Christobel Mattingley 1931-2019

To be a writer is to be rich, not necessarily in money – few writers are – but to be rich in sharing and reaching out across the world, touching hearts and minds, making friends, knowing that my books are threads in the fabric of other peoples’ lives.

Image source: https://www.allenandunwin.com/authors/m/christobel-mattingley

It is with sadness I need to report the passing of Australian author Christobel Mattingley. I recently talked about one of her early books - Black Dog, as part of my series of Tuesday treasures.  I treasure my copy of The Magic Saddle and wish I had a copy of Rummage (CBCA Junior Book of the Year 1982). Below are some cover images (more here) from a few of her titles. If you visit a school library you may find some of these. It is also interesting to see the names of famous Australian illustrators such as Patricia Mullins, Elizabeth Honey, Craig Smith, Astra Lacis, Anne Spudvilas and Noela Young.

Books - Christobel Wrote 50 books of which 45 were for children. This is a partial list:

• The Picnic Dog (1970)
• Windmill at Magpie Creek (1971)
• The Battle of the Galah trees (1974) - this is a wonderful text when you are exploring local government with a senior primary class.
• Lizard Log (1975)
• New Patches for old (1977)
• The Angel with the Mouth Organ (1974) read this review This book is based on events that did happen to the illustrator Astra Lacis.

• The Magic Saddle (1983)
• The Miracle Tree (1985)

• Tuckers Mob (1992)
• No Gun for Asmir (1993)
• Asmir in Vienna (1995)
• The Race (1995) - this is a very important book to use when you are talking with a class about the special needs of some children. In this book the boy is deaf but he is also a terrific runner.

• Escape from Sarajevo (1996)
• Nest egg: A clutch of poems (2006)
• Chelonia Green - Champion of Turtles (2008)
• Maralinga the Anangu Story (2009)

• Forward March (2016)

The Asmir books are based on a real family from Bosnia and were translated into several languages including Spanish.  My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has several posts which will give you further insights into Christobel's books.  Christobel Mattingley was our IBBY Australian Hans Christian Andersen Award nominee in 2012. In 2012 Christobel was one of our guest speakers along with Bob Graham at the IBBY Australia International Children's Book Day event held in Sydney. In 2015 Christobel was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Tasmania.

In 1994 Books for Keeps said (of the Asmir series):

The power of story has been a constant in human experience since narratives were first articulated. News items about Sarajevo, televised and written, sadly dull public perception and reaction over a period of time. This, however, is another true story told as 7-year-old Asmir experiences it. His family's flight from Sarajevo, leaving his father behind, is vividly affecting in its simplicity. This should be read - young people challenge complacency, and exposure to this book will help them in some small way to empathise with the plight of the world's refugee population. Empathy engenders action through the medium of literature.