IBBY Australia Mini Masterpiece Art Auction - Meet Dub Leffler

Dub Leffler is an illustrator, writer, animator and mixed media artist, working in the arts through books, film, television, muralism and art education. ...  He is a prominent children’s book illustrator and author, collaborating with Sally Morgan, Banksy, Coral Vass and others, and is known for his soft realistic portraits and emotional landscapes. He is descended from the Bigambul and Mandandanji people of southwest Queensland as well as being of French, Syrian and Irish heritage. ... His award-winning bestseller picture book Once There Was a Boy (2011) received international recognition, was acquired by the Library of Congress and was featured several times at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. More recently, Leffler illustrated Sorry Day (2018), written by Coral Vass, which won the 2019 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books from the CBCA. Black Cockatoo (2018), which he illustrated, was also an Honour Book that year. At last count, Dub has created 25 books. (Source Dub Leffler)

In 2011 Dub Leffler spoke with Kids' Book Review about his work 

Here are the two pieces Dub Leffler has generously donated for our IBBY Australia online Mini Masterpiece art auction:

From Rocky and Louie (see book cover below)

From Sorry Day (see book cover below)

And here are some of his books (all of which are sure to be in your local or school library):

Our Dreaming was submitted for the CBCA awards in 2022. Here are some judge's comments (I was one of the judges):

I do hope there will be an audio version of this or perhaps a video version so children can hear the Gundungurra words. The illustrations in this book add a gentle mood and beautifully compliment the wisdom of the text. The lines “it is our identity, purpose and responsibility to our community” are so powerful. The dedication by Dub Leffler is wonderful and would be a perfect way to begin a discussion about this book with a group of students. This book will show readers the importance of respecting and sharing dreaming stories. The reader is taken on a gentle journey of discovery too, with Gundungurra words used in such a natural way. The word list and pronunciation guide will give Non indigenous readers an opportunity to engage with and learn new words. Dub Leffler’s illustrations are perfect, drawn in muted, earthy tones, that also reflect the colours of the land. His work has a lightness of touch. Some pages are almost tactile. 

From the delicate watercolour/mixed media illustrations to the gentle tone of this almost sacred poem this book calls the reader into it ... Saunders has captured this voice, and Leffler generously invites us in. The production of this book including artistic endpapers that are like watching an orchestra tune up, matte buff stock, a text type which echoes the transparent nature of the watercolour images and a cover sprinkled with foil stars/ make this a book to be proud of.

I really love how the Indigenous words are integrated seamlessly into the English text to create this bilingual celebration of culture – and I fully appreciate the glossary and pronunciation guide at the back. The Australian life depicted in the illustrations are wonderfully realistic ... we get different views – some close ups, some long shots, some birds’ eye views – to get a real sense of place. It’s refreshing that the central characters are echidnas; a perfect choice for this slow and contemplative journey across the land. This is a book that will enrich readers’ experiences and understandings – of Indigenous culture, history, and language.

Bindi

Frog finds a Place

Dub also has an illustration in this book:

The Bicycle (2011) features separate illustrations from internationally acclaimed artists - including Quentin Blake, Shaun tan, Tony Ross and Freya Blackwood - which celebrate the liberating joy of two wheels. Read this from Kids' Book Review

In 2020 Dub Leffler created our IBBY Australia New Year greeting card which was shared with the 85 sections of IBBY.

Look, See, Find me by Sandra Severgnini

"Animals use camouflage to change their appearance, helping them to survive, find food and avoid being eaten. Camouflage can also help attract a mate, protect eggs or young, 

or communicate as a warning when danger is nearby."

Notice the magnifying glass on the cover of this new book. When you turn inside the front end papers contain lots more magnifying glasses - all empty - then on the back end papers you can spy a close up of all the hidden creatures. The end notes give further details about each of the 25 camouflage experts hidden on the pages of this book. I am sure your school library already has a good collection of titles about this fascinating topic and popular. This one will be a very welcome addition because it contains insects, fish, birds and reptiles and scrumptious rich illustrations. I think my own favourite is the Goldenrod crab spider which as the name suggests looks like part of a flower but when an unsuspecting insect lands on the yellow petals expecting to find some pollen instead they become a tasty snack!

This is a new title from CSIRO Publishing released this week. The rhyming text makes this book perfect to share with your youngest students or preschool group. As a bonus this book contains some rich vocabulary - textured; ornate; knobbly; blend in; and there is a useful glossary.  The publisher page has a link to some useful teachers notes.

Here is the publisher blurb: Explore the world of animal camouflage and find the camouflaged animals hiding on each page! Take a journey into the world of animal camouflage and uncover what may be right under your nose! Discover frogs that look like leaves, spiders disguised as flowers, crabs concealed as sponges and seahorses hidden in coral. See if you can spot the species hidden among stunning illustrations, and learn about these elusive animals in Look, See, Find Me.

Hidden in dead leaves on the ground,

can you see us hopping around?

Hidden on the page above and the one beside it there is a black spotted sticky frog and a Malayan horned frog. These are both found in South-East Asia.

Sandra Severgnini is an author and illustrator of numerous award-winning books. She has a background in botanical illustration, but her passion now is with picture books, especially those featuring environmental and nature subjects. Sandra’s fascination for the amazing world around her inspires her words and brings sensitivity and humour to her illustrations. She is also the author and illustrator of Dung Beetle on a Roll and these:

Bapa's Last Canoe by Maree McCarthy Yoelu illustrated by Samantha Campbell

"Bapa is a traditional canoe maker. 

He makes them out of kapok trees."

Today we are going for a long canoe ride to fish and visit family - we have done this before but this trip is special because it will be last one. 

The repeated refrain will make this book easy to share with your youngest students but it also (if read slowly) could help add that all important layer of poignancy and sadness for your older readers and lead to a discussion about loss of culture and loss of cultural traditions. 

On the way we sing, we tell stories, we fish, we listen, 
we look, we laugh! I love my country!

"We must leave our country ... I don't want to leave my home."

"Bapa lets the canoe go and it drifts away."

Baba's Last Canoe was published last month by Magaba Books - thanks for my review copy.

Publisher blurb: Bapa’s Last Canoe is a simple, heartfelt picture book about Bapa, the author’s grandfather, a traditional canoe maker, and the making of his last canoe. Bapa takes his three daughters (the author’s mother and aunties) away on a canoe ride to connect to family and Country for the last time before his daughters leave for school in the city. They set off on the long journey and along the way they camp out and meet family, fish, roast periwinkles and longbums on the fire, tell stories and laugh.

“I love my country so much. It’s going to be hard to say goodbye, but I know one day we’ll all return… and we’ll sing, tell stories, fish and laugh again like we used to in Bapa’s canoe.”

• Take a look at this detailed review by The Bottom Shelf.
• Listen to an interview with Maree McCarthy Yeolu on ABC Darwin. 
• Read about the Kapok Tree.
• Read about canoe making.

This book is based on the story of Liman (Harry Morgan) who was a respected Wadjigamy man born at Mandjimamany (Point Blaze) in the Northern Territory in 1916. He was a canoe maker, hunter, community mediator and family man, who lived off the land and travelled the seas. Lipman frequently travelled the coasts with his wife Kitty and their kids in their canoe visiting family and exploring country. The author's mother shared her memory of the last canoe journey. "I could see in my dad's face, that he was sad, he was sad."

Maree McCarthy Yeolu is also the author of Brother Moon. Read more about Samantha Campbell here.

I would pair Bapa's Last Canoe with this book:

Leaving home behind and sending children to a faraway (white) school reminded me of this book from Canada which explores lost culture (Content warning this book is for older and very mature readers). 

The Rainbow by Gary Crew illustrated by Gregory Rogers

"My plans seemed alright when I drew them, but I soon notices that my design was too complicated for the boys to follow. So, after a few arguments, 

we agreed to make it up as we went along."

"By the time the sandwiches were gone we were ready to launch the boat. I had bought a tin of purple paint that my mother didn't want and a brush ... so I painted the name Audrey on the front. I named it after myself, since it was my idea to build it."

The first thing to notice about this book is the slightly fuzzy or out of focus illustrations which emphasise the nostalgic feel of this story which recounts the memory of a past summer spent 'mucking about' on the river - just three kids - Geoffrey, Bruce and Audrey (our narrator).

The boys are perhaps young enough to accept a girl into their group and luckily for them she is the brains of the operation. 

"A creek runs through the bush near our house. On summer afternoons, my brother Geoffrey and his friend Bruce - an me of course - go down there to see what we can do. ... The footpath on the highway is the best place to see the creek after heavy rain in the hills."

The kids decide (without much discussion) to build a boat.

"I had prepared the drawings for this vessel during the week, getting my inspiration from the book Robinson Crusoe which Mrs Chamberlain had been reading to our class. Mrs Chamberlain is the best teacher I ever had at reading aloud. She reads with expression but isn't ridiculous like some teachers who overdo it ... "

Amazingly their boat does float and so the trio follow the creek on their adventure not knowing they will make a slightly disturbing discovery and not knowing this will be their last summer as kids who just 'muck about' together. 

Gary Crew says so much in this story but never directly - readers are left to join the dots. Audrey recalls her father using the expression 'sweet as a nut' - this is in the past tense so it is clear her father is no longer with the family. The kids take their boat to the tip and the way Audrey talks about this you know this is also an ending of this part of their lives - perhaps an ending of their childhoods. 

The title links with two parts of the story or maybe three (if you think about nostalgia or seeing the world through 'rose tinted' glasses). The kids reach a tiny weir on the river and the way the water is splashing in the sunlight it looks like a shimmering rainbow. Later, on her own, Audrey finds a crystal - a piece of quartz near where the kids originally built their boat. 

"And, when I held it to the sun, all the colours of the rainbow beamed onto my shirt, like the rainbow over the water, down by the weir."

Gary Crew and Gregory Rogers come together for the first time since the highly acclaimed Lucy's Bay to create this poetic picture book. For Audrey, the journey 'down the creek' in her tiny boat is one that marks not only the myriad changes to the physical environment she passes, but a journey within herself. She comes face to face with death, the challenges of growing up and the need to accept and move on from loss. Fantastic Fiction

The Rainbow is a quiet book - it would be good to share this with one child or a small group perhaps just before the summer holidays. I found this book at a recent charity book sale - I was so surprised because I somehow totally missed this book back in 2001. You might be lucky and find a copy in a library here in Australia. Gary Crew was our IBBY Australia Hans Christian Andersen nominee in 2024. 

Companion book:

The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis

Gary Crew has won numerous prizes and awards include CBCA Book of the Year: Older Readers for Strange Objects and Angel's Gate (1991 and 1994) which also received widespread international recognition; CBCA Honour Book for Memorial (2000), CBCA Picture Book of the Year for First Light (1994); CBCA Picture Book of the Year for The Watertower (1995); The Lost Diamonds of Killiecrankie was a notable book in 1996. He is also the author of The Viewer and Mama's Babies, which were CBCA Notable Books for 1998 and 1999 respectively. Gary was the editor of the After Dark series and author of the picture books Bright Star, Troy Thompson's Excellent Peotry Book, Troy Thompson's Radical Prose Folio, Leo The Lion Tamer and Valley of Bones.

Gregory Rogers studied fine art at the Queensland College of Art. He worked in the public service for many years before taking up illustration in 1987. He illustrated scores of book covers and children's picture books, including Tracks by Gary Crew and four titles in the Lothian After Dark series: The Bent-Back Bridge, The Island, The Rings and The Fort. In 1995 Gregory became the first Australian artist to win the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations in Way Home. He died in 2013.

Frances Bloom by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Marina Zlatanova

Recipe for Frances Bloom

• A full to the brim cup or two of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
• Three quarters of a cup of Gooney Bird Green by Lois Lowry
• A generous dash of Leeva at Last by Sara Pennypacker
• A quarter teaspoon of the illustrations in Maudie and Bear by Jan Ormerod illustrated by Freya Blackwood (read more here)
• A small spoonful of Clementine by Sara Pennypacker
• A tiny pinch of Matilda by Roald Dahl

Method - Pippi Longstocking lives alone and so does Frances Bloom. Pippi has special animal friends - her horse and monkey. Frances has a huge bear (and a garden gnome). Pippi speaks boldly and she enjoys her daily routines. Frances loves to swim every day, often in her clothes, and she has strong opinions about school. 

Gooney Bird Green loves to wear outrageous combinations of clothes and so does Frances. Gooney entertains her class with her tall tales. Frances is loved by her 22 Grade 3 classmates because she brings her eccentric grandparents to visit the class, she sets imaginative writing assignments and ultimately, she is responsible for 'getting rid' of their horrible teacher Ms Thistle. 

Frances is somewhat like young Leeva because she has to survive and avoid being 'found out' by adults. Maudie and Bear is about relationships - and Frances creates a special bond with her bear named Grandma Maude. And of course, Clementine and Frances are about the same age and have the same outspoken opinions and slightly naive view of the world. 

Here are some of the clothes worn by Frances Bloom. You could use these descriptions as a way to book talk Frances Bloom with your library group:

"Frances stepped from the fitting room wearing tartan shorts, a lime-green poncho with tiny pompoms along the edges, rainbow-spotted tights and purple clogs."

"She dressed in a floppy red smock, green-striped tights and bright yellow gumboots. She did not brush her hair."

"She wore long Johns, a stripy blue scarf, red lace-up boots and a green beanie."

Frances Bloom has 130+ illustrated pages, large print, short chapters, a very cheeky main character and a rollicking story so it will be a perfect addition to your library collection for readers aged 7+. I am not a huge fan of the cover but I really like the internal illustrations by Marina Zlatanova. 

To my mind this is a book for an individual child or one to share in a family but the publisher have produced some extensive teachers notes. It would be fun to talk about two of the 'naughty words' - Codswallop: an old-fashioned way of saying something is nonsense and Poppycock: another old-fashioned way of saying something is nonsense.

Frances Bloom is the first title of a planned series. 

The antics that Frances, her friends and new grandparents get up to make this book lots of fun for younger readers. The Book Muse

Frances Bloom is an appealing and likeable character. She strong, clever, resilient and loves life. She is her own person, full of fun and a tiny bit of mischief but her heart is in the right place. Read Plus

Publisher blurb: Frances Bloom lives all alone in a cottage by the sea. She's having a marvellous time until her nasty teacher, Ms Thistle, learns there is no-one looking after her. Frances needs to find a family, quick smart, or she'll be sent away to Bleak Island Home for Unwanted Children and Dogs. As hard as Frances looks, nobody meets her high standards ... until she stumbles across a large, honey-coloured bear raiding the rubbish bins ... and a garden gnome fishing in the flowerbed. Welcome, Grandma Maude and Grandpa Harold! Together, this strange trio creates a new family, writing their own rules with each misadventure!

Frances Bloom also reminded me of an earlier book written for an older audience by Katrina Nannestad - The Girl who Bought Mischief. I am a huge fan of her work - click on the label for this post to see other books. 

The Girl who Bought Mischief

Meeting Grandpa Harold (the garden gnome) also made me think of these two books which are sadly long out of print but might be in your school library:

A Home for Gnomes

Norman does Nothing

Marina Zlatanova is a Bulgarian-born designer, illustrator and printmaker living in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. She has illustrated several picture books to date, including Charlie’s Shell, her debut as an author, which won a Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year award. Her style is varied and eclectic, using a diverse range of media – from watercolour and inks to digital illustration and block printing – but her love for depicting the humorous and endearing always underpins her creations. Other books illustrated by Marina Zlatnaova are Gladys and Stripey: Two little fish on one BIG adventure; and Tink, Tink, Tink! (2025).

IBBY Australia Mini Masterpiece Art Auction - Under the Sea

Here are three more irresistible post-card sized 

original art pieces from our IBBY Auction

It begins on 14th November - mark this date in your diary so you don't miss out

Kylie Howarth

Title: Yellow Boxfish

Take a look at my post about her book Chip

Kylie Howarth

Title: Snorkeler with humpback

Ann James

Title: Whistling mermaid

Grin and Bear it: The wit and wisdom of Corduroy

I spied this little book of wisdom at a recent charity book sale. I am a huge fan of Corduroy. I own the toy, the book and I used to share the brilliant Western Woods video with groups of younger students in my former school library every year. I had no idea Corduroy was first published in 1968! This little wisdom book was published in 2018 - I guess for the 50th anniversary.

Here are a few of the wise words:

• "You're never too grown-up for a teddy bear."
• "You're never too small to get where you need to go."
• "Love what you see in the mirror."
• "No matter how nervous you are, walk in like you own the place."
• "A true friend always has your back."
• "Friends come in all shapes, sizes and species."
• "Never forget who you are and never forget who loves you."

I am happy to see all the books about Corduroy including the original two titles at the top of this post are still available and in paperback for a really good price. Other Corduroy titles reference in Grin and Bear it:

The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesley Parr

Like many other children during World War II, Jimmy and his brother Ronnie are sent away from London - in this case to a remote village in Wales. Jimmy is desperate to return home. He wants to protect his brother and he has great difficulty accepting the kindness offered by Gwen and Alun Thomas. Luckily they stay very patient with him even though he is rude and surly. Wandering on his own he climbs a tree on the outskirts of the village and he finds a human skull. Jimmy has a wild imagination and he is sure there must be a murderer on the loose in Llanbryn. 

One of the other evacuated children is a girl named Florence. Back in London Florence was shunned for her poor family and ragged clothes but her foster family in this little village also show her wonderful kindness and like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon Florence emerges as a very different girl to the one Jimmy previously knew and shunned. Thank goodness Jimmy is able to accept Florence as a new friend because she is a very smart girl and she helps Jimmy solve the mystery of the skull and she also shows him that it is important to be kind - to his brother and to Mr and Mrs Thomas.

Teacher-Librarians will cheer when Florence takes Jimmy and Ronnie to the library so they can research human bones and the time it takes for a body to decay - all of this information is crucial as they edge closer to a solution to this mystery. 

Author blurb: When Jimmy is evacuated to a small village in Wales, it couldn't be more different from London. Green, quiet and full of strangers, he instantly feels out of place. But then he finds a skull hidden in a tree, and suddenly the valley is more frightening than the war. Who can Jimmy trust? His brother is too little; his best friend has changed. Finding an ally in someone he never expects, they set out together to uncover the secrets that lie with the skull. What they discover will change Jimmy - and the village - forever.

Read more plot details in each of these reviews:

This is a well-constructed mystery, with a most enjoyable and interesting storyline that contains lots of diverting paths that join up beautifully. Kids' Book Review

Many topics are addressed as Jimmy’s story is revealed, such as: bullying, bigotry, anxiety, loss, the burden of secrets kept, and changing friendships. All are sensitively explored as the adventure unfolds. The totally credible characters capture reader empathy as the issues are explored honestly, but ultimately the book leaves the reader with understanding as prejudices are overcome, lies are uncovered and the mystery of a death that has shadowed a life for years is explained and resolved. Historical Novel Society

Overall, this is a thrilling and touching story about change, family, and friendship, and also about giving people the chance – to support you, and surprise you. Setting the “mystery” storyline aside briefly, I feel that the story is a good look at the evacuee experience, showing both positives and negatives from both sides.  Libraries 4 Schools

I have a Pinterest collection of Middle Grade Novels set during World War II - here is the section about evacuees. 

I spied this book at a recent charity book sale. I recognised the name Lesley Parr and I now discover that this is her first book. I previously read:

Last year I visited Wales and I made a collage of all the books I have read that are set in Wales:

Ready, Set, Skip by Jane O'Connor illustrated by Ann James

I can't skip.

I wish I could.

Other kids are really good.

I can leap.

I can creep.

I can twirl? Just watch this girl. ...

But I can't skip. 

It's not my fault.

Exuberant is the word I would use to describe the illustrations in this book which was published in 2007. This is a perfect book to share with a group of preschool children as a way to talk about the idea of 'not yet'. For myself I found lots of things like skipping and riding a bicycle very hard when I was a young child BUT these are both things you can learn and develop with practice. My former school had an extensive dance program and one of the ways the dance teacher assessed the children who auditioned was by asking them to skip. I think this was the first time I realised even older children can find skipping is a complex skill.

I know this book is out of print. I was so lucky Ann James herself gifted me a copy in mint condition with a dust jacket! You might be lucky and find a copy in a school or local library.

Kirkus gave this book a STAR review:

The narrator of this effervescent exercise in rhyme cannot skip. She can leap, creep, twirl, skate and “BURRRRRRRRRRP!”—but itches to add skipping to her repertoire. Her wise mom asks, “Can you hop?” and, after a perfectly child-calibrated burst of same (“I can hop and / never stop! / Watch!”), bestows the key to the elusive gait. “‘Hop on one foot. / then the other. / That is skipping,’ says my mother.” O’Connor’s deft turns of phrase masterfully capture the initial glumness and ensuing buoyancy, delivering a text perfectly pitched for both story time kids and emergent readers. Australian illustrator James’s charcoal-shaded watercolors beautifully limn that buoyancy, capturing the narrator’s whirling activity and multifold facial expressions in spot illustrations against a crisp white layout. In a brown bob cut, shorts and bare feet, this little one (with her constant companion, a doting dog ... ), embodies a hallmark symbiosis of childhood—joy expressed as movement, and movement, a joy in itself.

I learned a new word from this review: limn - to represent in drawing or painting.

I wonder how Ann James came to illustrate this book. US Author Jane O'Connor is famous for her Fancy Nancy books and lots of others - over 100 titles.

IBBY Australia Mini Masterpiece Art Auction - meet Martina Heiduczek

Check out the auction site - bidding begins on 14th November 

You could own this gorgeous original illustration by Martina Heiduczek. It is titled Porcine Passengers. It would be fun to share this illustration with your library group and then perhaps read Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen. 

Here are other books illustrated by Martina Heiduczek:

Duck, Apple, Egg

Under the red Shawl

What do you call your grandpa?

Katrina Nannestad "All the Beautiful Things" plus these three

The Riding Gallery

And I am keen to see these:

And this one is only in Dutch so far - look at the wonderful end papers - the English title is Shell Girl.