Cirrus@Austlit

'Hazel Edwards loves quirky stories, people and experiences, all the ingredients that make a good book. Her best known work is the seminal classic There's a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake, first published in 1980, and still thriving 43 years on. This was Hazel's third book for children, inspired by her 4 year old son Trevelyan who insisted builders on the leaking roof of their Melbourne home were actually a clomping and stomping hippopotamus. As has happened all her life, Hazel used quirky things happening to spark a story and ran with it, crafting one of the world's most recognisable picture books.' (Introduction)
 

'Regular readers of Magpies will noticed recent articles that rev—.. Australian children's books from decades past.  It's poignant and pleasurable to recall titles that not only shaped our own personal reading selves but have paved the way for today's authors and illustrators to experiment and flourish. I'm sure we've all thought, I'd lave to re-reod X.. (or Y, or Z). Tracking down pre-loved copies online or in op shops is fun but some books, we think, deserve a wider audience. Surely, they warrant republication with fresh new typesetting and cover art to tempt current audiences? And as Petra Stock wrote in Magpies July issue, creating digital editions can supply readers with stories during periods when physical books are inaccessible.' (Introduction) 
 

'Immersed in a world of children's books. song and poetry. author Katrina Germein considers her childhood of stories to have been one of cherished fortune, one in which the seed of her love of picture books was finely planted. That seed grew with a further stroke of good fortune when Katnna's life was touched by the magic of Mem Fox, her inspirational Language Arts lecturer. Katrina's enduring love of picture books was again nourished when her teaching qualifications steered the graduate into the realm of early childhood education and the daily reading of books. All good fortunes considered, I'm not surprised that the picture books swimming around in Katrina's head chose her, as she says. With a be of beautiful, engaging, amusing, short-listed and award-winning picture books to her name, Katrina has entertained countless children, their families and librarians for over two decades, continually launching her 'joyful books' into the world of children's literature.' (Introduction) 

'In 2021 Bryoni Trezise won the Cottesloe Mentorship offered by Cathie Tasker to the winner of the CBCA (NSW) Aspiring Writers Program. The 2022 Mentorship went to Lisa le Faucheur with a picture book. Lisa is now working hard on turning that picture book into a series of books for the youngest end of middle grade. It's going to be fabulous.' (Introduction) 

'Alice, your books span non-fiction and fiction for adults, with One Hundred Days shortlisted for the 2022 Mites Franklin Literary Award; your YA novel Laurinda winning the Ethel Turner Prize; thoughtful, engaging children's series fiction; the excellent bilingual English and Chinese-language picture book, Be Careful, Xiao Xin! and now the children's book Millie Mak the Maker (the last two illustrated by Sher Rill Ng, published by HarperCollins Australia).' (Introduction)