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y separately published work icon Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart single work   picture book   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 1999... 1999 Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'The Dead Heart is a desert wilderness in the centre of Australia. It is difficult to imagine anything can exist in such a harsh place. But the Dead Heart has a secret. It holds amazing stories of adaptation and survival. Follow in the footsteps of early explorers like Charles Sturt and learn what the indigenous people of this land first discovered: not all is quite as it seems.' (Publication summary)

Exhibitions

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Teaching Resources

Teaching Resources

This work has teaching resources.

Teachers' notes via publisher's website.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Port Melbourne, South Melbourne - Port Melbourne area, Melbourne - Inner South, Melbourne, Victoria,: Lothian , 1999 .
      image of person or book cover 6333865153927854413.jpeg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 31p.
      Description: col. illus., maps.
      ISBN: 0850917689
    • Port Melbourne, South Melbourne - Port Melbourne area, Melbourne - Inner South, Melbourne, Victoria,: Lothian , 2001 .
      image of person or book cover 4086239035654674729.png
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 31p.
      ISBN: 0734403178 (pbk.)
    • Newtown, Geelong West - Newtown area, Geelong area, Geelong - Terang - Lake Bolac area, Victoria,: Walker Books Australia , 2013 .
      image of person or book cover 6947115611208145718.jpeg
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Extent: 40p.
      Note/s:
      • Published 1 February 2013
      ISBN: 9781922077288
      Series: y separately published work icon Walker Classics Walker Books Australia (publisher), Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2009-2014 8552527 2009 series - publisher picture book children's Each title contains a selection of commentaries by authors, illustrators and children's literature specialists.
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Works about this Work

The Art of Narelle Oliver Joy Lawn (interviewer), 2009 single work interview
— Appears in: Magpies: Talking About Books for Children , September vol. 24 no. 4 2009; (p. 4-6) In response to Lawn's questions regarding her artistic vision, innovative techniques and interest in natural Australian history, Oliver says her work is created through the 'intriguing relationship between words and pictures' and how 'they work either together or against each other as different points of view in a narrative' (4). Lawn asks Oliver about her 'vision and vocation' which, through her strong artistic style and celebratory designs of Australian indigenous animals, produces texts that are a 'melding of non-fiction and fiction' (5). Oliver says she has been fascinated by indigenous adaptations of Australian native animals since early childhood and this interest developed further when she studied biology. With her first picture book, Leaf Tail she wanted to introduce young readers to 'some of the less-well-known Australian creatures' but 'did not want to write a straight information book' (5). Instead, she wanted to explore the creative potential of the adaptive features to be found among many creatures - design, shape, texture and pattern - in terms of storytelling and 'problem-solution scenarios' (5). Oliver has also produced picture books about imaginary and mythological creatures, for example, Mermaids Most Amazing, The Very Blue Thingamajig, and Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie, however, it is mainly through her natural history picture books that she aims to capture the diversity of Australia's natural landscapes and 'instil postive feelings about these places in young Australian readers' (6). In this sense, her work is driven by the belief that 'a personal feeling and knowledge of the landscape is critical to developing a desire to preserve that landscape' (6).
Animals to Grab 'em by Their Tales Rachel Buchanan , 2002 single work review
— Appears in: The Sunday Age , 3 March 2002; (p. 11)
— Review of Confessions of a Bad Dog James Cattell , 2002 single work picture book ; The House of Narcissus Margaret Wild , 2001 single work picture book ; Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart Narelle Oliver , 1999 single work picture book ; Okra and Acacia : The Story of the Wattle Pattern Plate Libby Hathorn , 2002 single work children's fiction
Sand Swimmers : Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction Narelle Oliver , 2000 single work criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 89-94)
Sand Swimmers: Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction Nancy Mortimer , 2000 single work criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 95-100)
Reading(s) Beneath the Surface : Using Picture Books to Develop a Critical Aesthetics Kerry Mallan , 1999 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Journal of Language and Literacy , vol. 23 no. 1 (p. 11-21) Through various literary and illustrative devices, The Rabbits, One Less Fish, and Sand Swimmers demonstrate the complex interplay between two symbolic mediums. By her reading of the content and form of these books, Mallan draws attention to the need to engage students in a critical discourse which attends not only to the aesthetic and literary properties of these texts, but also considers their social and political implications.
Untitled Ann Gibson , 1999 single work review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , May vol. 43 no. 2 1999; (p. 39)
— Review of Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart Narelle Oliver , 1999 single work picture book
Animals to Grab 'em by Their Tales Rachel Buchanan , 2002 single work review
— Appears in: The Sunday Age , 3 March 2002; (p. 11)
— Review of Confessions of a Bad Dog James Cattell , 2002 single work picture book ; The House of Narcissus Margaret Wild , 2001 single work picture book ; Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart Narelle Oliver , 1999 single work picture book ; Okra and Acacia : The Story of the Wattle Pattern Plate Libby Hathorn , 2002 single work children's fiction
Sand Swimmers by Narelle Oliver Nicola Robinson , 1999 single work review
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Winter vol. 7 no. 2 1999; (p. 30)
— Review of Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart Narelle Oliver , 1999 single work picture book
Background to... Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart Rayma Turton , 1999 single work column
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 14 no. 1 1999; (p. 4-7)
Reading(s) Beneath the Surface : Using Picture Books to Develop a Critical Aesthetics Kerry Mallan , 1999 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Journal of Language and Literacy , vol. 23 no. 1 (p. 11-21) Through various literary and illustrative devices, The Rabbits, One Less Fish, and Sand Swimmers demonstrate the complex interplay between two symbolic mediums. By her reading of the content and form of these books, Mallan draws attention to the need to engage students in a critical discourse which attends not only to the aesthetic and literary properties of these texts, but also considers their social and political implications.
The Art of Narelle Oliver Joy Lawn (interviewer), 2009 single work interview
— Appears in: Magpies: Talking About Books for Children , September vol. 24 no. 4 2009; (p. 4-6) In response to Lawn's questions regarding her artistic vision, innovative techniques and interest in natural Australian history, Oliver says her work is created through the 'intriguing relationship between words and pictures' and how 'they work either together or against each other as different points of view in a narrative' (4). Lawn asks Oliver about her 'vision and vocation' which, through her strong artistic style and celebratory designs of Australian indigenous animals, produces texts that are a 'melding of non-fiction and fiction' (5). Oliver says she has been fascinated by indigenous adaptations of Australian native animals since early childhood and this interest developed further when she studied biology. With her first picture book, Leaf Tail she wanted to introduce young readers to 'some of the less-well-known Australian creatures' but 'did not want to write a straight information book' (5). Instead, she wanted to explore the creative potential of the adaptive features to be found among many creatures - design, shape, texture and pattern - in terms of storytelling and 'problem-solution scenarios' (5). Oliver has also produced picture books about imaginary and mythological creatures, for example, Mermaids Most Amazing, The Very Blue Thingamajig, and Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie, however, it is mainly through her natural history picture books that she aims to capture the diversity of Australia's natural landscapes and 'instil postive feelings about these places in young Australian readers' (6). In this sense, her work is driven by the belief that 'a personal feeling and knowledge of the landscape is critical to developing a desire to preserve that landscape' (6).
Sand Swimmers: Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction Nancy Mortimer , 2000 single work criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 95-100)
Sand Swimmers : Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction Narelle Oliver , 2000 single work criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 89-94)
VIEW ALL WORKS ABOUT (8)

Awards

2000 joint winner The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature — Picture Book
2000 shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
1999 commended Whitley Awards — Best Children's Book — Older Children
VIEW ALL AWARDS (3)
Last amended 10 Sep 2021 12:00:12
Subjects:
  • Desert,
  • Australian Outback, Central Australia,
Settings:
  • 1844-1846
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