Make for Joy

© Blake Nuto

Perseverance is evident as Blake Nuto shares his love of story creation from an early age and his self-doubts about his illustrative abilities. With maturity came purpose – and the joy of expression through art. This passion is beautifully portrayed in his recent title, When You’re a Boy, shortlisted for the New Illustrator award in the 2024 CBCA Book of the year nominations.

 

When I was a boy, I loved drawing, playing, making. My brother and I would sit side-by-side for hours, as he made his Headless Chookens series and I made my Solar Mancomic. Solar Man was always foiled by a passing cloud. These were no works of genius and I didn’t care. I knew I wasn’t the best at drawing, not even in my primary class. I just loved the process of making them and then filing them away, never to be looked at again. Making art led to well-being. 

 

Through high school the standards changed. Not being the best still didn’t bother me, but my art grades did. I didn’t enjoy investing a lot of hours into something to get back a mediocre grade. This just wasn’t motivating for me. Friends' competitive comments didn’t help either. Suddenly, making art started to feel like a graded performance and I more or less gave up, dropping the subject as soon as I could.

 

Fortunately, this turn from art led to a deeper investment in writing, particularly songwriting and poetry. I found these formats limitless and playful and would constantly write short snippets purely for my own enjoyment. All the while, I looked on at painters with envy, knowing how lovely it would feel to run a paint brush across a canvas.

 

I was 28 when I thought I might make some art again. What motivated me was joy. In my 28 year old brain I was now too old to ever conceive of making it as an artist and I might as well just get back to making for delight. This remains the motivation behind my work. When this focus shifts is usually when I stop making art for a while.

 

Making for joy has usually led to my best ideas. My first book Child of Galaxies was written while I was marshalling a Cross Country event. I wanted to write something to read to my kids at night, something about the world. Within half an hour I had finished it. I didn’t know I had just written my first book, that it would go on to be published in the UK and US or translated into multiple languages. I didn’t know it would receive a Yoto Carnegie nomination. But I did feel really happy after writing it because I knew I wanted to share it with my kids. 

 

My second book, A Day That’s Ours started as a short poem for a friend. I offered to write some free poems for the first 10 people who asked for them. One friend asked me to write about her daughter starting school. It was easy to write, because my son was about to start school at the same time. This is what I wrote:

© Blake Nuto

I gave it to my friend and didn't think much of it, until my editor asked for some drafts for my second book. Suddenly, I knew I had the start of an idea. I would call it One Last Monday. My editor loved it and the idea developed until it became A Day That’s Ours.

I sold the concept for my third book to Affirm Press. It was just a scrap idea I wrote down on the bus after work. I was basically writing a note to self: It’s okay not be hyper-masculine. That’s not what your son needs you to be. I wasn’t trying to write an award nominated picture book, I was trying to work out my thoughts. 

 

After Affirm bought the text they were searching for an illustrator. When I shared a concept sketch online for a poem I’d written, just for fun, my editor saw it and asked me to draw some concepts for When You’re a Boy. So, I did and I landed the chance to illustrate my own book. 

Image from When You're a Boy © Blake Nuto

All this to say... amidst the striving and ambition, remember to play. To enjoy the process. To make for enjoyment. At worst you’ll have a good time. 

Blake Nuto is a children’s author and illustrator based in Southern Tasmania. His titles include  When You’re a Boy, shortlisted for CBCA 2024 New Illustrator and the Queensland Literary Awards.

Instagram: @blake_nuto

Website: https://www.blakenuto.com/

Safety Pins, Hair Dye, and Reflections on Book Week

Lyndon Riggall presents a thoughtful and thought provoking post to wrap up Book Week and remind us all of its importance. 

 

One of my earliest memories is of being a punk.

It is 1996, and I am six years-old. Our librarian, Mrs Westerneng, has read us the shortlist for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year award. Jessica Carroll and Craig Smith's Billy the Punk is the clear favourite. In the book, a boy called Billy spots a group of punks at the local market and very quickly adopts their style: neon hair in various shades spiked up at wild angles, ripped shirts and pants, cotton looped over his ears with a safety pin attached so that the pin hangs below them like earrings. Billy seems very happy with his new way of life and refuses to change until one day he sees some soldiers marching down the street…

 

That year, all of us at my primary school were punks. Chickenfeed’s green and pink hairspray shelf was a wasteland, and if anyone had a genuine wardrobe malfunction that needed fixing with something from the jar of safety pins in Mum and Dad’s dressing table it would have to wait; the needs of a six-year-old rockstar reigned supreme. I imagine that many parents sighed a gasp of relief: a ripped singlet and some hair gel is a small price to pay for a costume, and quite frankly it was all any of us wanted to be. For a single day, our beautifully middle-class community became an alternative wonderland as bangles and chains jangled and we tried not to poke each other’s eyes out with our rainbow-coloured spikes as we lunged for the downball out in the yard.

 

I think of these memories when Book Week rolls around again each year and we face the now-customary barrage of commentary on not only the winners, but also the complexities of Book Week itself as an inclusion on the educational calendar. Inevitably, some schools cancel costumes, others offer tips on how to blitz the competition, and there are always cries for the framing of Book Week to be more Australian, more literary, more bespoke, and less reliant on parental energies, film franchises and financial wealth. This year, there has been a noble push from several journalists covering Book Week to divert attention to libraries and library staff, recognising that it’s very easy to whack on a red-and-white Where’s Wally? top and say that we care about young readers, but that this rings false if we are simultaneously under-resourcing and under-funding many of our public libraries. Here in Tasmania, recent reports about the current state of literacy paint a continually concerning picture of progress, and a focus on reading is likely to remain Tasmania’s most important educational goal for some time into the future. For me, once a child has learnt to read (and I accept that this is a simple statement to breeze past), the answer was, is, and always will be remarkably simple: if we learn to love books, the development of our literacy is natural, joyful, and lifelong. 

 

Book Week might seem like a distraction from the real issue here, but I can’t help but feel that it remains a necessary part of the puzzle. I love watching children clutching the book that their chosen character has emerged from, showing it to others around them and explaining what it means. Literary awards, of course, are problematic in their way, but I can’t help but light up with the cheers of a room full of students as the winners are announced (noting that usually they don’t seem to mind who that is as long as the celebration is suitably raucous). I am watching my favourite local and national authors jumping in cars, off planes, and on hotel beds, knowing that this time of year is a huge chance for them to take their tales on the road, and I am thinking about books: not just the ones that I have been reading more recently, but the ones that I have grown up with and which have shaped me: the pages and words and fictions which make up the chemical structure of a young boy’s literary DNA.

 

Being a member of Billy the Punk’s gang was one of my most treasured memories of primary school, but it wasn’t the safety clips and hair-dye that made it special: it was the creativity and imagination that was part of every moment of that journey… the power of a story coming to life. As we pack away this year’s Book Week costumes and debate the results of the awards and wonder if all of it is really even worth it, I encourage us to take stock, to keep it simple and to see everything for what it really is…

 

In a world and a country and even a state in which reading is still a radical act, perhaps we can all be just a little bit more punk.

Lyndon Riggall

 

Lyndon Riggall is a writer, teacher, and co-president of the Tamar Valley Writers Festival. He has written the picture books Becoming Ellie and Tamar the Thief, and is a 2024 Premier’s Reading Challenge Reading Champion. You can find out more about him at www.lyndonriggall.com or on social media @lyndonriggall. 

Reception at Government House Tasmania to celebrate CBCA Book Week 2024

What a wonderful way to herald in the start of Book Week for 2024 with a reception held at Government House Tasmania.

With the excitement of the Book Award announcements at midday a goodly number of Tasmanian children’s literature lovers headed to the magnificent and stately Government House for a 4:00 pm reception at the invitation of Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers AO to celebrate the beginning of Book Week 2024.

 

The Governor warmly welcomed the attendees who consisted of an interesting mix of CBCA Tasmania members and committee with teachers, teacher librarians, parents and students, parliamentary and council representatives, along with local authors, illustrators and booksellers, joining together for this auspicious occasion. Special guests included Naomi Malbon from CBCA, Senator Catryna Bilyk, Glenorchy Mayor Sue Hickey, COS sponsors Ross Johnstone and Alison Renshaw from COS and sponsors of the Read Aloud to Your Child Every Day campaign with Alison also representing the Lyone Foundation, supporter of Toast for Kids, CBCA Tasmania's campaign partner.

 

The Governor’s opening address conveyed key messages on the importance  reading and the significance of Book Week and the work of the Children’s Book Council of Australia in promoting and celebrating literature and the joys of reading across Australia. The Governor made special reference to the success and hard work of the Tasmanian CBCA branch and its partner, Toast for Kids, in its national campaign championing the critical importance to “Read Aloud to Your Child Every Day”. 

The  incorporation of Shadow Judging as part of Book of the Year announcements was also celebrated and superbly demonstrated through the presentation of a Year 6 Picture Book judging team from Calvin Christian College. 

Tasmanian authors and illustrators received special mention and recognition for their creative endeavours and it was a delight to listen to Tasmanian based Tony Flowers, a highly successful author and illustrator discuss some of the challenges faced in creating literature for children and how inspiration comes in a variety of ways – especially from children – who love to critique his work.

 

A scrumptious afternoon tea, served in the regal drawing room, followed the proceedings. The room was filled with chatter as guests mingled – catching up with colleagues and acquaintances and also making new connections. 

As much of our work is conducted virtually the CBCA Tasmania committee members particular enjoyed the time to meet face to face with members and others who have supported the organisation over the years. As the social media coordinator responsible for the blog it was marvellous to meet so many of the people who have contributed to the blog over time and have a chance to chat about current interests and projects. It was also a pleasure to witness the number of authors and illustrators interacting with teachers and students as they discussed their work. 

Some guests, including some of the students who presented, were also treated to a guided tour of some parts of this historic residence – a rare treat that add an extra special note to the occasion. And of course, there was great enthusiasm to celebrate the campaign.

Calvin Christian School students, Julie Hunt and Johanna Bell

A special thank you to the small team of CBCA Tasmania committee members who organised this event and provided such a memorable and enjoyable start to Book Week 2024. Judging from the general buzz of conversation and the happy faces, it was a highly successful afternoon. I certainly enjoyed it immensely!

 

Jennie Bales

CBCA Tasmania Social Media Coordinator

Retired teacher librarian and lecturer – but still reading!

 

What are Children Reading in the Wild?

This week’s post presents students’ recommendations for some great reads for year 5 and 6 students. It is a treat to have a window into an effective school library program to support children in their book selections.

Our library staff work hard to expose children to a wide range of literature. We do this in several ways including displays (both digital and physical), book talks, ‘what are you reading’ posters and our Book Chat program, which runs for students in Years 3 to 5. 

We are strong advocates of students choosing their own reading material; however we also see our job as supporting children to expand their reading repertoire, moving beyond heavily marketed books to find reading gems that don’t receive as much publicity.

Read on to see just what our students in Years 5 and 6 are currently reading ‘in the wild’!

Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

I just picked it up because I liked the cover. I was intrigued by the mystical bird, and I love fantasy.

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

My mum brought Smile for me, and I loved it, so I’m reading the other books by the same author.  I love how they are funny and always have a happy ending.

Note – This series along with other graphic novels in the Family and Friendship genre are growing in popularity in our library.

Guinness World Records 2021

I love World Record Books because they show people doing funny and often, creative things.  They are very inspiring.

Note – I’m sure it’s the case in most libraries, but we have multiple copies of these books, and they are rarely found on the shelves.

The Elementals: Battle Born by Amie Kaufman

I’ve just finished the final book in the Elementals series. I love these books because they are fantasy and they have a real connection to the world; they show how we should be solving problems through talking, not fighting.

Note – The first book in this series, Ice Wolves, is a title in our Book Chat program and is an extremely popular read; many students who read the first book for Book Chat go on to read the rest of the series.

Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

My sister recommended this series to me, and I read the blurb in the bookshop.  I love adventure and mysterious characters.  I’ll definitely read more in the series!

Note – This is a favourite series of several of our students and is a recent addition to our Book Chat offerings.

The Fall by Tristan Bancks

The Fall is so suspenseful! It hooked me in right from the start and makes me want to keep on reading!  It feels like it’s a horror story, but not too scary.

Note – Tristan Bancks' books are incredibly popular in our library.  Students love the thrilling adventures!

Rising Water: The Story of the Thai Cave Rescue by Marc Aronson

I love the way Rising Water jumps straight into the action at the start of the book, and you never know what is going to happen.  It makes me want to keep reading!

Note – This is also part of our Book Chat selection.

Roar: The Battle for Roar by Jenny McLachlan

This is the third book in this series and it’s a great adventure story with lots of funny bits.

Tales from the Pitch: Saka by Harry Coninx

Soccer is my favourite thing to do, so this series is great! I love the way it gives a snapshot of the soccer star before they became professional.

Note – This series is hot property right now, so it is lucky there are 24 titles in the series! 

Book Chat

As well as allowing plenty of time for self-selected reading for pleasure, the Book Chat program exposes children to a wider range of quality literature.  Below are the current Book Chat selections for Term 3.

Anna Davidson

Twitter - @davidsonteach

Junior School Teacher Librarian, avid reader (mad for Middle Grade Fiction), dog lover, yogi, nature lover, tea drinker

Editors’ notes:
You can read more about Hutchins’ Book Chat program in a previous post by Anna: Book Chat – Supporting Reading for Pleasure and Book Discussion

If you are wondering about the terminology of “reading in the wild” seek out Donalyn Miller’s inspirational book Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer’s Keys to Cultivating Reading Habits  and her other books that support and encourage free reading. Three are held in the Libraries Tasmania collection.

Books my children keep making me read

Hannah Coates, Tasmanian author and mother of two, shares the joys of reading - the same books, over and over again!

There was once a time when my children’s bedtime story requests (demands?) consisted solely of Peppa Pig titles. For almost two years, my suggestions of Mem Fox and Alison Lester were firmly rejected in favour of the pink piglet. 

Thankfully, that phase has passed us by. Peppa has now been replaced by Bluey. The most loved title in our collection is the ‘Grannies’ book. (If you’re not familiar, I can’t even begin to explain; you’ll have to go and watch it for yourself). I thought the boys liked this book because of my excellent ‘Janet’ and ‘Rita’ impressions. I was mistaken. Mr 5 loves the lenticular page, where you can tilt the book to make the grannies do a flossing dance. And Mr 3? Well, “the grannies are funny”. He’s right. They are.

Another current favourite is I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda, written and illustrated by Steve Antony. We must have borrowed this one from our local library about 20 times. Again, I thought the popularity was due to my excellent characterisation (I put on a different voice for each animal). Wrong again, Mum. Mr 3 likes joining in on the reading; he gets to be the voice of the penguin, who repeats “I’ll wait, Mr. Panda” throughout the story. Mr 5 enjoys counting the sprinkles on the giant doughnut (there are over 100…). I don’t mind reading this book over and over. It’s a cute concept with a good life lesson about being patient.

The third current fan favourite in our home is Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam - Pirates Ahoy by Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Steven Lenton. We haven’t read any other Shifty McGifty titles, but my kids love boats and pirates, so this one was an instant hit. They both love checking out the different pirate ships and trying to locate the tiny spider on each page. Personally, I love a good rhyming book, and this one is really well written. 

Reading together has always been a really important part of our evening routine, and I look forward to it at the end of each day—even when the book choices are questionable!

Hannah Coates

Mother and storyteller

BIO:
Hannah Coates is a Tasmanian mother and storyteller. She lives on the beautiful East Coast, where her love for the ocean inspires her in all things. She has published two titles: A Home for Little Penguin and Have You Seen a Monotreme?