authors compare - Australian Literature Review

The Australian Literature Review is launching a new author comparison website - Authors Compare - aimed at a global audience. One hundred authors from around the world have been invited to answer a series of questions so people can compare responses, do statistical analyses with easy-to-calculate percentages and develop ideas about the craft of writing.

Readers can also learn more about their favourite authors, discover the work of new authors in an interesting way or get facts and figures for journalism and academic papers with easily verifiable source data if people want to look deeper into another person's analysis or statistical figures.

I have answered questions under the topic of Characters, and found the process really insightful. Enjoy exploring this wonderful initiative!

today in my garden - heart-stopping bloomfest

book reading at Three Four Knock on the Door

I'm super dooper excited about reading Riley and the Grumpy Wombat at the coolest kids/bookstore ever - Three Four Knock on the Door - in Port Melbourne.

I'll be there on Saturday 22 October at 11am with a fun book reading, paper-plane folding, wombat-ears making, wombat cookies and goodie bags for the kids.

Places are limited, so you must book early - contact L-J on 03-9645 2058 or email lj@threefour.com.au. It's going to be so fantastic to meet gorgeous shop owners, L-J and Danielle, and also my dear booking-loving friend - Jackie Small of My Little Bookcase.

Can't wait - and hope to see you there!

me and grumpy in Panorama magazine

So much fun to chat to Sarina Talip about my books and what I get up to on the weekends. Grumpy Wombat even managed to wangle her way into the shot!

floriade bloom

 
More pics soon.

a gift

Today, at Floriade, my lovely friend Jennie McClelland of Posie Patchwork whipped up and brought me this absolutely stunning, mini 'travel' bunting. Just because. It was even inside a breathtaking B&W stripy paper bag. But that's just Jennie.

You see - Jennie is quite a remarkable being, and is one the most generous people I've ever met. I will just treasure this bunting - I can look at it and reminisce and plan and indulge in travel daydreams. I placed it on my Floriade stall. Does it not look pretty?

From Friday, it will take up permanent residence above my desk at home... amongst all the other treasures from friends all over the world. I feel so fortunate.

More Floriade photos soon. Wow.

Unfortunately, the photos taken at my spectacular Grumpy Wombat book launch were lost, so if you attended and have any photos at all, particularly of the crowd or of my reading the book, I would be enormously grateful. Please do pass this on to anyone who attended. Thanks, everyone. A bit shattered this morning, but hope to see you at Floriade.

see you at Floriade!

a very grumpy book launch

Wow! What a fantabulously grumpy launch we had at Dalton's Bookstore in Canberra today! Around 100 people packed into the courtyard on this gorgeous sunshiny day for a book reading, illustrator demo, candy bar and mega signing.

A highlight of the party, illustrator Kieron Pratt was inundated with kids after his demo, and spent quite some time drawing pics for them all - what a love. Another major highlight was when Callum the extraordinary-plane-constructor and his talented dad Craig (and brother Bryce) turned up with THAT plane. That's right. There were some MAJOR oohs and ahhs over this incredible creation.

Then, of course, there was candy bar mania... but thankfully we had the lovely Ken from Kelly Sports on hand to take the kids on a wild post-sugar workout, with some cool, sporty games.

The candy bar was also a major hit, especially the wombat cookies and the hole-in-the-garden cupcakes. This is a small candy bar peek (before the masses arrived!) and unfortunately all the photos taken at the launch were lost, so I'm heartbroken to say I have no more to show you. If you attended and took any photos, please do email them to me - I would be so grateful.

For now - a wee rest from a fabulous party. Thanks everyone for coming! And HUGE thanks to my sensational sponsors, especially my dear friend Meredith Wright of Dalton's.

grumpy wombat cookies

Here is a sneak peek at my cookies for the Riley and the Grumpy Wombat book launch this Sunday here in Canberra. Guaranteed to give you the grumps.

Take one packet of Orchard {fondant} icing and knead in the food colouring of your choice {perhaps your new book colour}. If you are using liquid colouring, add a dusting of icing {powdered} sugar as you go, to keep stickiness at bay.

Roll icing to 3mm thickness and cut with a fluted cutter. Transfer to lined cookie sheets to dry.

Trim large chocolate buttons into a bikini-bottom shape for wombat's nose. Secure with a dab of butter icing. Pipe eyes and a mouth with black icing gel. Transfer circles to home-made or pre-bought cookies. I used 'marie' cookies.

youtube reading - Riley and the Dancing Lion!

My second book reading! Hope you enjoy it with the kids.

Can you even imagine how seeing this photograph made me feel? As an author with a passion for children's books and literacy, knowing that a child has been inspired by my books... well. It's just pretty darn special.

This incredible plane and gorgeous Riley outfit were created by this Riley fan (and a very clever mum and/or dad!) for Book Week at one of the Canberra schools I visited last month. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it. What a superb work of art. It's currently on show at Civic Library in Canberra if you want to see it for yourself.

I was also delighted to learn of a kindergartener (yes, you read it right) who was inspired to write his own Riley adventure - Riley and the Croaking Lizard: A journey around Sydney - the day after my Book Week visit. He has since penned a second tale - Riley and the Grumpy Koala. Just brilliant.

This is what being an author is all about.

presentation power pointing

Authors, illustrators and presenters... want to do THIS (above) to your presentation audience?  Then see THIS presentation right here.

Getting myself ready for the Big Launch this Sunday at Dalton's bookstore... have organised this extra special Grump Juice, especially for Grumpy Wombats. I just hope the kids like it.

riley and the grumpy wombat book review on Aussie Reviews

Lovely review of Riley and the Grumpy Wombat on Aussie Reviews, with warm thanks to Claire Saxby.

what people are saying about riley and the grumpy wombat

Children will thoroughly enjoy gliding around in Riley’s red plane discovering the Victorian treasures not realising that they are absorbing a geography lesson as they do so. - Jackie Hosking, Pass It On

What really sets this simple story apart from the rest is the illustrative style. Pratt has overlayed black and white photographs of Victorian landmarks with eye-catching coloured depictions of Riley and his menagerie. At each location Riley reveals yet another masterful invention to help with his search—everything from: automated whiz-bang ground-hugging projectiles to fandangled hifalutin patented doodads. - author Jenny Mounfield, The Compulsive Reader

Tania has adopted some sophisticated language throughout the book, using words such as cantankerous, unfurled, hifalutin and desperation. The vocabulary is well supported by an accessible storyline and dynamic illustrations though, helping children add rich and creative words to their vocabularies. - Jackie Small, My Little Bookcase

This is an exceptional production with black and white photographs of all the Melbourne landmarks in the background. The contraptions are as interesting as the language. The whole book is entertaining and educational; funny and light-hearted. It is wonderfully planned and illustrated. - Vicki Stanton, Buzzwords

Riley and the Grumpy Wombat is a travelogue with clear educational benefits, but it also features endearing characters and an engaging story line. I really enjoyed the language in this book and the way the author imparts knowledge, but doesn’t talk down to readers. - author Dee White, Kids' Book Capers


The story is simple and easy to follow and the sense of adventure will appeal to the six to ten year old target audience. The language is accessible to early readers within this age group; however, it is also peppered with colourful and more advanced verbs, nouns and adjectives that will advance older readers such as cantankerous, ambled and unfurled. - book reviewer Francine Sculli, The Book Chook


A neat introduction of the sights of Victoria, this will be well used in classrooms where books about Australia are there for younger children to research, particularly in light of 2012 being The National year of Reading, and using Alison Lester's book, Are we there yet? as its theme. - book reviewer Fran Knight, Read Plus


Why do I love Riley’s adventures so much? Well, it is not just because Riley is such a sweetie, I love the way Riley explores and teaches us about the city he happens to be in. The illustrations are wonderful; a delightful mix of photographs and cartoons (these books would be great to bring along on a trip to any of these places).  Guaranteed to get your child’s imagination fizzing; buy one and you won’t be able to resist the rest of the set. - Angela Hall, Bug in a Book

See what people are saying about Handmade Living.

See what people are saying about Riley and the Curious Koala.

See what people are saying about Beijing Tai Tai.

See what people are saying about Riley and the Dancing Lion.
See what people are saying about Riley and the Sleeping Dragon.

book signing at Floriade

today in the garden - before and after

There's a lot more to add and a lot more growing to do! but here is a peek at a before and after session on the decking outside my kitchen. So lovely to set some new plants growing and refurbish some old.

I also trimmed back my potted camellias and gardenias, and trimmed back some pretty tragic camellias along our side fence, which are just not growing. I'm doing the older Peter Cundall lemon tree trick, and cutting them back to stumps. If they don't recover, they'll need to be hauled out and replaced. It's a gorgeous spot, but not much sun.

The yucca in the top photo - I could not keep... I tried everything and nothing worked. It just wouldn't return to its gorgeous spiky condition. In the second photo you'll see two stunning plants that are new to my garden, top left in blue pot is Blushing Bride (Serruria florida) which has delicate yet hardy foliage and the most breathtaking, multi-faceted flowers that begin cupped like tulips and gradually unfurl to reveal lavender-hued tufts inside.

The plant in the blue pot top right is something I've coveted for a long time - the Chesapeake Snowflake (Ornithogalum) which is just a sight to behold in full flower - even its delicate, closed caps are charm personified, and you just want to run your hands over its sleek green fronds. Am gagging for that one to flower.

The Tahitian lime I've potted in a green container (above), I am HOPING to keep alive in this cool Canberran climate. Coming into the warmer months, it may thrive, so we shall see. I know the pot is too small but I want to baby it a while. On a pot note, I bought these royalish blue self-watering pots from Bunnings only because they were on serious sale... I don't normally go for blue but am kind of loving their punch of colour.

Husband turned over the veggie patch - photos on that soon - and I also trimmed back the dead leaves of the agapanthus along our drive, raked out the rabbit enclosure and raked over the (virtually non-existent) back lawn.

I'm in ravenous gardening mode - check out my review of the best gardening book ever - on Australian Women Online - The Little Veggie Patch Co.

Did you garden today? Isn't it just glorious weather?

{PS: Hi, Nat!}