PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- From the award winning team behind Iceberg (24.99) comes this beautiful and poetic tribute to a tree – a mighty Mountain Ash, although knowing what sort it is is not important to the story, as it is the place the tree has in the web of life that is the essential heart of this lovely book. Gentle watercolour and acrylic, pencil and ink illustrations depict the environs and inhabitants around the Tree – the birds, insects, and animals – throughout the seasons and time of day and night and with different perspectives. The text is lyrical and inviting, asking the reader/listener to see, feel and hear what the Tree shelters, and conveys information very economically but with poetic sensibility (a wombat is 'boulder-big', a lyrebird 'scritch-scratches'). A reverent tribute to an awe-inspiring part of nature, that will enchant and delight and hopefully instill understanding about the importance of such trees and the need to protect them. Lindy
Claire Saxby was born in Melbourne, moved to Newcastle as a toddler and to Bougainville Island in PNG when she was ten. She attended many schools around Australia before studying in Melbourne to become a podiatrist. For several years Claire worked in community health while simultaneously writing for children. Her books fall into three main categories: our wonderful world, history and humour. Claire's work has won several awards including CBCA Picture Book of the Year, CBCA Honour Book, a NSW Premier's Literary Award, a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, an Environment Award for Children's Literature, an Educational Publishing Award and the Whitley Award multiple times. She is widely curious about just about everything and passionate about encouraging curiosity and wonder. www.clairesaxby.com Jess Racklyeft creates a variety of illustrated things - picture books, paintings, prints, pins and cards - mainly in watercolours. She works from her Melbourne home studio with her cat and dog at her feet, and occasionally one of her kids joins in too. Her art often combines collage - either on paper or digitally assembled - experimentation and lots of watercolour. Jess worked in publishing sales for almost a decade before making the leap to full-time illustration, and since then has won several illustration accolades including CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Iceberg (written by Claire Saxby). Her work can now be found in bookshops and libraries across Australia, and her days are happily spent in a messy studio or on school visits. www.jessesmess.com
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- From the award winning team behind Iceberg (24.99) comes this beautiful and poetic tribute to a tree – a mighty Mountain Ash, although knowing what sort it is is not important to the story, as it is the place the tree has in the web of life that is the essential heart of this lovely book. Gentle watercolour and acrylic, pencil and ink illustrations depict the environs and inhabitants around the Tree – the birds, insects, and animals – throughout the seasons and time of day and night and with different perspectives. The text is lyrical and inviting, asking the reader/listener to see, feel and hear what the Tree shelters, and conveys information very economically but with poetic sensibility (a wombat is 'boulder-big', a lyrebird 'scritch-scratches'). A reverent tribute to an awe-inspiring part of nature, that will enchant and delight and hopefully instill understanding about the importance of such trees and the need to protect them. Lindy
