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This image has been sourced from online.
y separately published work icon Drac and the Gremlin single work   picture book   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 1988... 1988 Drac and the Gremlin
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Drac, the Warrior Queen of Tirnol Two is fearless and as fast as the Whirlwind. She and the Gremlin of the Groaning Grotto join forces to drive the Terrible Tongued Dragon from the Mountain of the White Wizard ...' (Source: NLA).

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Viking Kestrel , 1988 .
      image of person or book cover 8046100021009791893.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 31p.
      Description: chiefly col. illus.
      ISBN: 067082271X
    • Ringwood, Ringwood - Croydon - Kilsyth area, Melbourne - East, Melbourne, Victoria,: Puffin , 1991 .
      image of person or book cover 3521588225148667882.jpg
      This image has been sourced from online.
      Extent: 31p.
      Description: col. illus.
      ISBN: 014054142X (pbk.)

Other Formats

  • Also sound recording.

Works about this Work

Neither Slogging at Tuck Nor Living off the Land : Food in Australian Picture Books Robin Morrow , 1999 single work criticism
— Appears in: Something to Crow About : New Perspectives in Literature for Young People 1999; (p. 79-95)
The author examines the different roles of food in literature. Six roles have been selected and examined, with examples from Australian picture books.
Ideological Drift in Children's Picture Books Beverley Pennell , 1996 single work criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , August vol. 6 no. 2 1996; (p. 5-13)
Pennell discusses the ideological assumptions regarding reality in four children's picture books, The Widow's Broom by American writer, Chris Van Allsburg (1993), Beware, Beware by British author, Angela Barrett (1993) and two Australian texts, Drac and the Gremlin (Jane Tanner and Allan Baillie, 1988) and Mr Nick's Knitting, (Dee Huxley and Margaret Wild, 1988). Pennell examines the interdependent relationship between text and illustrations arguing that the collaboration between author and illustrator produces 'ideological tensions between the visual and verbal text' (5). Pennel claims that all four picture books may be seen as 'progressive' in their overt attempts to address sexism and reconsider 'the issue of gender roles and male /female relationships' however she argues that it is only in Beware, Beware that the reader will find a progressive feminist ideology. In relation to the other texts, the ideological underpinnings of the narratives reflect 'unconscious cultural assumptions' which function implicitly to reinscribe a patriarchal world view' (5). Pennell refers to this as the ideological 'drift' and argues that there needs to be 'consistency of the levels of signification in the verbal and visual texts' to ensure that this 'drift' does not occur in works which aim to demonstrate progressive social attitudes (12).
Postmodernism in Picture Books Ann L. Grieve , 1993 single work criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , December vol. 4 no. 3 1993; (p. 15-25)

This paper looks at how postmodernism can be used as a discourse to theorise the picture book, by focusing on the 'self-conscious crossing of boundaries' which in postmodernist fictions 'problematises the truths of fiction and reality' (15). Far from being 'simple' texts, picture books contain two forms of signification (picture and text) and are frequently 'playful and subversive' despite the fact that they are rarely perceived as 'unconventional and exceptional creations' (16). Grieve discusses a large range of children's picture books from the United States, Great Britain and Australia, including the work of Allan Baillie (Drac and the Gremlin), Susanne Ferrier (Ned, a Leg End : A Thoroughly Misleading Account of His Life and Times; Lola : A Doubtful Documentary...) and Libby Gleeson (Where's Mum?). Her examination leads her to conclude that 'there is a growing body of picture books which utilize their complex pluralistic nature and their unique physical qualities to present self-conscious, parodic, intertextual, interrogative texts that can be described as postmodernist' (24).

Award Winning Books for Children Leonie Tyle , 1992 single work review
— Appears in: The Courier-Mail , 22 July 1992; (p. 6)

— Review of The Eleventh Hour : A Curious Mystery Graeme Base , 1988 single work picture book ; Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book
News from Down Under Karen Jameyson , 1992 single work review
— Appears in: Horn Book Magazine , Nov/December vol. 68 no. 6 1992; (p. 755-758)

— Review of Rain Stones Jackie French , 1991 selected work children's fiction ; The Wolf Margaret Barbalet , 1991 single work picture book ; Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book
[Review] Drac and the Gremlin Joan Zahnleiter , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , May vol. 4 no. 2 1989; (p. 28-29)

— Review of Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book
Kids' Books for Christmas Jo Goodman , 1988 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , December no. 107 1988; (p. 26-28)

— Review of Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book ; Regina's Impossible Dream Judith Worthy , 1988 single work children's fiction ; Bill Barbara Giles , 1988 single work children's fiction ; The Best-Kept Secret Emily Rodda , 1988 single work children's fiction ; Answers to Brut Gillian Rubinstein , 1988 single work children's fiction ; The Inheritors Jill Dobson , 1988 single work novel ; Baily's Bones Victor Kelleher , 1988 single work novel ; Beyond the Labyrinth Gillian Rubinstein , 1988 single work novel
Angsting Emus and Punk Zebras Helen Markstein , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: Editions , August no. 1 1989; (p. 8-9)

— Review of The Eleventh Hour : A Curious Mystery Graeme Base , 1988 single work picture book ; Mr Nick's Knitting Margaret Wild , 1988 single work picture book ; Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book ; Megan's Star Allan Baillie , 1988 single work novel
Beguiling Fantasies the Pick of This Year's Crop of Prize Picture Books Belle Y. Alderman , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 22 July 1989;

— Review of The Eleventh Hour : A Curious Mystery Graeme Base , 1988 single work picture book ; Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book
Book Review Marcia Hupp , 1989 single work review
— Appears in: School Library Journal : For Children's, Young Adult and School Librarians , August vol. 35 no. 12 1989; (p. 114)

— Review of Drac and the Gremlin Allan Baillie , 1988 single work picture book
Neither Slogging at Tuck Nor Living off the Land : Food in Australian Picture Books Robin Morrow , 1999 single work criticism
— Appears in: Something to Crow About : New Perspectives in Literature for Young People 1999; (p. 79-95)
The author examines the different roles of food in literature. Six roles have been selected and examined, with examples from Australian picture books.
Know the Illustrator : Jane Tanner Alfred R. Mappin , 1990 single work column
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , September vol. 5 no. 4 1990; (p. 15-17)
Postmodernism in Picture Books Ann L. Grieve , 1993 single work criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , December vol. 4 no. 3 1993; (p. 15-25)

This paper looks at how postmodernism can be used as a discourse to theorise the picture book, by focusing on the 'self-conscious crossing of boundaries' which in postmodernist fictions 'problematises the truths of fiction and reality' (15). Far from being 'simple' texts, picture books contain two forms of signification (picture and text) and are frequently 'playful and subversive' despite the fact that they are rarely perceived as 'unconventional and exceptional creations' (16). Grieve discusses a large range of children's picture books from the United States, Great Britain and Australia, including the work of Allan Baillie (Drac and the Gremlin), Susanne Ferrier (Ned, a Leg End : A Thoroughly Misleading Account of His Life and Times; Lola : A Doubtful Documentary...) and Libby Gleeson (Where's Mum?). Her examination leads her to conclude that 'there is a growing body of picture books which utilize their complex pluralistic nature and their unique physical qualities to present self-conscious, parodic, intertextual, interrogative texts that can be described as postmodernist' (24).

Ideological Drift in Children's Picture Books Beverley Pennell , 1996 single work criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , August vol. 6 no. 2 1996; (p. 5-13)
Pennell discusses the ideological assumptions regarding reality in four children's picture books, The Widow's Broom by American writer, Chris Van Allsburg (1993), Beware, Beware by British author, Angela Barrett (1993) and two Australian texts, Drac and the Gremlin (Jane Tanner and Allan Baillie, 1988) and Mr Nick's Knitting, (Dee Huxley and Margaret Wild, 1988). Pennell examines the interdependent relationship between text and illustrations arguing that the collaboration between author and illustrator produces 'ideological tensions between the visual and verbal text' (5). Pennel claims that all four picture books may be seen as 'progressive' in their overt attempts to address sexism and reconsider 'the issue of gender roles and male /female relationships' however she argues that it is only in Beware, Beware that the reader will find a progressive feminist ideology. In relation to the other texts, the ideological underpinnings of the narratives reflect 'unconscious cultural assumptions' which function implicitly to reinscribe a patriarchal world view' (5). Pennell refers to this as the ideological 'drift' and argues that there needs to be 'consistency of the levels of signification in the verbal and visual texts' to ensure that this 'drift' does not occur in works which aim to demonstrate progressive social attitudes (12).
Jane Tanner and I Allan Baillie , 1990 single work column
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , vol. 34 no. 1 1990; (p. 4-5)
Last amended 31 Oct 2017 08:54:47
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