Jolabokaflod

Our final post for 2022 comes from Maureen Mann, and she wraps up the year by introducing a wonderful tradition for Iceland. Have you heard of Jolabokaflod? Read on and be inspired to start a new tradition on Christmas eve.  

Merry Christmas 2022 everyone – or Happy Holidays for those who don’t follow Christian beliefs.

What are your family’s Christmas or holiday traditions? We all have them, even if they are not different from many others.

One of the traditions I really respect is from Iceland. It’s called Jolabokaflod (Jólabókaflóð in Icelandic), which translates as Christmas Book Flood. It’s a tradition which started in the 1930s and 1940s to encourage literacy and reading in their long dark winters and help the Icelandic book trade. It’s become such a success that Iceland is now recognised as the first country to have full literacy. The idea is to give and receive new books to and from family and friends, on December 24, and the evening is to be spent immersed in those books. And chocolate I believe! Wouldn’t it be wonderful for Australia to start a similar tradition!

So, what would you choose to give to your family? Here are some of my top picks from the year.

Jason Cockcroft’s Running with Horses is a gritty and realistic sequel to his previous We Were Wolves. Best for older readers, who will appreciate Rabbit's traumas as well as the stunning monochrome illustrations.

Old Fellow by Christopher Cheng and Liz Anelli. A gentle story about an old man and his old dog as they spend their day in their multicultural community. It’s a picture book which will be appreciated by a wide age range, not just the youngest readers.

My Deadly Boots by Hakea Hustler, Carl Merrison and Samantha Campbell. This fun story, with its colloquial language and rhythms, celebrates the confidence of finding oneself, but the reader may not need such a vibrantly colourful pair of footwear to do so.

Rita’s Revenge by Lian Tanner returns to the world of A Clue for Clara, where animals must learn to communicate with each other at the same time as solving a crime. A great fun story with subtle complexities.

Maybe: A Story About the Endless Potential in Us All by Kobi Yamada and Gabriella Barouch is a beautiful picture book about following life's journey through the good times and the harder ones and achieving one's potential. The illustrations are wonderful.

The Bookseller's Apprentice by Amelia Mellor. This is a prequel to The Grandest Bookshop in the World and is sure to delight fans of that story.

Fans of Katrina Nannestad's Travelling Bookshop series will be delighted that there was another title published this year: #3 Mim and the Anxious Artist. There's another scheduled for 2023 too -- #4 Mim and the Disastrous Dog Show. If you haven't met Mim and her wider family as they travel the world, you've got a treat in store!

For adults, I’ve enjoyed Chris Hammer’s crime thrillers this year. Try The Tilt, published 2022, or start with his first, Scrublands.

If you missed Lyndon’s blog last week, promoting the delights of e-books and audiobooks through the library, please go back and read it. He shows how easy it is for us all to join in to reading, without the expenses. Enjoy whatever books you receive – and I hope there are lots of them over the summer.

And again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.

Maureen Mann

Retired teacher librarian and avid reader

Editor’s note: What a wonderful idea and what great suggestions to help you find ‘the perfect book’ to give on Christmas eve. Thank you Maureen, and all of the contributors to our blog in 2022. You have kept us entertained, challenged our thinking, provided windows into the amazing work of book creators and provided a wealth of story ideas to keep us, and our children reading.

Happy Jolabokaflod and a Merry Christmas to you all.

How Libraries Tasmania Helped Me Double the Books I Read in 2022

Have you discovered audiobooks yet? Lyndon Riggall shares his discovery of the wonders of audio reading with an extensive range of books at your fingertips via your public library. 

Whenever I think of Arthur, the delightfully charming educational PBS television series based on Marc Brown’s popular book series of the same name, which recently ended after 25 seasons and 253 episodes, there is a rap song that comes immediately to mind. I’m thinking of the track featured in the episode, “Arthur’s Almost Live Not Real Music Festival”, which includes the repeated refrain, “Having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card,” as the characters of the series proceed to describe all of the types of books and worlds, fiction and non-fiction, that can be found in your local library.

This maxim has become especially pronounced for me in recent months as I have discovered some of the resources that are available through the online services of Libraries Tasmania. While I have always favoured my Kindle when it comes to e-reading, and rarely read on my phone where so many other distractions are rife, I have been a huge fan of audiobooks and have often used them to fill in all of those quiet parts of life when I am walking, driving, cooking or exercising. This has always worked well, but it has by no means been particularly affordable. The library offers so many reading experiences for free that it has always seemed a shame that my life hasn’t really ever suited the audiobooks in the collection that can be found on CD… sadly, my car doesn’t even have a CD player!

I was explaining this situation to a friend one day earlier in the year, who quickly announced, “But what about Libby and BorrowBox?” Phones hastily came out of pockets to show me what they meant, while I instigated a couple of downloads and began scrolling and borrowing… within seconds I had a story calling out to me from my phone’s tinny speaker. Suddenly—I was shocked and amazed to discover—I was quite literally up to my ears in audiobooks. It was that easy.

Screen shot from Libby library

And yes, all you need is a library card. By inputting your Libraries Tasmania information into each app you can very quickly gain access to thousands of ebooks and audiobooks. The genius of these two eLibrary services is that they make reading as easy as opening Facebook or Twitter, and they are much more pleasant for your wellbeing. Just opening them now I can see Ash Barty’s Memoir My Dream Time (read by Miranda Tapsell, no less), Dostoyesvsky’s Crime and Punishment read by the actor Will Poulter, and entire sections of other titles dedicated to recommended reads from #BookTok, the Tasmanian Literary Awards and the Booker Prize longlist. For kids, I managed to dig up some Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Wings of Fire, Lian Tanner, Roald Dahl, David Walliams, Ahn Do, Babysitters Club and Aaron Blabey. Between the two services you can have up to fifteen digital loans out from the library, which of course is in addition to any physical books you might have already borrowed… plenty to fill the summer holidays.  

Screen shot from BorrowBox library

Thanks to GoodReads and its tracking I can be very clear about the effect that this discovery and new habit has had on my reading life: in 2022, I have doubled the number of books that I have read from fifty-two, to what I expect will be more than a hundred by the time the new year rolls around. I am lucky, I know, that I have the kind of life where moments of quiet are available to me: an audiobook ticking away through my headphones as I drive or do the dishes. I am also a fiend that listens to books on double speed which is definitely not to everyone’s tastes and can be prone to send people fleeing from the room in horror if they happen to overhear it. Nevertheless, I suspect that most of us have little pockets of time available to us where a story could keep us company. In cases where mundanity strikes, life is better with a book. 

Of course, there are still some small bumps in the road with these two apps. Firstly, both BorrowBox and Libby continue in their persistence of ensuring that only limited “copies” of texts are available to users… which has never made sense to me as a method of operation, dragging one of the key flaws of the physical library kicking and screaming into the digital world. There is also the fact that the existence of the two different sets of books can make it hard, at times, to actually find where something is, often sending you back to the library catalogue just to get some clear answers. These minor quibbles aside, however, I think it’s fair to say that in my experience both BorrowBox and Libby are not only exciting new additions to the offerings of a library in the 21^st Century, they are—quite literally—life-changing. 

It’s true. Having fun isn’
t hard when you’ve got a library card.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s a beautiful day and I’ve got reading to do. 

Lyndon Riggall
Lyndon is an English teacher at Launceston College, as well as the author of the picture books Becoming Ellie and Tamar the Thief. Along with Georgie Todman, he has recently been named Co-President of the Tamar Valley Writers Festival.

Screenshot of Jennie's latest uLibrary reads

Editor’s note: I wholeheartedly agree with Lyndon as per a long-ago post from me Audiobooks – They Speak for Themselves. There is another app that broadens the scope of titles available from Libraries Tasmania. Visit https://libraries.tas.gov.au/elibrary/elibrary-books-and-audiobooks/ to find out about uLibrary and other apps discussed today. For our readers from further afield than Tasmania, I urge you to investigate the public library ebook and audiobook offerings in your own location.

Writing and Illustrating a Graphic Novel Memoir for Children

Alyssa Bermudez provides a fascinating insight into the creation of a graphic novel as she harnesses this medium to also explore a significant time as a teenager living in New York in September 2001.

© Alyssa Bermudez

I always knew I wanted to create something special from my childhood diaries, and over the course of almost ten years, I turned them into a graphic novel called Big Apple Diaries. It all started while taking a comics class in 2012 as a student in New York City, where I was born and lived my whole life at that point. When I moved from New York City to Tasmania in 2015 I realized how important the New Yorker side of my story was. There is something about seeing it from a distance that made it clearer to me. 

I used my diary entries and experiences to retell the story of my childhood in New York City around the September 11 attacks in 2001. These entries were so important for creating this book because I could capture the mindset of a young teen instead of relying solely on the memory of it. Of course, memoir-style writing can be triggering, so I don’t think it would have been possible for me to write about that part of my life without enough time and space between the experience and now. 

© Alyssa Bermudez

Big Apple Diaries is my first ever long-form graphic novel so it was definitely a learning curve for me. I’ve illustrated many picture books, but the jump from 32 pages to almost 300 was a lot to think about!

All of the writing had to be finished first, and that is something that often surprises people. The storyline is the most important part of any book. I started with very simple drafts and didn’t worry about the spelling or specific wording yet. I made sure to create story arcs within my “real story.” Once that draft made sense, I went back over it and carefully rewrote it several times. 

A very important part of the graphic novel process that makes it different from other writing is that I had to choose which parts of the story would be told in words and which parts would be told in pictures. I used different colours in my Word document to make this easier for me. Everything I wrote in black was the words of the story, and everything I wrote in blue was for the pictures. One of the best parts of the graphic novel medium is capturing emotion and subtleties through imagery. Sometimes big feelings don’t need to be named on the page, and a simple expression can speak for itself.

© Alyssa Bermudez

Once all of that was ready to go, I roughly laid out the text and created simple sketches to determine the layouts, pacing, and timing. Next came editorial feedback from the publishing team, adjustments, and sample art. Once all of the stars aligned and everyone agreed it was ready to go, I returned to page one again. This part was the most fun for me because all of that difficult problem-solving with layouts and writing was done, so I could just enjoy the process of making the artwork!

© Alyssa Bermudez

I underestimated how emotional it would be to create the images to go with something so deeply personal. It was wonderful exploring the visuals of New York City from that time and recreating the relationships with my parents and friends.

It was very meaningful to put together a story that took place twenty years ago and can still be relatable to readers today and in the future. I’ve enjoyed sharing this book with students here in Tasmania and virtually in the US. Even though Tasmania and New York City couldn’t be any further apart, the feelings that come with growing up bring everyone together.

Alyssa Bermudez
Children’s author and commercial illustrator
W: http://www.alyssabermudezart.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/alyssabermudezart
T: @bermudezbahama 

From the blog: New on the Shelf this Christmas

Many thanks to Bronwyn from the Hobart Bookshop for this tantalising and far reaching list of new titles to engage young readers. It is great to see what is hot off the press to guide Christmas choices and reading diets over the Summer.

The end of the year is a busy time in the book business.  There are more books being released at this time of year than any other and while our already crowded shelves may be suffering under the strain it is lovely to see new future classics waiting to be taken into the homes of book lovers.

© The Hobart Bookshop

There are a wide range of themes and characters reflecting the world around us in the new offerings.  Some give us a chance to see life from another perspective, others remind us of what is important in our own daily lives, and some give us a feeling of contentment that is worth a great deal.

The new middle fiction novel by well known author Craig Silvey Runt is a highlight.  It includes themes of facing adversity, connection with family and community all set in an identifiable Australian context.  Craig visited us in the bookshop and recorded a Book Chat video discussing his new book: 

CBCA favourite Katrina Nannestad’s new book is another beautiful hardcover Waiting for the Storks navigates the experience of a Polish child taken from her home in the Second World War and given to a German family to raise.  Nannestad takes sensitive subject matter and treats it carefully to produce a historically accurate and powerful story with messages that are no less significant today than they were at the end of the War.

In a change of pace, Richard Ayoade’s The Book that No One Wanted to Read manages to combine two traits which don’t always go hand in hand; a book that is both funny and clever.  Written from the perspective of the book itself it is very much worth reading and encourages a love for books which we all like to see developed in younger readers.

Zeno Sworder has given us a delicate and beautifully illustrated picture book story My Strange Shrinking Parents which, while being unusual and original, centres on the love between parents and their child.

The 20^th anniversary of the classic by Jackie French Diary of a Wombat has been celebrated by the release of the new accompanying story Diary of a Rescued Wombat: The Untold Story. With the same Diary of a Wombat style that is known and loved, the new edition details the almost true story of where it all began.

For non-fiction the well-known author Yuval Harari, who is most famous for his book Sapiens which details the history of humankind and civilisation, has now produced a children’s book.  The first volume in the Unstoppable Us series, How Humans Took Over the World is an engaging book that provides a full colour illustration of the rise of the human race, despite not being the fastest or strongest species on the planet.

The vast array of stories on offer, are a reflection of the growing diversity of voices at work.  Helping to provide all children with identifiable and engaging stories to draw them into a love of books.

Bronwyn Chalke 

The Hobart Bookshop 

W: https://www.hobartbookshop.com.au/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/HobartBookshop/ 

T: https://twitter.com/HobartBookshop 

Editor’s note: Wow! It is going to be hard to choose which of these to take up first; after I finish Runt! I am currently listening to this absolutely delightful story for primary aged readers. There are so many clever and memorable passages exploring rural hardship and family bonds that Silvey nails – his comparison between dogs and cats being an absolute hoot! And so very true!

“Turn the volume down and immerse ourselves in stories”

Christina Booth provides some important cues to help us all navigate a changing world with good stories providing a compass to guide us. Christina also shares a current collaboration to be published in 2023 – look out for Mother Earth and enjoy this special advanced ‘cover reveal’.

Haven’t the last few years been weird? We have gained incredible insight into our world and humanity, and at the same time, we have lived with great stress and anxiety. For many, the idea of putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboards seemed to be a good opportunity during restricted travel and socialisation. Yet how do we write? What do we write? What stories do we tell surrounded by a noisy world full of war, pandemics, shortages, political unrest and strife, and education disruptions?

As a creator, I have struggled to focus. How do we write about our world when we don’t really know what it will look like in two, five, ten years from now? Do we have people hugging and shaking hands, sharing an ice-cream, sitting close to each other? Will we go back to what we consider normal? Or will the world remain a different place, a place the children of today and babies who will read these stories in the next few years will consider the new normal? Will they recognise the world of pre-2020?

The good news is humans still hunger for stories. We long to see ourselves reflected on the pages of a book, on a screen, in an artwork. These are the things that normalise us. It allows for difference, acceptance, and equality. These are the things we continue to strive for and fight for as we face our brave new world. Themes that do not let us down: bravery, sacrifice, diversity, learning, adapting, overcoming, history, learning from the past just to name a few. These are the stories that carry through regardless of what the planet throws at us.

After the lull in kid lit publishing due to Covid, I am very happy to be back at the drawing board, illustrating books for two wonderful and much-loved authors. I wish I could share more with you, but I can say I am immersed in a book written by Libby Hathorn, called Mother Earth, due for release through Hachette in 2023. It is a breath of fresh air in my illustrating studio, as the book is a collection of poems, published as a fully illustrated picture book. Poems and stories of what we all hold dear, poems about the things we continue to work toward and celebrate as humanity, regardless of the negatives we feel immersed in. The cover is completed, and I can share an almost completed version of it with you (the designer is yet to do their magical touches).

© Christina Booth's cover design for Mother Earth,
 written by Libby Hathorn, to be published by Hachette Australia, 2023

I hope you can find your creative space and let it help quieten the noise the world is barking ferociously at us. In there, there is still peace, quiet, and reflection. We can turn the volume down and immerse ourselves in stories. Stories celebrating the good in our world, inspiring us to make it the best place it can be.

Christina Booth
Tasmanian author and illustrator

W: https://www.christinabooth.com/

FB: Christina Booth Books https://www.facebook.com/Christina-Booth-Books-113682115389375

Lions Behaving Badly

Did you hear about the family of lions that went on a walkabout at Taronga Zoo this week? Felicity did, and has been inspired.

The recent lion escape story from Taronga Zoo, and a clip that popped up in my Facebook feed sent me down a memory wormhole. 

To provide context, on Wednesday November 2, at 6.30 a.m. a lion and four cubs were seen between two fences at their enclosure in Taronga Zoo. The Zoo runs a luxury experience called Roar and Snore, where people pay to sleep near the lion enclosure. On Wednesday they were woken by keepers and told to run to a toilet block, where they were to remain until the 5 lions, Ato and cubs Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri, could be returned to their enclosure. Read more on this ABC News report.

I recall reading the book, The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio (published in 1954 and still available in some Tasmanian School libraries), where The Happy Lion leaves his enclosure to visit all the people who had come to visit him – and is most surprised that they no longer looked happy to see him. I wonder if Ato and the cubs were equally perplexed?

Vintage Cool Stuff. (2020, June 13). The Happy Lion animated film.

Sally Farrell Odgers’ book The Lion in the Night (ill. Gail Weiss 2004) and Pamela Allen’s A Lion in the Night (1988) explore interactions between humans and lions. 

One of the most famous lions in literature is Aslan, from C.S. Lewis’ the Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956). Aslan acts as a guardian and guide to the humans who rule Narnia. He can be terrifying, but also can be relied upon to rescue and save them.

Aesop’s wrote 28 fables that included lions. His lions were usually arrogant and selfish, but there was always a moral that explained their behaviour.

Many children are more familiar with The Lion King (Disney 1994 and 2019) which feature a range of good and bad lion characters. As a child I watched Kimba the White Lion (Mushi Production 1965). I recall my mum sighing that almost every episode had me in tears. I have also just discovered that it was a Japanese anime production – my children thought they’d introduced me to anime, not!

iamstillmyself. (2007, August 7). Kimba the White Lion theme song.

How I wish that I was back in a primary classroom, so that I could get my class thinking about this escape, and writing the adventures of Ato, Khari, Luzuko, Malike and Zuri. I’m sure there is a book there, just waiting to be written.

…and the lions that popped up in my Facebook feed? They looked like they were just having a really good time. View here.

Felicity Sly
Felicity is a teacher librarian at Don College & the CBCA Tasmania Treasurer

How to make friends

Cat Rabbit is a creative textile artist who has drawn on her plush toy creations to write and illustrate picture books for young children. Read on to discover the fine craft work and detailed planning that resulted in the most recent publication about a bear who struggled to make friends.

How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide is about a bear who has plenty of stuffed friends, but no real ones. The book follows her attempts to win friends by impressing them with her (non-existent) jogging skills, fancy outfits and cake. The book is illustrated with photographed scenes of my soft toy characters in a brightly coloured felt world. When making the book, I knew I really wanted to draw on my own experiences – both as a kid and as an adult – navigating friendships as an introverted person. I always preferred the quiet of the library or the art room to the football field or school socials; I always loved baking and sewing with my mum and sister and I had a sticker collection that I guarded with my life. The book is dedicated to my sister, who still to this day plays recorder with me (though lately it’s had to be mostly via FaceTime). So, we can safely say that I am Bear, and this is somewhat of an autobiography!

When I was making the characters, I wanted them to be simple, colourful and a little bit weird, giving them each a strong personality. I sew all of my characters by hand and without a pattern; I work in a sculptural way, adding and cutting as I go. I always use an armature in my soft characters, and in Bear, Koala and Lamb I made these armatures a little more complex to allow for lots of different movements and poses. I also made their clothes removable so they can wear different outfits.

Once I hand made the characters, I sketched out the storyboard. Because the photographs take quite a long time to get right, it’s good to have every element of the story locked in before launching into the shoot. The storyboard went back and forth between myself and my editor until we had the story plotted out to our liking. From there I made comprehensive lists of every single element I had to make for each scene and once I’d created everything, I set each scene and did a quick test shoot of the book. 

I wanted this book to be bright and welcoming, with a bit of texture. I mostly used coloured cardboard with elements drawn on with crayon to give it a childlike feel; sort of like Bear was in a world of her own creation. The coloured backgrounds also reflect Bear’s mood: yellow when she’s happiest, baking and drawing; pink when she’s earnestly trying to make friends; purple when she’s feeling emotional.

I wanted the story to have lots of funny elements to provide comic relief to the emotional rollercoaster that is making friends – and that’s where Bear’s toys come in. I really fell in love with the idea of Bear, a toy, having toys herself. When I was small, I used to have quite a crew of toys (which I refused to call toys, instead preferring to call them ‘friends’). Bear’s stuffed friends provide a lot of the comic asides and also give Bear an audience for her feelings. 

It was such an honour for How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide to be listed as a CBCA noteworthy book for 2022. I’m so glad the story resonated with children and adults alike – it’s even more wonderful when I hear that it has helped a small person navigate the tricky world of making friends!

Author and Illustrator

catrabbit.net

Insta: @cat_rabbit 

Editor's note. Visit Cat Rabbit's website to see more of her wonderful creations and spend time exploring the exquisite art work in the book. Enjoy a reading of How to Make Friends: A Bear’s Guide via Storybox Library.

All images © Cat Rabbit

 

Playing with Pigs, Pugs and Parades

A keen and dedicated fan of Book Week and the magic of dressing up, Loretta Brazendale is back as a wonderful Book Week Fairy with a costume that  celebrates multiple books and with a puggish companion to accompany her.

© Loretta Brazendale

This week’s blog has inspiration from my best friend’s son Liam. Liam absolutely loves books. When I was last visiting them, Liam and I read many books and we spoke about what we were going to dress up as for Book Week. When I was designing my Book Week Fairy Costume I thought of Liam and some of the books that we had read together to put on my dress. I know Liam really wanted me to dress as The Wonky Donkey however I made sure the The Wonky Donkey book featured on my dress, along with Pig the Pug, Liam’s other favourite book which we have read many times. 

© Loretta Brazendale

Pig the Pug is a favourite book amongst the children and so funny and cute. Aaron Blabey writes books children like, but grownups don’t mind reading, too. Such a sense of humour combined with character. Pig the Pug has many fun stories to tell, and I thought I would share my thoughts on the amazing “Pig the Pug” stories. 

Also, a big happy birthday to Liam today and I hope you enjoy the blog Liam that you inspired me to write. 

Pig the Pug – Scholastic, 2016

Pig is a rude pug who doesn't want to share his toys with another dog (that does kind of remind me of my dog Tilly). The whole story has a wonderful rhythm, and the amazing illustrations are playful and silly. I love Pig's attitude, facial expressions, and dialogue, and the lesson he eventually learns about sharing with friends. A great story to read out loud to children as you are guaranteed loud laughter. 

Pig the Stinker aka Pig the Grub – Scholastic, 2019/2018

This book is so true to life that dogs don’t like to get baths. My dogs act exactly like Pig, so I get it. He ends up causing the bathroom to explode!! After that he has no problem taking baths but still finds a way to be foul! The rhymes are spot on, the story is funny, and the illustrations on point. A story to make anyone laugh that should be on all our shelves at home especially if you are a dog lover. 

Pig the Star – Scholastic, 2017

Pig thinks he's hot stuff. He doesn't treat his friend, Trevor, very well, either. On a photo shoot, Pig is always hogging the shots, sometimes bumping or pushing or shoving Trevor out of the picture.
Pig’s friend Trevor is a dachshund. Pig is mean to Trevor, calling him "Salami" and a "sausage-shaped pest". But, one day, the photographer notices how cute Trevor is. Soon, Trevor is the star. I do feel sorry for Trevor the dachshund with the name calling but my friend does have a dachshund named “Kransky” (not sure how Trevor would feel about this)
Pig finally learns a lesson about stardom and jealousy and treating your friends right.

Pig the Winner – Scholastic, 2018

Pig the pug is at it again finding ways to irritate his friend, Trevor. In this picture book, Pig is outrageously competitive. Pig challenges Trevor in who can eat the fastest. Pig chokes on his bowl and it's Trevor to the rescue! After this incident, Pig learns to play a little more fairly. Parents will love this book as it’s a great way to teach children that not everything in life is a race and to always treat one another with kindness and fairness. The rhyme of the book is very engaging. I would definitely recommend this book. 

Pig the Elf – Scholastic, 2016

I just love Christmas for the decorations, the spirit and joy. But Pig, he loves Christmas because of the presents, presents, and presents. His list this year is extra-long and Pig doesn't want to go to sleep so Santa can come. He wants his presents now so decides to stay up all night.

As a greedy pug, Pig isn't happy with the number of gifts he's given and is mad at Santa. I have a feeling Pig will be on the naughty list next year. Pig is the perfect example of how you shouldn't act on Christmas. The illustrations are just beautiful, and the story is hilarious.

Loretta Brazendale

Information Services Coordinator
Burnie Library | Libraries Tasmania