Little Lon refers to the area around Melbourne’s Little
Lonsdale Street. This stunning picture book relates Marie Hayes’ joyous
childhood memories in the multicultural community in which she lived, and the
people whose lives grew and changed together with hers.
It is a life in a timber house with green wooden
shutters, that faced a road where children played all day and adults stopped to
speak to one another. Built in the 1850s, Marie’s mother lived there until the
1950s.
The front door opened into the sitting area, as did
my childhood home. All the neighbours were European shopkeepers that lived
above their stores. The Syrian fruit shop, Lebanese bootmaker, the watchmaker
and jeweller in Cumberland Place, the Syrian taxi driver, and the Chinese
cabinet makers, were the foundations from which this diverse area was built.
Street food was always available. Hawkers spruiking
their wares echoed through the air. A Yugoslavian man sold chestnuts in the
winter and ice cream in the summer from his wagon. St Joseph’s was the school
at the end of Marie’s street, where their routine rules included being
inspected for lice.
It was a time of spinning tops, sailing boats on
overflowing gutters, City Baths on Saturdays and places where Sunday roasts were
cooked and ready for you by the time church was over.
This is not an emotive retelling of a life full of
memories alone, but a history of a special place and time, a story behind the
story, when migrants from all over the world, made Australia their home and
were accepted no matter where they came from.
The exquisite illustrations with green the dominant
colour, come from husband and wife team, Heather Potter and Mark Jackson. The
images drag you back through time to feelings waiting to be re-experienced. Both
end pages portray a map of Little Lonsdale Street and the surrounding area.
Amongst Potter’s long list of work, is the
brilliant and award winning, Pearl Versus the World by Sally Murphy.
Jackson has illustrated many picture books including The Beach Wombat
and The Snow Wombat by Susannah Chambers.
Andrew Kelly is the Yarra Riverkeeper and author of
Wilam: A Birrarung Story with Aunty Joy Murphy. This is Andrew’s second
children’s book.
Title:
Little Lon
Author:
Andrew Kelly
Illustrator:
Heather Potter & Mark Jackson
Publisher:
Wild Dog Books, $24.99
Publication
Date: July 2020
Format:
Hardcover
ISBN:
9781742035970
For
ages: 9+
Type: Junior Non fiction
