Craig Silvey event October 2025

Last night Craig Silvey spoke at an event organised by his publisher Allen and Unwin and a small independent bookstore in North Sydney or more specifically McMahons Point - Blues Point Bookshop.  The owner Helen Baxter has a long association with Craig Silvey. His first book was Rhubarb (2004) written when he was just 19.  The focus of the event last night was his new book Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping - second in the series about the little country dog Runt. On this tour Craig is also visiting Castle Hill; Katoomba; and four locations in Western Australia.

I was excited to attend this event because I adored the first book and was so lucky to read an advance copy back in 2022. But my connection is even stronger because IBBY Australia had a post card sized piece of art by Sara Acton on our last Mini Masterpiece art auction and I was the highest bidder.

AND this year for our second Mini Masterpiece art action we have another little picture of Runt. 

I was hoping to share this with both Craig Silvey and Helen (the owner of the bookstore) but unfortunately, they were both too busy with their event guests. Sadly, too, Helen had not heard of IBBY which is such an important international organisation and I guessing she has no idea about my blog. Here is the web page for IBBY Australia.

I talked about Runt in this blog post and then on Instagram Craig responded with these words:

"Thank you so much @momotimetoread! So delighted you found Runt such a compelling and joyous read! Means the world."

Here are a few things Craig Silvey shared in his talk:

• He hopes Runt and the sequel will be shared in families - he coined the term "camp-fire read".
• The title of the second book matches the tin - you know in advance what you will get - a dognapping!
• The sequel needs to connect with the first installment but also expand on characters and add in new ones. A theme in this second book is truth - it can be distorted or skewed but it is always inside us.
• The town of Upsdowns is an amalgam of the county towns in Western Australia where Craig lived as a child - towns like Colley and the delightfully named Dwellingup.
• Craig Silvey has three young daughters but no dog.
• Craig filled his conversation and answers with such rich language - whimsical; idiosyncratic; unmitigated joy; duress; beguiling; and nominative determinism. It was a delight to listen.
• He watched hundreds of hours of real dog dancing competitions when researching this for the sequel to Runt. 

The children in the audience last night impressed me with their intelligent questions. Here are some that I didn't get to ask Craig Silvey:

• Can you talk about the impact of winning the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Book of the Year award - Younger Readers in 2023
• Which of your books has reached the highest sales?
• Can you please talk about the different cover used on the US edition (see below)
• Did your publisher ask Sara Acton to illustrate your covers?
• How do you respond when people say (with a slight scoff) 'Oh you've written a kids book'.
• Did you expect more of your adult audience (last night) to have read Runt?
• Do you have a favourite children's book featuring a dog? (mine is Because of Winn Dixie)
• You moved around a lot as a child - did you have access to books and libraries? Were you a reader as a child? Do you have a childhood book that has stayed in your memory?
• When you speak you use a very sophisticated vocabulary - can you explain this and does it link with your own reading life?
• What was your involvement in the movie? And what is your involvement in the play at the Sydney based Belvoir Street Theatre which will presented in 2026?
• Were you thinking of adult readers and parents when you created all the funny names for your characters?
• Has your book Runt been translated into other languages? Do you see any issues with this process given the colloquial language and Australian setting?

Read more about the US edition here

Here is a Facebook entry about The Blues Point Bookshop - if you are in the area you might like to drop in and take a look:

Helen Baxter’s Blues Point Bookshop and its blue neon sign have been at the heart of the McMahons Point community. In three decades of devotion to the printed word, Helen has read around 20 books every month. She still hand writes the reviews that adorn her green shelves and the price tags on the back of the books. ...  This charming old-world bookstore is located at McMahons Point but will instantly transport you to the streets of London or Paris. A treasure trove for book lovers, Blues Point Bookshop houses a wide selection of classics, non-fiction, fiction and children's books, with friendly notes and recommendations from the shop's owner Helen Baxter. The comfy armchairs are the perfect spot to while away an afternoon.

Helen Baxter has run over 300 author events -that's so impressive. Craig Silvey has 2 titles in the top 25 of the ABC Radio National top 100 list - that's also very impressive. 

Craig Silvey is an author and screenwriter from Fremantle, Western Australia. His critically acclaimed debut novel, Rhubarb, was published in 2004. His bestselling novel, Jasper Jones, was released in 2009 and is considered a modern Australian classic. Published in over a dozen territories, Jasper Jones has won plaudits in three continents, including an International Dublin Literary Award shortlisting, a Michael J. Printz Award Honor, and a Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlisting. Jasper Jones was the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year for 2010. Craig's third novel Honeybee was published in 2019 and won Best Fiction for the Indie Book Awards 2021 and Dymocks Book of the Year 2020. His much-loved family favourite Runt was published in 2022 and has won multiple awards including Dymocks Book of the Year for Younger Readers 2022, Best Children's Book and Book of the Year at the Indie Book Awards 2023, Book of the Year: Younger Readers at the CBCA Awards 2023, Children's Book of the Year at the BookPeople Book of the Year Awards 2023, and Book of the Year for Younger Children at the Australian Book Industry Awards 2023. Runt was adapted into a critically and commercially successful film in 2024.

The Little Bookroom Melbourne

 

The Little Bookroom opened its doors to the public on Friday the 13th October, 1960. Albert Ullin OAM, after studying literature and languages and working extensively in the booktrade in Australia and internationally, decided to focus his love for contemporary children’s literature and illustration into an Australian first: he would open a bookshop devoted solely to children’s books. Albert named his shop for a collection of whimsical short stories by Eleanor Farjeon who wrote on the occasion of the shop’s opening: “I am proud and happy to know you’ve chosen the title of my book for the title of your Bookshop in the City my Father first set foot in the 1850s when he emigrated to Australia as a boy of 16. The stories he told me of his arrival in Melbourne have always made it seem to be one of ‘my’ cities. Thankyou for giving me a home in it".  (Source)

On my last visit to Melbourne, I saw a social media post that books from the famous children's bookstore The Little Bookroom were heavily discounted. I couldn't take advantage of that because I had to catch my plane. Then I read that the store had closed but a new owner had been found. After some wonderful crowd funding the store is set to reopen soon. The new owner Michael Earp has asked some very famous Australian illustrators to reimagine the famous shop logo. Over twenty responded. I am sharing a selection here. The real logo will not change but I love this idea as a way to promote the store. People who have supported the crowd funding initiative will be sent one of these limited-edition cards - it is not too late.

Here is the new address: 

Little Bookroom
Woi-wurrung Country

8 Village Avenue, Brunswick East, VIC 3057

BIG NEWS

IBBY Australia are running their second Mini Masterpiece art auction later this year to raise funds so we can pay our IBBY.org international membership. 

Several of the wonderful illustrators you can see in this post who contributed to the project for The Little Bookroom have accepted our invitation too.  

You can read about our 2023 auction here. 

Our 2025 auction will run from 14 November to 28 November. 

Check out my Hans Christian Andersen post about Ann James

I am so lucky to own two pieces of art by Ann James - one from

It's Miroocool and the other from Bird and Bear

Take a look at this post to see more books by Anna Walker

Her new book is titled Between

Check out my post about The Truck Cat

IBBY Australian selected a book by Freya Blackwood for the

prestigious IBBY International Honour Book list in 2016 - Banjo and Ruby Red

and her fabulous book The Boy and the Elephant is now part of the 

very important Silent book collection which are books that are shared with

refugee children on the island of Lampedusa. 

Her book Afloat was a CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2025 Honour title.

Check out my post about South with the Seabirds which has links to 

other fabulous books illustrated by Jess McGeachin

Here is my 2022 Meet the Illustrator post featuring Tohby Riddle. 

He has a fun new book called Cynthia is a wild dog.

My favourite book is Nobody Owns the Moon

Here is my Meet the Illustrator post for Jess Racklyeft

Here is her web page.

Be Careful, Xiao Xin! by Sher Rill Ng was the winner of the  IBBY Ena Noel Award

Sara Acton is the illustrator who created the fabulous cover for the award winning book Runt.

I was lucky enough to submit the winning bid for the picture of Runt at our 2023 IBBY Mini Masterpiece

art auction. Here is my previous post Meet the Illustrator Sara Acton. 

Robert Ingpen won the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen award in 1986.

You can use the label 'Robert Ingpen' to see the books I have shared here on this blog. 

The most recent one is Who is the World for?

You can see books illustrated by Matt Shanks here.

Read more about Gabrielle Wang here.

A new and important book by Andrew Joyner written with Beth Ferry is

Roar for Reading

Meet the Illustrator Gabriel Evans

His newest book is Scotty and the Scotties

 

Illustrators who contributed to the Little Bookroom project: (Instagram link)

Allison Colpoys

Andrew Joyner @andypjoyner

Ann James @annjamesillustrator

Anna McGregor @annamcgregorau

Anna Walker @_annawalker_

Ben Wood @benwoodillustrator

Briony Stewart @briony_stewart

Daniel Gray-Barnett @dgraybarnett

Danny Snell @dannydsnell

Evie Barrow @evie_barrow

Freya Blackwood @freyablackwood

Gabriel Evans @gabrielevansart

Gabrielle Wang @gabriellewangbooks

Graeme Base @graemebase

Jess McGeachin @jessmcgeachin

Jess Racklyeft @jessesmess

Lucinda Gifford @lucindagifford

Matt Shanks @matt_shanks

Renée Treml @reneetreml

Robert Ingpen

Sara Acton @saraacton_illustration

Sher Rill Ng @sherrill.ng

Sophie Beer @sophiebeerdraws

Tohby Riddle @tohbyriddle

Finding books to buy in Sydney

There are terrific bookshops in Sydney that I recommend to parents, keen readers, teachers, Teacher-Librarians. One is Gleebooks - they have a fabulous and extensive book section and knowledgeable staff. The Constant Reader at Crows Nest have a full-sized store for their children's books. Even though the children's corner in their store is very small Abbey's in the city do curate an interesting selection of titles. Better Read than Dead in Newtown run regular events for children based around new books or as a way to meet an author.  If you are looking for books in multiple languages I highly recommend Lost in Books at Fairfield. For collectors Love Vintage Books in Willoughby is a terrific store with a very knowledgeable owner. For people who live in the northern part of Sydney Bookoccino is in Avalon and their bookseller has just won an award. I have only ever looked in the window of The Lindfield Learning Hub but they seem to have an extensive collection. Another charming little store (with a smaller children's section) is the Blues Point Bookshop. Kinokuniya is also an amazing chain bookstore and the one I visit the most often. 

I recently picked up a couple of catalogues filled with new children's books. It is interesting to see the titles that appear in both catalogues and also the ones that are unique. I do wonder how these choices are made. I do hope the are selected on merit and independently and not because of sponsorship by a publisher. I do know a group of our booksellers participate in making the selection for the Kids' Reading Guide:

See inside the catalogue here

See inside the catalogue here

Melbourne and the Global Bookshop Crawl

The Global Book Crawl is a worldwide celebration of independent bookshops and those who love them. Readers, writers, and booksellers join forces for one week to create a tapestry of neighbourhood strolls and unforgettable encounters. The heart of the Global Book Crawl is the joy of discovery: wandering through bookstores, getting lost in conversations, and finding titles you didn’t know you needed. Visit two bookshops or twenty, you’re part of something bigger. Here is the list of countries and places participating. 

Australia

• Blue Mountains
• Hobart
• Melbourne
• Mornington Peninsula
• Newcastle
• North East Victoria
• Sydney

I was in Melbourne this week and so unable to do the Sydney bookshop crawl - instead I visited some of the shops on the Melbourne list plus other Melbourne bookshops that didn't feature in this promotion. My extra shops were - three Book Grocer stores (Northcote, Melbourne City, and Melbourne Southern Cross station), The Sun Bookshop in Yarraville and Readings St Kilda.  I was very surprised that The Little Bookroom did not participate. I also ran out of time to visit Readings Kids which is a shop I do enjoy browsing and shopping in. And last time I was in Melbourne I discovered North Melbourne Books - I will go back there on my next trip. 

Participating shops Melbourne (see links here).

• Readings Carlton | Readings Kids | Readings Emporium | Readings State Library
• Amplify Bookstore
• Books for Cooks
• Dymocks Melbourne
• Hill of Content
• Kay Craddock Antiquarian Booksellers
• Mary Martin Southgate | Mary Martin Queen Victoria Market
• Paperback Bookshop

Image from Facebook

I visited ten bookshops (four from the crawl) and purchased four books! 

I spent a long time in Hill of Content. They have a good children's selection. I was able to read a few picture books but they were too heavy for my luggage. I didn't spy any middle grade titles that I wanted to buy - they had many that I had already read. 

I visited their Emporium store - it is beautifully set out. I did get a stamp there but I didn't purchase any books. They had a terrific selection of picture books.

I visited the Melbourne city Dymocks store twice. It surprised me that they were included on the Global Bookshop Crawl as they are a chain store and interestingly the Sydney store was not part of the crawl. The Melbourne store has a huge children's section which is well set out. I find the new layout in Sydney very unappealing. In Melbourne I bought this book:

Why did I select this? It's fairly new (2024); I read some very positive reviews; and the setting is a coal mine and I used to teach in a NSW town based around coal mining.

The Paperback Bookshop is a tiny store which is perfect for book lovers because they hold tons of back stock. Their children's section is very very small because that is not their main focus but I was able to find a book there - an old Australian classic in a new edition with a charming cover:

Here is the Sydney bookshop crawl page with stamps. 

Image source Facebook

If I had been able to take part in Sydney, I would most certainly have visited The Constant Reader; Three Sparrows; Gleebooks; and possibly Abbeys and Kinokuniya even though I go to these last two nearly every week. Sometime over the next month or so I plan to visit a couple of the bookshop crawl stores with a book friend - Gertrude and Alice and the bookshop in Potts Point. 

In an era dominated by algorithms and next-day delivery, the value of independent stores goes far beyond their shelves. “What most local bookshops provide that the digital world [can’t] is curation of the experience. We have incredible knowledge about local and international things. We can help people find the book they’re looking for or recommend things. There’s an incredible wealth of knowledge in the staff, so it’s just a much better experience.”  Anna Low, owner of Potts Point Bookshop

Melbourne Book Shopping

The Younger Sun Bookshop

26 Murray Street, Yarraville VIC 3013

It is always fun to visit Melbourne and even better when I go to different bookshops and YES of course I did buy a few books - even though I worry about lifting my luggage!

Last week I bought these five books. I have read all of them except one:

Published in 2019, purchased from The Book Grocer

Read my review

Published in 2020, purchased from The Younger Sun bookshop

Read my review

Published in 2024, purchased from Ladyhawke, Ivanhoe

Read my review

Published in 2024, purchased from Readings Kids 

Published in 2024 (in English), purchased from Readings Kids

Read my review

Mim and the Anxious Artist by Katrinia Nannestad illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Mim, Nat (her brother) and dad along with their accompanying menagerie of animals have arrived in Paris with their horse drawn bookshop. Mim marvels at the beautiful city and Nat loves the idea of the Awful Tower, his new discovery of French culinary treats and the way he can find his favourite letter 'S' in just about any situation.

They meet a very talented artist named Pierre. His portrait art is captivating but once a painting is completed, he simply cannot give it away or give it to the person who has paid him. This is one of several dilemmas that Mim need to solve with the help of the seemingly mismatched books her father sells each customer from his bookshop. How on earth can a book about gardening help Pierre? Why does the rich lady need The Happy Handyman? And a book about bridges for a famous chef? Surely not. 

In 2021 I read the first first installment of The Travelling Bookshop series. Such a charming story with yummy cakes and the idea of giving the perfect book to a reader! I picked up this one - book three - at a recent charity book sale. I did wonder if I should have read the second installment first but no, the books in this series do stand alone - but IF you can try to get the whole set and then settled down for a delicious week or two of reading. 

In this video Katrina Nannestad talks about her series. Here is her website. You can see more of my posts which feature books by Katrina Nannestad by clicking on the label the bottom of this post. I also adore the illustrations and bright covers by Cheryl Orsini of this book and all the other titles from the series. 

This series is filled with such hope and whimsy, bringing words and the world to life for us. It is a series that I have been following since the beginning, and I am looking forward to seeing where Mim and her family go next with their wonderful bookshop. It’s such a fun series and readers of all ages will get something wonderful out of it. The Book Muse

This is the newest installment published March, 2024

Bookseller blurb: Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they're needed most ... the place where the perfect book will find its way home. Now Mim has arrived in wonderful Venice, city of canals, palaces, bridges, boats and ... quarrels. Gondolier battles, cat nappings and laundry theft are just the beginning. The Magnifico family and the Forte family are at war. Mim knows they're here to help the feuding families. To show them a better way to behave. To bring an end to the vicious vendetta. If only Mim could find each of them the right book. If only they'd all stop reading the wrong books.

Yours in Books by Julie Falatko illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo

Owl is not enjoying all the noise near his tree. He wants peace and quiet. A bookshop flyer arrives in his hollow and he decides to contact the book seller and purchase a book. So begins a series of very funny letters between Owl J Fencepost and B. Squirrel of Pine: A Bookshop.

"I received your marvellous catalogue in the mail and spent many long hours reading the descriptions of all the books. Enclosed is my order form for How to soundproof your Forest Dwelling so that I might read in peace, alone."

Unfortunately B. Squirrel replies that this book is out of stock so Owl tries asking for a different one and so the correspondence continues.

Here is a list of the books he requests - these will give you a good insight into his life of noise and disruptions. 

Owl - The-can-do-guide to moving to a Remote Tropical Island

Squirrel sends - Yes you do want to live in the Woods: Why life in the trees is the bees knees

Owl - How to build a very tall fence

Squirrel sends - The big Woods book of Cooking and Baking

Owl - The Busy Owl's guide to food that will not entice neighbour children to stop by Uninvited

Squirrel sends - 50 fanciful Biscuits and Cakes

Owl - Disguises to make owls look boring, invisible or somewhat menacing

Squirrel sends - Crafts children can do while you nap on the couch and later The Art of the Tea Party

Perhaps this final or almost final book will help you anticipate the happy ending. And yes there is a party and the promise a wonderful new friendship.

How exciting to see this book was given a Kirkus Star review:

This very funny sendup of epistolary novels combines understated text with hyperbolic yet charming art. Distinctive voices and a large format make it perfect for reading aloud.

Full of friendship, letters, books and baking. What a treat! Waking Brain Cells

I was walking through a small market this morning when I spied the second hand book seller. He always has a small, but interesting, collection of children's books and heaps of adult novels. I flicked through his picture books and found two great books (plus four by Bob Graham which I already own) so for just $4 each I picked up this book - Yours in Books and a copy of Where's Julius which is in better condition than the one I already own - so it's out with the old and in with the new.

Yours in Books was published in 2021 and I am pleased to see it is still in print and for a good price. It has a dust jacket and a different image is revealed underneath (a book feature I adore). It looks like a brown paper parcel tied with string and with a terrific stamp. The end papers are perfect and your young reading companion will enjoy finding the snail (snail mail) post man on nearly every page.

Here are some other books illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo:

You can see other books by Julie Falatko on her website. Julie lives in Maine which is a place I long to visit some day.