Are you a teacher looking for a literacy lesson plan about friendship, community and sharing spaces? Or looking to download some cute colouring pages for your kids? Look no further than The Big Backyard Plan resources! Available for free download are full teaching notes and a three page colouring in activity designed by both author and illustrator.
Camping at Yamba last weekend I went to see Moana 2. It was fun but two things I especially loved.
1. Maui’s song - Can I Get A Chee Hoo? Such a great motivational concept of levelling up. Reminded me of a video game, was super catchy and fun and I think kids will really get it.
It got me thinking about how when you are a kid you are levelling up all the time. Aussie kids especially need to keep levelling up around water. It’s a big part of our way of life so being confident around water is super important for safety. And it can also be heaps of fun. But for some kids pushing out of their comfort zone is scary. I was one of those kids.
So, with the first warm weather of summer leading up to the holidays I wanted to share three picture books that show the joy, courage and satisfaction that comes with doing something hard or scary in the water for the first time. Any one of them would make a wonderful gift.
🌊 Over or Under by @piphaz and @hilaryjeantapper (Lothian Children’s, 2024)
Over and Under is a new picture book that looks at learning to swim in the waves. In big surf every wave has you asking yourself – over or under? - and Maisy is learning this for the very first time.
☀️ Jetty Jumping by @andrearowe_coastwriter and @hannahmsommerville (Little hare, 2021)
Award winning Jetty Jumping looks at summer fun down at the jetty. Milla watches her friends jump off the jetty into the cool refreshing water but it’s a long way down and she is scared to try.
💦 Like a Gannet by @kirstenealand and @debi_hudson (Windy Hollow, 2024)
Like A Gannet is mine so I won’t go on about it. But it explores going off the diving board at the local pool for the first time and all the emotions little Francie goes through.
All three books have a retro feel that reminds me of long-ago summer days in the water with friends, carefree and full of freedom taking small safe risks by trying new things, but with parents or older kids nearby if you needed them.
Which reminds me of the second thing I especially loved...
2. The Yamba Cinema – all the retro 80’s childhood beach feels right there – no mall in sight with kids lined all the way up the street.
Happy reading! Happy swimming! Happy days!
A fun morning doing storytime and craft at my awesome local indie @boardwalkbooks 💛📚
Yay, some kids came 😅🤗
I learnt something about gannets from one of the mums who was a keen scuba diver:
Every winter off the east coast of South Africa, divers flock to the Sardine Run, where thousands of migrating sardines attract large numbers of apex predators like sharks, dolphins and whales. Large numbers of cape gannets also follow the run. The mum told me that each year, more divers are hurt by diving gannets than sharks or any other predators. Apparently, these large sea birds hurtling straight down at speeds of up to 100km/h can pierce scuba tanks with their beaks. If like me you’d never heard of the Sardine Run you should check it out - some spectacular photos online
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Thank you, @writerscentreau, for your support and for helping foster such a strong writing community in Australia. Check out my recent interview with them, talking about the journey to my debut picture book, Like a Gannet.
Kirsten's debut picture book, Like a Gannet, illustrated by Deb Hudson, is a fresh take on a first experience story. “It's about feeling the fear, then doing it your own way,” Kirsten explains.
Her second book, The Big Backyard Plan, illustrated by Laura Stitzl, is about friendship and community. “Fun is multiplied by four, when all your best friends live next door!” Kirsten says. “Being best friends as well as neighbours is fun – but imagine if instead of sharing backyard fences, they could share one BIG backyard!”
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Kirsten now works part-time at her regional public library, which complements her writing career perfectly. “I work two/three days a week and enjoy running story times and baby bounce sessions and getting kids excited about books and reading. It really is the perfect complement to my writing. I get to chat to kids about their favourite books and recommend new ones, I see all the latest titles, and I get free reserves and free tickets to my local Byron Writers Festival!”
The excitement of being a debut author has been a thrilling experience for Kirsten. “I never thought in my 50s I'd have a year of so many firsts! Fittingly my first picture book is a first experience story, because one of the unexpected delights of this debut year has been the joy of so many firsts.”
All year I have loved being a part of the #debutcrew2024 📚 and I’m super happy to say - it’s finally my turn 🤸🏽♀️🤸🏿♂️🤸🏽♀️
A huge congratulations to the next five of us who are now officially published authors 🤗
📚 Here are our October releases ...
🥳 Like a Gannet Launch 🥳
Thank you to everyone who came along to Murwillumbah Library yesterday to help @debi_hudson and I launch our new picture book Like a Gannet! 🥰 🙏
It was so wonderful to have a packed house of family, friends, colleagues and kidlit crew @writelinks celebrating with us 🥳 Thank you for your amazing support 🙏
It was so lovely to meet Deb for the first time 🤗🎨 Thanks for coming all the way from Melbourne and bringing Mike - what fun we had 💛
Thanks @zewlanmoor for being our perfect MC 😘
Thanks to Kym and everyone at @richmondtweedregionallibrary Murwillumbah branch for sharing your beautiful space and making us feel so welcome 🙏
Thanks for selling books for us @boardwalkbooks - and yay we sold out!!! 🥳
Loved seeing all the children who came along to enjoy the story, craft and cupcakes 📚✂️🧁 I loved reading Like a Gannet to you for the very first time! 💛
💦 Urrah! I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect debut launch!!!
I loved doing the Twelve Curly Questions with Kids Book Review. I have linked to the Kids Book Review page down below if you want to check it out.
1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I came equal dux of my primary school because I very unexpectedly topped the grade in creative writing with my story A day in the Life of a Car. Wish I kept it – I’d love to read it now.
2. What is your nickname?
Family and old school friends call me Kirst, though I was Big Bird for a while in high school after the incident of the bright yellow dress.
3. What is your greatest fear?
Putting aside my biggest mortal fear of bad things happening to people I love, my biggest everyday fear is getting a chai latte when I ask for a chai tea – it’s a totally different drink and it really needs a totally different name.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Fresh, relatable and hopefully leaving the world a better place.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Supportive, interested, considered, honest, playful.
Read More
I loved doing The Quick Six Interview with Romi Sharp for my debut Like a Gannet. I’ve always loved reading other authors’ answers and I’m super happy to have a turn. And a big thanks to Romi for all she does to promote Australian Kid Lit creatives – it’s such a wonderful support. I’ve included some of the interview here and the link to the full interview.
What is your favourite part of this book?
Ooh, hard question. I think my favourite part is the gannet metaphor that runs through the text. I love how Deb has cleverly brought the gannet into the illustrations by having a mural at the pool with diving gannets on it. Many people have never heard of a gannet, even though they have probably seen one diving for fish off the east coast of Australia. I love how the mural shows the gannet in the different stages of the dive, as it tucks its wings back and becomes almost like an arrow as it hits the water. There are old faded murals at many regional public pools, so I love how she has captured this.
When did you begin writing this book?
My first draft was written in January 2021. It went to acquisitions at Windy Hollow and I was offered a contract in October 2022.
Why is this book meaningful to you?
It’s inspired by my memories of being a child with a bigger body shape who wasn’t very sporty but who felt capable and graceful in the water. So I really wanted Francie to have a bigger body type too. It’s slowly getting better, but I still think there’s a lack of representation of diverse bodies in children’s books. I hope Francie shows kids that, with courage, they can face their fears and strive for things out of their reach, learning along the way to accept their limitations and do it their own way. Just like gannets whose short legs and webbed feet make them slow, clumsy waddlers on land, but who transform into Queens of the Sea when they dive.
