Mystery Bottle by Kristen Balouch

Sweet, magical and visually fascinating. Kirkus

A boy in Brooklyn receives a package from Iran. When he opens up the mysterious bottle that lies within, a great wind transports him over the oceans and mountains, straight into the arms of his grandfather. Despite being separated by politics and geography, the boy and his Baba Bazorg can share an extraordinary gift, the bond of their love.

This book was published in 2006 and in 2007 it won the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award. I can hear you thinking oh no - an old book - it is sure to be out of print. No it is not. A new edition has just been published in 2022. The cover is slightly different but just as appealing but sadly this book is very expensive ($48) here in Australia. If you enjoy books with very different art styles this is one title you could try to find in a library. Thinking about the price of this boo. Back in 2009 when the library purchased my copy it cost an extraordinary $34! Why oh why? 

This is an exotically illustrated book with Eastern shapes and colors. Great story for teaching children about relationships with family and those in the world around them who might seem "far" away. A Book and a Hug

Image source: Kristen Balouch

Other books by Kristen Balouch:

You might like to discover more about the publisher Interlink Books and their children's book imprint Crocodile Books. 

The feeling of connecting with a loved one far away from Mystery Bottle reminded me of this newer Australian book:

Amira's Magpie

Wild Beings by Dorien Brouwers

Here is a very different comment from me.  I would really like to see this book as a large format board book for young children. The illustrations are quite special and the text is so minimal that I can imagine reading this book with a very young child and lingering over each wild creature and exploring their habitat. In this large hardcover format I would have appreciated a list of all the animals in the back of the book. 

You can see inside this book which was published in 2022, on the author web site. 

Here is a text sample - each line is one page:

We are wild beings. Born curious and strong.

Determined and fierce.

We feel at home in the mud.

Yet we can climb mountains and howl with the wind.

We love to run free and leap into flight.

Our dreams give us wings.

Page after page of atmospheric watercolor artwork shows wildings at home in their natural habitats. Playful monkeys swing gracefully in forest trees; a buffalo lounges majestically in a muddy wallow; a flock of Egyptian geese soar above a river; and more. Kirkus

I mentioned Dorien Brouwers in a previous post which is how I came to borrow this book because the very generous Teacher-Librarian had it ready for me to borrow last week - such kindness! This book would have been especially perfect to share when the CBCA slogan was "Curious Creatures Wild Minds". Here is an interview with Dorien Brouwers from 2021.

Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow by Joyce Sidman illustrated by Beth Krommes

 

A top-drawer blend of art and science.  Kirkus

What is it? What am I? Who is he? What are we?

This book consists of a series of poems each of which ends with a question. Then readers turn the page and see the answer and perhaps confirm their own guess. You will see dew, a rabbit and a fox, the spittlebug, milkweed and monarch butterflies, snake and toad, goldfinch and hawk. All creatures of the meadow. 

So this book is an interesting blend of poetry, guessing game riddles and non fiction. Here is a set of teaching ideas.

I have found another favourite illustrator - Beth Krommes. Her scratchboard work in this book is so appealing. I would love to see some of her originals. Here is an image from the end papers of Butterfly eyes:

This book was published in 2006 and so it may be difficult to purchase but perhaps you will be lucky and find a copy in a library (as I did). You can see inside this book here. And here are other books by Joyce Sidman. Here is an interview about writing poetry with Joyce Sidman.

Sixteen poems describe the multitude of meadow denizens that stake a claim in that particular kind of land. Each poem describes a creature, though it’s up to the reader to guess that animal/plant/insect’s identity. Two pages of poetry showing a hint of the thing being described lead into two more pages of factual information. ... Some poems are funny, some are mysterious, and most leave you ah-hankerin’ for more. At the end kids will also find a Glossary of those terms that might have escaped their comprehension earlier in the book. Fuse #8

An Apology to My Prey by Joyce Sidman

I am deeply sorry for my huge orbs

of eyes, keen and hooded,

that pierce your lush

tapestry of meadow.

And my wins: I regret their slotted tips

that allow such explosive thrust;

their span that gathers wind

effortlessly, and of course their

deadly, folding dive.

Let me offer an apology, too,

for my talons, impossibly long

and curved, sliding so easily

through fur and feathers,

seeking, as they do,

that final grip.

And last, of course, the beak.

It does tend to glitter, I know –

a merciless hook,

a golden sickle poised over

your soft, helpless heart.

I’m sorry. For you, that is.

All this works out quite well

For me.

What am I?

My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk

The year is 1944. Annabelle, her two brothers, mother, father, grandparents and Aunt live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania. Everyone works hard - the children and adults - they are a good team. As a result everyone enjoys the rich produce produced by their farm including strawberries and peaches! 

It is Summer and Annabelle has walked over the the school house to help her teacher with some cleaning. On the way home there is a huge storm and Annabelle is struck by a bolt of lightning. 

"I was standing there, rigid with fear, when suddenly the air fizzed around me, as if I'd been dipped in wasps. In an instant, those wasps stung me all at one, every inch of me, inside and out, and I knew nothing at all except a sizzling pain in my head, a sharp dreadful heat, a sharp emptiness in my chest, and a kind of ending."

As she gains conscientiousness she feels rough hand pushing her chest. Later she feels her father carrying her home and oddly her every sense is heightened. Things smell stronger, noises are louder, her skin feels sensitive to all kinds of touch. 

"I could small the rain as I'd never smelled it before: both clean and tarnished, like hot meal and plowed dirt and pond rot all mixed together.  ... the smell of the people. Their end-of-the-day sweat. A sweetness that brought to mind my grubby little brothers. A sourness that was, perhaps, the scent of my grandmother, who was unwell."

Even more strangely, Annabelle now seems to have a deeper sense about animals especially dogs. She can sense how they feel. This is important because this is how Annabelle comes to meet her neighbours and helps her find three lost dogs and an old loved dairy cow. 

This is a story about healing. Terrible things happened to Annabelle and her friend Toby last year. She rightly blames Betty (but she is gone now) and Andy. Andy still lives nearby. Annabelle wants to hate him forever but somehow he keeps showing up. Perhaps Annabelle needs to stop and listen to Andy with her heart. Bad things are happening to this boy and yes he has done some terrible things but surely there can now be a way to find forgiveness.

My Own Lightning is the sequel to Wolf Hollow and while it will be good for readers to meet Annabelle and have some understanding of the dreadful events in this first book but I am going to say you can read My Own Lightning first and then go back to Wolf Hollow. Reading My Own Lightning first might actually be a good idea because Wolf Hollow is so harrowing (but nevertheless wonderful) if you read My Own Lightning you will experience a resolution to all that pain. Read this review for more plot details of Wolf Hollow. 

Lauren Wolk's writing is powerful, honest and profound. Read these exquisite text samples:

"Above us, the branches trimmed the sun so it lay in patterns on the road, a tawny ribbon of soft summer dust and worn-out stone, the whole day so perfect that the birds made up new songs about it as we passed by."

"As I looked at her, I wished I were a painter. Though I would have had to be a good one indeed to capture the look in her eyes. Hard and sweet at the same time."

"I could imagine that hitting Buster (in a truck) must have been an awful thing for them both. And I knew that even the best people sometimes looked for someone to blame when things went wrong."

When an author describes a character it sometimes only takes one word or a short phrase to alert the reader that something is amiss:

"He had a well-trimmed moustache, though no beard - which was unusual in these hills, where the two usually went hand in hand - and green eyes, my favourite kind. A big man, especially across the shoulders, with a barrel chest, like a lumberjack. Except he was dressed more like someone from town, in clean, tidy clothes, his cuffs buttoned, the kids of hat my father wore to church. The word gentleman cam to mind but his eyes were curiously flat, and I had a vague suspicious that he might not be quite what he seemed."

Compare this with Dr Bloom:

"He didn't smell like a flower, either. He smelled far to clean to be anything wild. And he didn't look like a flower either. He had parched brown hair, eyebrows that looked so much like caterpillars that I expected them to crawl off his forehead, and a thick shiny scar that ran down the side of his face. But none of that mattered as much as his kind eyes and soft voice."

I recommend this book for readers aged 11+. If your young reading companion is a dog lover please be aware (spoiler alert) the descriptions of dog fighting in this book and the wounds inflicted on these innocent creatures is quite graphic and disturbing. 

Written with warmth, Wolk’s complicated characters keep readers guessing. Annabelle learns tough lessons about making assumptions and building trust on the path to forgiveness. Kirkus

This is a journey of the heart that takes us through the pain of someone else's life and shows us that what people show us isn't even half of who they really are.  Powerful lightning indeed. A Book and  Hug

We often talk about the first lines in a book but in this book the lines that made me sigh with happiness come right at the end. 

AND the food in this book is scrumptious. I loved reading about a family who enjoyed delicious meals prepared with love and care.

"I helped put supper on the table: sliced beets we'd canned the year before, mashed sweet potatoes with butter and cracked pepper, hot buns stuffed with roasted carrots, and thick crusty slices of applewood bacon. ... but save room for dessert. My mother made a strawberry pie with shipped cream."

"Potatoes ... steaming quietly in a bowl in the sink, cooked and soft waiting for someone to peel away their loosed skins. So I did that, dicing them in a second bowl, adding in chopped onion, celery that I had sliced into little green boats, boiled eggs I diced in the palm of my hand, mayonnaise whipped up with cream, salt, pepper, all of it folded carefully together so the potatoes would keep their cut, a bit of Hungarian paprika sprinkled on top. ... (I) added a platter of cold fried chicken, a bowl of dilly beans we'd canned the year before, a basket of warm rolls."

I would like to suggest this very old Australian novel as a companion read (sorry this might be very very had to find). Here are a set of different covers

I was curious about Andy's favourite book Honk the Moose and delighted to discover it is a real book. I was a Newbery honour book in 1936. 

Here is the US cover for My Own Lightning:

The Map of Leaves by Yarrow Townsend

"Wherever there is sickness, there is rumour ... but I am here to tell you the scientific truth of the matter. This sickness is not brought about by witchcraft or sin. No. This sickness has come from a place of disease and pestilence. It has come from the wild. ... We must be rid of it. ... The plants, the weeds, the swamp, the forest, the wild gardens. Disease lurks among the plants and the wild things, breeding mosquitoes and poisons."

Orla lives alone outside the village of Thorn Creek. Orla feels like an outsider because her healer mother is now dead and the people of the village seem to treat her with hostility and suspicion. Orla does have one friend - her horse called Captain and she also has the constant company of the plants, flowers and herbs in her garden. Orla can hear the plants talking and they often give her wise advice.

Life is not perfect, it is hard, but as the story opens it is clear things are about to become much worse perhaps even life threatening. Orla notices black marks are appearing on the leaves of her plants. Then a young boy from the village asks Orla for help. Idris's brother Castor is desperately ill. When Orla lifts his sleeve she sees the same purple marks that appeared on her mothers arms. Orla was unable to save her precious Ma. She is sure she cannot help Castor. 

Thorn Creek is governed over by a wealthy ink-manufacturing family, whose head is Inishowen Atlas, Warden and resident of Hind House. He is often absent but on this dreadful day he arrives on his horse and declares a sickness is coming. With the voice of authority he tells the village that their plants are to blame. He orders everyone to destroy every plant in the village. Orla knows the plants are not the source of the sickness and she also knows the people will starve because there will be nothing left to eat.

Ma has left Orla her book of remedies. At the front of the book there is a very detailed map and on the map there is a tiny circle around a distant place called Fleetwater. Beside the circle in very faint writing Ma had written the word 'here'. Orla decides to stow away on a Hauler boat but she has no idea Idris and Ariana, the niece of the tyrant Atlas, are going to join her. Nor does she have any idea about the horrible scene that awaits her when she finally, after an utterly terrifying journey, reaches the place on her mother's map.

Each chapter in this book is prefaced with a herb, its scientific name and uses. I really enjoyed reading these. Some will be familiar while have such interesting names: Lady's Mantle (a sprig under the pillow aids sleep); Devil's Rope (very dangerous, fatal if it enters your blood); Viper's Bugloss (an infusion of the seeds can drive away melancholy).

I loved the world of this book, the strength of each character, the wisdom and warnings of the plants, the personal growth of Orla, and the powerful atmosphere created by debut author Yarrow Townsend. One other delightful discovery (it's a minor point but so heartwarming) comes from a discovery about character of Idris. He is very skilled with needle and thread. When Orla's sleeve is torn he says:

"Let me fix the tear in your coat sleeve while you and Ariana paddle ... it's annoying me like nobody's business'. He held out his hand and motioned for Orla to pass him the coat. ... 'Fine,' she said ... but mind you do it properly."

Here is a wonderful description of Orla:

"Twelve-year-old Orla had dark-brown hair, bramble scratched hands, and a determined frown. She wore a pair of boy's breeches that she never changed, an oilskin coat that smelled of beeswax, and a pair of thick leather boots."

Yarrow Townsend build a chilling, atmospheric world, highlighting the damage those with wealth and power cause in their search for more wealth and power. Miss Clevelands Reading

The Map of Leaves is exquisitely written and brilliantly original. The descriptions of the natural world and rich and immersive, and the book is underpinned by a real reverence for nature. Get Kids into Books

I have been in a slight reading slump lately. I am ploughing through a long fantasy book and I only seem able to read 3 or 4 pages at a time. With nearly 400 pages I seem to be taking way too long to finish the book. So last night I picked up a different book - this one. I read The Map of Leaves in one sitting. YES this book is fabulous. I found it at the Westmead Children's Hospital Book Bunker where I work as a volunteer. The Map of Leaves was published by Chicken House in 2022. I flew through all 300+ pages.  I do hope you can find this book - and that I have convinced you to read it!  Take a look at this review which has lots of text quotes. You can read sample pages from this book here. 

I read a review that suggested this book as a companion read. I have added this title to my enormous "to read" list:

How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five by Carla Fitzgerald

My friends fall into two groups - those who care deeply about politics and seem to know so much about every controversy and those, like me, who only have a cursory interest perhaps focusing on a small range of issues such as Education, Environment, Health and Aged Care. I am sure many Primary aged readers are curious about the political process and perhaps they even wonder what life might be like if your father was PM.

Let's look closely at the cover of this book - I spy Julia Gillard (first female PM of Australia) and John Howard (25th PM of Australia). But who are these other people?  The PM in this book is obviously based on our last PM -  Scott Morrison but his photo is not on the cover. Morrison has two daughters; they did live in Kirribilli House; the girls attend a private school (but it was nowhere near Kirribilli House); and our Scott did run away to Hawaii. Some might say he was also an accidental PM.  

I should also mention there are beautiful jacaranda trees growing in the area around Kirribilli House so the issue is a real one. I think the cover designer is also referencing the PM portraits in Parliament House in Canberra. You could explore this with your class. 

Here is an interview with the author and Joy Lawn on her blog Paperbark Words. Here is a video review with Oliver P. 

Publisher blurb (University of Queensland Press): Imagine your dad gets the top job but isn’t exactly up to it. Then he sneaks off on holiday, leaving the country without a leader. What would you do? When Harper’s dad becomes the prime minister he’s terrible at it. He was thrust into the top job after a heroic boogie-board rescue of two kids (and a labradoodle) from a shark attack, but surviving government is proving hard.  Their family is a laughing stock, and Dad disappears to a ‘conference’ – but he leaves his phone behind. With her little sister, Lottie, Harper must secretly take his place and decide on a new policy by the end of the week. She finds herself torn between ideas – should she ban plastic bottles? Or make weekends longer? Can she prove a kid can lead the country better than a grown-up?

Here are a set of very comprehensive teachers notes for this book. The text messages in this book add a terrific touch of humour. 

Grade 6 in my former school studied government in Term 2 prior to their excursion to Canberra.  For this topic I used these books in my school library and we focused on former Prime Ministers researching quirky life details and achievements.

When I did this unit of work the following was true:

• 10 Prime Ministers were defeated at a general election: Deakin, Fisher, Cook, Bruce, Scullin, Chifley, McMahon, Fraser, Keating, Howard. 
• There have been 20 changes of Prime Minister without an election. 
• Reasons include: Vice-regal intervention: Whitlam; Voluntary departure: Barton, Fisher, Page, Forde, McEwen, Menzies ; Party-room coups: Hughes, Menzies, Gorton, Hawke; Death: Lyons, Curtin, Holt; Defeat in Parliament: Deakin (2), Watson, Reid, Fisher, Fadden 
• There have been 7 Prime Ministers who never won an election: Watson, Reid, Page, Fadden, Forde, McEwen, McMahon. 
• There have been 10 Opposition Leaders who contested elections but never became Prime Minister: Tudor, Charlton, Evatt, Calwell, Snedden, Hayden, Peacock, Hewson, Beazley & Latham. 

Today I found these two books from the UK which might appeal to readers who enjoy How to be Prime Minister and survive Grade Five:

This one looks good too:

If you want to take the themes of this book and give them a more serious focus I highly recommend this fantastic book about children and activism:

Do Something for Someone Else

Finally try to find a really old book - Battle for the Galah Trees by Christobel Mattingley to compare with this book. Thanks to UQP for sending an advance copy of How to be Prime Minister and Survive Grade Five.

The Wintrish Girl by Melanie La'Brooy

"After eleven long years, the most famous day in the Empire of Arylia had returned. Today would be filled with celebrations and feasting and the all-important Talisman ceremony, during which young Arylians would be matched to their lifelong Talismans by the powerful Casket of Fate."

So lets look more closely at this text quote:

What are the Talismans? They can be any kind of useful object - a weapon, clothing even a musical instrument. each one is linked with magic or marvellance. Talismans allow citizens to defeat the Malevolents.

How does the Casket of Fate work?  On the day of the ceremony, every child reaches into the casket and takes out their talisman. Seraphine will not pull out a talisman. Instead she will receive the Orb and Scpetre which gives her power as a future ruler.

Who is Penn? How is she connected with Princess Seraphine? Penn is a knot sister. Princess Seraphine is too young to rule so for now Regent Gertrude is in charge. A knot sister is a child born on the same day as the Princess. Up until now Penn has lived in the castle and shared lessons with Seraphine. Now Penn lives with Goody - an old woman - she is from Wintrish but she can still talk. All other Wintrish are mute - they are The Grey Ones. Penn and Seraphine wear knot bracelets. These cannot be destroyed or removed. Penn is now training in Quintessence or spell making because she has been banished from the palace. 

Things to fear - the Panthera - a great beast that sleeps at the foot of the throne. This creature is kept asleep using Marvellance. The lava river. 

Non Human Characters - the Clock Immemorial. It is given to strange pronouncements that oddly might be true. A dragon who is afraid, desperately afraid of unicorns. Bestials - a half and half creature such as half Bloodhound and half Vampire Bat. Implings - small creatures with webbed feet, bat-like ears and shrill voices. The Huggle Beast named Ned. He is a true friend. 

Eslit -  the ruling council of Ayrlia. There are thirteen members and each belong to one of the Talismanic Guilds - weapons, treasure, lore and art. 

This is a new children's book by Australian author Melanie LaBrooy and it will be published by UQP tomorrow. Do you like the cover?  I'm not so sure this cover will entice young readers to pick up this book but I do hope I am wrong. With over 400 pages The Wintrish Girl is a long book but it is a rewarding one. I enjoyed the world building, the small touches of humour, the heroism of Penn and the loyalty of her new friends Juniper and Arthur. This book has been created by someone with an enormous imagination. 

The Wintrish Girl will be enjoyed by fans of Nevermoor - The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend along with these:

The Trials of Morrigan Crow

The Wild Magic Trilogy

The Girl who Drank the Moon

Prisoner of Ice and Snow

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

Seeds Move by Robin Page

 

Seeds are fascinating. Germination is mysterious. The conditions for life have to be just right or the seed won't sprout or thrive. SO seeds need to move. 

"a seed needs sunlight, soil, water, and an uncrowded place to put down roots."

This book explains how seeds move - you are sure to be very surprised when you discover just how ingenious seeds can be. Oh and you are sure to enjoy sharing some delicious words with your young reading companion. 

A seed hitchhikes - on this page we see sticktight seeds clinging to the fur of a raccon.

A seed catapults - on this page you will discover exploding cucumber seeds that shoot from their pods in the wind or if jolted by a passing animal. 

A seed burrows - ants take bloodroot seeds into their underground nest. The ants eat a little and bury the rest - a perfect spot for a seed.

A seed squirts - when orangutans eat the durian fruit the spit out the bitter seeds. 

Have you thought about a mouse that eats a wheat seed? The mouse is eaten by an hawke. The hawke coughs up a pellet containing the bones and fur of the mouse along with undigested wheat seeds.

A seed parachutes - milkweed and dandelion seeds move like tiny parachutes.

Page examines how seeds move from their parent plants to places where they can sprout and grow. The simple prose relies on action verbs for punch, if not scientific accuracy: A seed may "hitchhike," "catapult," "parachute," or even "plop"—in the poop of a berry-eating bear. Some spreads depict related actions: The large, buoyant seeds of the coconut palm and monkey-ladder vine can both drop into water and "drift" or "float" off, perhaps finding an auspicious shore for propagation. ...  Crisply delineated against white space, digital illustrations use colour, texture, and form to depict striking, identifiable images ...  Kirkus

Here are a set of teaching ideas to use with this book which has some further links to explore. I have talked about Robin Page and her late husband Steve Jenkins in previous posts. I so appreciate their wonderful non fiction books and the range of topics they cover.  Here is Robin's web site. 

I haven't see this book by Melissa Stewart but it looks like the perfect companion read:

And then you might look for these:

The Girl who Planted Trees

The Digger and the Flower

Mike's Magic Seeds

Crossings by Katy S Duffield illustrated by Mike Ododán

 

Just when you think someone has thought of every possible topic for a non fiction book another book/idea/topic pops up. The subtitle of this book is : 

Extraordinary structures for extraordinary animals.

"All over the world people are building over, under, across, and through the places where wild animals live, and the animals are losing their homes. But now - all over the world people are also building wildlife crossings that help the animals safely travel over, under, across and through busy roadways that people have built. And these crossings are working!"

In this book you will read about: tunnels for elephants in Kenya; a bridge with 3000 trees built for pangolins in Singapore; the way the route is diverted for thousands of crabs on Christmas Island; a New Zealand tunnel for tiny Blue Penguins; safe wildlife crossings for elk in Banff; and 125 rope bridges in Costa Rica for their Titi monkeys.

Here is one of the example of crossings from Australia:

Take a closer look at this sample page. The text in this book is perfect for younger readers because each page has two, three or four lines in larger print with a brief explanation of the illustration. It is also perfect for older primary readers because each page also includes a paragraph in smaller print with more details about the crossing. The back matter fills in more details and also contains a useful further reading list. 

An unusual focus on one way humans and animals can coexist in our world. Kirkus

Crossings (published in 2020) is a large format book with rich digital illustrations and yet I am happy to see it costs less than $30 so if you have a little money in your library budget this unique book is one you might want to consider. 

Mule Deer using a highway underpass 

Monkey Bridge in Brazil - click on this site to see 50 other crossing 

examples from around the world

Katy S Duffield has videos on her web site which you could use with a class. In this blog post Katy talks about the idea behind her book and her thoughts about writing expository non fiction. 

If I were a curator ...

 

Image Source: Jane Tanner Drac and the Gremlin by Allan Baillie

A couple of days ago I visited and talked about our new and splendid illustrator exhibition at the State Library of NSW.  I am excited to meet the curator and revisit next week. Over the past week I have been thinking about which illustrators (from Australia) I would include in an exhibition like the one at our State Library. (Here is the pdf link where you can find a list of the featured works/creators).

I decided to use books by Margaret Wild as a jumping off point for my own illustration collection along with a few others.

Margaret Wild is the author of over 80 books and, like Margaret Mahy from New Zealand, her books employ a diverse range of illustrators.  Here are some books by Margaret Wild with illustrators I would include in "My Exhibition of Australian illustrators". Under each book cover you will see the illustrator name and my book selection if I were a curator ...

Kim Gamble (1952-2016) - feature book Our School Fete by Louise Pfanner or Pog by Lyn Lee

Gregory Rogers (1957-2013) - feature book Space Travellers or Omar the Strongman.

Kerry Argent - featured book Wombat Divine by Mem Fox or Sebastian Lives in a Hat by Thelma Catterwell

Noela Young (1930-2018) - featured book Toby or The Muddle-headed wombat by Ruth Park

David Legge - featured book Bamboozled

Freya Blackwood - featured book The Boy and the Elephant (CBCA 2022 Picture book short listed) or My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald (note this is part of the current "real" exhibition)

Ron Brooks - featured book Fox or The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek 

Stephen Michael King - featured book Three or Where does Thursday go by Janeen Brian.   (note Stephen Michael King's book Amelia Ellicott's Garden is part of the "real" exhibition).

Jane Tanner - featured book Storm whale by Sarah Brennan or Drac and the Gremlin by Alan Baillie.

Julie Vivas - featured book Puffling or The Very Best of Friends  (note Julie Vivas is featured in the "real" exhibition with her book Possum Magic). 

Ann James - featured book Lucy Goosey or It's Miroocool by Christine Harris.

Here is a list of other illustrators for "my exhibition". Use my sidebar to search for books by each of these illustrators. Who would you include?

• Rod Clement
• Andrew McLean
• Anne Spudvilas
• Patricia Mullins
• Sophie Blackall (I know she lives in the US)
• Gus Gordon
• Gregg Dreise
• Gabriel Evans
• Andrew Joyner
• James Foley
• Anna Walker
• Donna Rawlins
• Craig Smith