime, action, horror and sci-fi. I have plans to expand into every genre except fantasy. That's nothing personal against fantasy readers or writers – I just don't get it.

Why does he write? I write because I love books. They're more versatile than movies, TV shows, music, comics, computer games and any other kind of entertainment I can think of. I think the world will be a better place with more of them.

What pesky obstacles has he experienced on his writing journey? The hardest part is making the time to write. And the more readers I have, the more time I'm expected to spend touring.

How did the idea for his fourth book - Third Transmission - come about? None of my books has a lone idea that drives the story. I usually throw in everything I can think of as I'm writing it, so the theme only emerges retrospectively.

I think Third Transmission is about how people are neither good nor evil, just responding to different stimuli, and yet we are all responsible for our actions – but I could be wrong. I'll have to wait and see what my readers think. This is why it's fun to read reviews. It's great to be able to ask someone else, “What was I trying to say?”

Does he think children’s literature has changed in the past decade? When I was growing up, teen books were saturated with angst – eating disorders, bullying, parental divorce and so on. Now it seems more escapist and I'm proud to be a part of that. Most kids get enough realism in reality, so they need books not so much to understand their situations as to put things in perspective. No matter how hard the lives of my readers might feel, Agent Six's life is harder, so the comparison cheers them up.

What does he love most about writing for teens? When writing for adults, there's this feeling that you won't be taken seriously unless you include sex, drugs, racism or abuse. With books for teens, you're free to do your own thing without having those expectations dumped on you. I also love the enthusiasm of the fan base – you don't get that same intensity with adult readers.

What books did he read as a child? As a kid I read lots of novelizations, occasionally because my parents wouldn't let me watch the movies they were based on, but usually because the special effects were better in my head than on the screen.

I must have read Alien a dozen times, as well as every one of the Doctor Who books. I also liked the Teen Power Inc. series by Emily Rodda and the Animorphs books by K.A. Applegate.

Agent Six of Hearts

If he couldn’t be a writer, what would he be? My hobbies, or rather my addictions, include music, cooking, magic tricks and marketing (believe it or not), as well as many other things. However, the only things I feel like I could do professionally are the music and the magic tricks.

What children’s books does he love?
Living Hell, by Catherine Jinks
Hover Car Racer, by Matthew Reilly
The Messenger, by Markus Zusak
Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer
Snakehead, by Anthony Horowitz

What five words best describe him? Ambition, façade, repetition, repetition, pragmatism.

What advice does he have on writing for young people? Don't think of it as a 'someday' thing – start right now. Show your work to someone with time and taste, and then listen very carefully to their criticisms. And read lots. The more you read, the better your writing will be.

Read more about Jack and his Agent Six of Hearts series at www.jackheath.com.au. You can also view the Agent Six fan website here. Jack was Young Australian of the Year 2009.

Review: A Lot of Things

Title: A Lot of Things

Author: Ingrid Jonach

Illustrator: Pauline Jonach

Publisher: here publications

Format: Softcover

Language: English

ISBN: 0 9757741 0 7

For ages: 2-6

Type: Picture Book

About: Does your Dad hoard a lot of things? Does he hoard, stash, squirrel, gather and amass?

In this delightful book by Australian author Ingrid Jonach, somebody's Dad sure does cram the stuff away. Every room of the house, from tippety top to basement, is stuffed with bits and bobs, thingamajigs and watchamacallits!

Using delightful, bouncing rhyme and a penchant for tongue-twisting words that kids adore, Jonach gives us one-liner pages interspersed with busy, bustling, lines of rhyme, cavorting across the tongue and into the ears of avid little listeners.

Not only does this lovely book work beautifully on a verbal level, its busy-bee pictures will entrance little eyes, boggling at the collection of junk strewn from here to over there.

Like the books of Dr Seuss, reading rhyme is a greatly pleasurable thing - it gives pace and colour to any story, but it's also hard to do well.

In A Lot of Things, Jonach's clever prose works well indeed, and married with Pauline Jonach's colourful illustrations, this lovely book is sure to receive a repeat reading workout in many a book-loving household.

Read a KBR interview on Ingrid here or learn more on her website - www.ingridjonach.com.

The Very Hungry Green Crayon

Our fondest childhood memories no doubt include opened boxes of Crayola crayons, scrawling little masterpieces to be displayed on the refrigerator, and reading our favorite children’s books with mum and dad. It’s only too fitting, then, that in honor of the 40th anniversary of Eric Carle’s popular children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Crayola will create a new crayon color called 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar Green' .

The new literature-inspired color will be based on one of the many tissue-stain green hues on Carle’s voracious little bug. He will be presented with an honorary five-foot crayon in the grassy hue.

Carle’s whimsical tale of a tiny caterpillar that grows fatter and fatter as it chows its way through plums, pies and pears, captured the imaginations of children and adults alike since its publication in 1969. His collage-type illustrations enhanced the playfulness of the story, and made his books instantly recognizable and distinguishable from all other children’s literature, yet the beloved tale was inspired by the most mundane of things – a hole punch.

More than four decades ago, Carle thought of a bookworm as he punched holes through a stack of paper. He wrote a short story titled A Week with Willi the Worm, but his editor suggested Carle replace the worm with a caterpillar. With that change, The Very Hungry Caterpillar was born, and has since sold more than 29 million copies worldwide and been published in 47 languages, according to the UK’s Daily Telegraph.

The book’s 40th anniversary came with a multitude of celebration and renewed interest in the book. Google changed its banner logo in Carle’s illustration style, complete with the iconic hungry caterpillar standing atop the letters. The Stanford in Washington Art Gallery opened a new exhibit earlier this month featuring lithographs from Carle’s books, displays of his lesser known works, and a breakdown of his process of taking an idea and turning it into a published work. A special pop-up edition of the book was released, giving readers another way to enjoy the hungry critter’s appetite.

But the reason behind the continued success of The Very Hungry Caterpillar goes beyond the playful storyline and quirky illustrations. The book is about change and the wonders that change can bring even if it first brings unpleasantness - as evidenced in the caterpillar’s inevitable stomach ache after consuming all those sweets.

"I think The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a hopeful story, because it says 'you too little caterpillar can grow up, spread your wings and fly',” Carle told the Daily Telegraph. “I think it is this message of hope that resonates for many readers."

- article by Rose Jensen

This wonderful piece was written by our newest contributor, Rose Jensen, who writes about the online degree program. Rose welcomes your feedback here.