The Hush Treasure Book and exhibition

This travelling exhibition designed by Books Illustrated showcases the original art for The Hush Treasure Book, created by 20 of Australia's best-loved illustrators. You'll see preliminary sketches and developmental work, as well as the final published art in all its forms, bringing to life this treasure trove of stories, poems and pictures by Australia's favourite storytellers. Scroll to the end of this post for an exciting IBBY Australia art auction with pieces by some of these famous names!

The authors and illustrators in The Hush Treasure Book and exhibition include – Nick Bland, Karen Briggs, Kevin Burgemeestre, Michael Camilleri, Jackie French, Jane Goodwin, Bob Graham, Jacqui Grantford, Mark Greenwood, Ann James, Danny Katz, Frane Lessac, Alison Lester, Chris McKimmie, Doug McLeod, Glenda Millard, Stephen Michael King, Tohby Riddle, Victoria Rohan, Judith Rossell, Paul Seden, Craig Smith, Shaun Tan, Jane Tanner, Karen Tayleur, Mitch Vane, Julie Vivas, Anna Walker, Bruce Whatley, Margaret Wild.

If you subscribe to The Story Box Library you will enjoy hearing and seeing several stories and poems from this anthology. 

Entries vary from very short to moderately long, from the heart-achingly emotive to the fun, fast and fantabulous. Illustrations are also varied in style and type, making this a true feast of endless surprises as pages are flicked. The book includes a bonus CD featuring a special compilation of Hush music compositions. Kids' Book Review

This is a book that will be adored by families, should have wide use in schools, and is perfect for anyone who appreciates the amazing range of talent we have in Australian children’s books. Readings

I first heard Dr Catherine Crock, a pediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne talk about her project of music to help children in hospital back in 2018 at a talk at our Sydney City Recital Hall as a part of their series This Sounds like Science. 

Read more about The Hush Foundation here. They have many CDs with music played by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. You can buy the book from 2015 on their website too. I think this book might already be in many school libraries - I remember seeing it in my former school library. 

Now to talk about the book. This is a splendid anthology for all ages. There are several very special poems, a story with no words, a brilliant ghost story and a magical ride on a seahorse.

The book opens with a poem by Jane Godwin illustrated by Anna Walker.  Here is a tiny extract:

"Let us go then, take my hand,
Let's run down the track and onto the sand.
Let's crawl through the tunnel, let's cross the sea,
We'll go together, you and me."

The story The Best horse of all features a carousel ride and a magical seahorse. The story is by Margaret Wild illustrated by Julie Vivas.

Dot the Tot is a lively little girl who cannot sit still.  Ann James perfectly captures her bounce and energy.

Bob Graham has written a gentle and poignant poem about a man and his old dog. 

The ghost story by Jackie French will give you shivers - it would be a perfect story to read aloud to a group of children in your class or library aged 9+.

Here is an extract from the poem by Glenda Millard (you know I love her language skills):

"I am the falling star

you are the wishful hands

catch me."

I do love anthologies - they are perfect for casual teachers, classrooms, libraries and also for families. My most favourite story and poetry anthology from here in Australia (sadly long out of print) is this one - it is the same book with two different covers:

If you love Australian children's picture book illustrators save the date - IBBY Australia are holding a mini masterpiece art auction and many of the famous names in The Hush Treasure Book have pieces in our auction including Ann James, Bob Graham, and Frane Lessac.

Jigsaw: a Puzzle in the Post by Bob Graham

Why were the Kelly's sent this parcel in the post? We will never know nor do we know who sent it but it was a perfect gift. Bob Graham has given us a wise and thought-provoking book with appeal to a very wide range of ages. Inside the parcel is a jigsaw - many of us remember spending time during those lockdown years (2020-2022) completing and then swapping jigsaws. The father has a very special watch which shows the seasons. This can be interpreted as a reference to how we marked time during lockdown rather than day by day or minute by minute. How wonderful that Dad is the family member with the patience and perseverance to keep going with the puzzle all through Spring and Summer. But alas when the puzzle is finished one piece is missing. Mum has a flashback moment where she remembers the day the rubbish was collected. 

The family jump in their little red car (like the one in Home in the Rain) and head off to the paper recycling centre. But this task seems impossible. Luckily themes of optimism, small miracles and hope ooze out of this book – Katie says they WILL find the puzzle piece even though we, as readers, see the enormous pile of paper at the recycling plant. This task looks even more impossible from the way the illustration shows the tiny family dwarfed by the towering pile of papers. I love the way Katie misinterprets the phrase wishful thinking and says: ‘let’s wish’. 

There are three double pages where the family hunt for the missing piece. Over these spreads, readers are given an insight in to the lives and memories of other people through an inventory of their discarded photos, magazines, newspapers, letters and tickets. These pages are worth lingering over. I spied a very early book by Bob Graham - Pete and Roland. 

Sadly, the family head home - it seems they didn't find that tiny puzzle piece - or did they? Your young reading companion will exclaim with delight because they will know something utterly wonderful before the family make their discovery. 

This is a delightful, intimate and affirming family story. The end papers perfectly bookend the story when we see the jigsaw at the beginning with one missing piece and the finished puzzle at the end and this echoes the plot and the all-important happy and very satisfying ending. The jigsaw is an African sunrise - a morning scene filled with promise for a new day, and which will be enjoyed in the family's suburban lounge room with exotic animals. This puzzle itself is reminiscent of an early book by Bob Graham (Tales from the Waterhole) but there is no need for any familiarity with that book. 

There are so many tiny details to explore in the illustrations – fragments that reward close inspection and revisiting: the stamps on the parcel and the stamps on the envelope containing the thank you letter; the scattered papers as the family walk away from the recycling centre; and the scene on the title page where we can see the mail delivery truck and the postbox which the family then visit at the end of the book. Make sure you tilt the cover to see the laminated overlay of puzzle pieces. 

Notice the way the painting near their front door changes from a flying kangaroo to a lighthouse – I have no idea why, but I love the curiosity of this. This is one of many topics for speculation and discussion about this book. 

The children have alliterative names - Kitty Kelly and Katie Kelly perfect for reading aloud. The wordless pages are brilliant – I can imagine children giggling when they read this book and see the lost piece stuck to the dog and then ending up in the garbage truck. 

Notice also the repeated imagery of shoes and the soles of shoes all of which anticipate the ending when the piece comes home on Dad’s boot. My favourite page is the one where we see an image of legs as the family walk away empty handed – the body language in this illustration is so powerful. Also think about the way time is a character in this book. We have seen this idea before by Bob Graham in Silver Buttons.

Jigsaw: a puzzle in the post was an Early Childhood Children's Book Council of Australia Short listed book. I did hope with all my heart that it would WIN. This book, as with all Bob Graham books, should be added to every school and public library - here in Australia and beyond.

The CBCA judges said: The Kelly family embraces a mysterious puzzle anonymously sent to them in the post. The subplot narrates how a puzzle piece falls to the ground and goes missing while the family undertakes the long project of completing the puzzle. These parallel storylines continue throughout the book. Serendipitously, their threads do cross paths, and the reader is privy to this, while the characters are not. Themes of family, the generosity of strangers, persistence, hope, determination and serendipity are explored. Beautiful illustrations vary from small vignettes, time-lapse, and full-page double spreads. The use of framing and white backgrounds help to focus attention and are used to effect, while the language is simple and economical, yet magical. The mystery of time, and the slowness of its passage, are beautifully mirrored through the almost tragic journey that the puzzle piece takes to ‘the end of the world’, as it were. Without being didactic, Bob Graham shows that we may discover lost things, and enable things of value to return to consciousness when we have the courage to look into dark places and acknowledge our own flawed human nature.

Very strangely this book has a different title in the US:

Kirkus Star review: A celebration of small miracles and the hope that makes them happen.

Horn Book: "Graham's fan will know to expect a miracle. His squiggly, interrupted pen line can render even a pile of wastepaper dynamic, and the cadence of the text makes the ordinary grand."

Here is the publisher blurb: “Oh, let’s do it!” say Kitty and Katy and Mum when a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle mysteriously arrives in the post. “I have time on my hands,” agrees Dad. Starting in winter with the edges, by autumn they’re almost done, only to discover that one piece is missing. Mum is sure that it must have accidentally gone out with the rubbish, so the Kelly's pile into the car to comb through the local tip (“shouldn’t take long”). There they uncover forgotten letters, train tickets, discarded newspapers, and old photos yellow with age, but finding the missing piece is starting to seem like wishful thinking. “Let’s wish, then,” says Katy. As in all of Bob Graham’s work, the beauty here is in the details, with visual perspectives that offer a bird’s-eye view or take us underfoot, wordless sequences letting us in on a secret. Is it sheer luck – or perhaps the power of hope – that creates an ending to the story?

Our Storybox Library made a video of this book - here is a preview. Here are teachers notes and ideas for discussion from the publisher Walker Books. If you click on the label Bob Graham at the bottom of this post you will find details of heaps of his other splendid books. I'm sure the dog in this new book is really Rosie from Let's Get a Pup - do you agree?

Graham infuses his characters with a universal humanity. Mum, Dad, the children and the dog could be any of us. His families are always inspiring as they work together on a problem, promoting hope, radiating love and a togetherness we all aspire to emulate. Fran Knight ReadPlus

Every book from Bob Graham is a celebration. This acclaimed, adored Australian picture book maker has empathy, warmth, humanity and insightfulness brimming from every stroke of his pens and ink. Bookwagon loves Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post and recommends it all the way Down Under and back again to every bedtime reader. Book Wagon

Bev and Kev by Katrina Germein illustrated by Mandy Foot

Where does Bev fit? She is SO tall. The other animals say cruel things to her, mocking her for her height, belittling her for being different. Bev is desperately lonely and very sad. She heads off into the desert. Finally, after days of walking and extreme thirst and hunger Bev collapses in the desert. But she is not alone. A little bird arrives. 

You may already know that yellow-billed oxpeckers hang out on massive African mammals like giraffe, water buffalo, and eland during the day—an often-beneficial relationship that provides hosts with cleaner, healthier skin. These small brown birds can often be seen perched on top or hanging off the animals, picking through their hair in search of tasty parasites like ticks.

Book design - the end papers in Bev and Kev are perfect - they look like the markings on a giraffe. At the front there are simple (child-like) pictures of giraffes on each 'spot' and then at the back we can see nine other African animals - okapi, colobus monkey, secretary bird, and red river hog. The final pages of this book fold out in a joyous celebration of new friends. But the best part of this book are the illustrations.  Take a look at these close-ups of Bev's face. Mandy Foot captures every emotional nuance so perfectly.

Bev and Kev was a 2023 Children's Book Council of Australia Early Childhood shortlisted title. Here are the judges comments:

Themes of friendship, acceptance and finding one’s place and tribe are explored as Bev the giraffe moves through the African landscape, experiencing social rejection from animals that cannot relate to her due to her size. Using the theme ‘opposites attract’, readers may empathise with Bev's loneliness and her joy at finding a non-judgmental companion. Interesting synonyms for ‘big’ provide rich language, while important messages are imparted, such as body image, the comfort found in companionship and how our words may affect others. The pencil and watercolour illustrations shift in perspectives, emphasising Bev’s great height and perfectly matching her mood as seen in the bird’s eye view of her solitary walk. The southern African setting is clearly defined in these outstanding watercolour and pencil illustrations which are placed onto digitally rendered backgrounds, capturing the mood of the story to perfection. Illustrations and text harmonise well, and the spectacularly eye-catching final fold-out page creates a lovely resolution, told wordlessly.

I am sure Bev and Kev has been shared in every school library in Australia this year, but my plea is to keep it at the top of your list when you are selecting books to read in your school library again next year and beyond. I often ponder which books from awards such as our CBCA book of the year titles continue to be shared by Teacher-Librarians and even class teachers. It surprises me, when I look back at the CBCA short lists from past years, how few books featured in my program in later years, but I do think Bev and Kev should be added to your library read aloud repertoire. 

Here are all the books from the 2023 CBCA Short list - Bev and Kev was my own personal favourite after Jigsaw. I have also talked on this blog about Market Day. 

The way Bev and Kev combines actual animals (in this case African animals) with things that are true in nature reminded me of these two classic animal stories both of which are a joy to read aloud.

Puffling

Little Humpty

Subbie and his Mate by Corinne Fenton illustrated by Mark Wilson

 

The most famous horse race in Australia is The Melbourne Cup. It is always run on the first Tuesday in November. in 1992. After his racing career ended Graham Salisbury adopted him.

"Subbie and Graham went to schools, then hospitals and aged-care homes. They visited sick children and lonely old people, those who were fearful or sad or shy. Subbie bought happiness and laughter to them all."

"After the Black Saturday bushfires, Graham and Subbie toured the scorched and blackened countryside, bringing smiles to tired, frightened faces."

Horse lovers will adore this true story about an amazing horse and an even more amazing man. It could also be a book to share with groups of children on Melbourne Cup Day – I had a teacher in my former school who was always looking for books to share with her class on Melbourne Cup Day. 

The story of Subbie touched my heart especially when, as an older retired horse, he visited hospitals, schools and aged-care homes and even assisted people emotionally after the Black Saturday bushfires. He was so much more than a winning racehorse. Reading this book made me want to know more about Graham and Subbie. If you have time, there are a few YouTube videos about Graham and Subzero – they made me cry – so very special. Here is a very short one. And one that is around 3 minutes long. 

The end papers are perfect, but I do wish a different image had been selected for the cover. To me, that is the only weak part of this book. I think the image on the page 'For a handshake and a dollar Graham Salisbury bought the famous thoroughbred' would have been a better choice – it is a powerful, emotional illustration that perfectly matches the tone and themes of this book. Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher with questions and activities and a further reading list. Take a look at this review from Kids' Book Review.  In this interview with EQ Life Magazine, Corinne Felton talks about making this book with Mark Wilson. You can see other books by Corinne Fenton here. And books by Mark Wilson here. 

Here are some notes about the illustrations by Mark Wilson: I use a lot of photos of Subbie for each illustration, of which there are many, including Corinne’s own photos of Subbie at his home. I watched films of Subbie to study how he walked, bowed and galloped, particularly how Subbie and Graham interacted. I sketched from these photos and films, finding different angles, never directly copying, but using them to make sure that all the detail in the illustrations is as realistic as possible – for instance, Subbie’s long thin nose. I draw different angles. Sometimes it’s a long shot, then perhaps a view from above, a ground-level angle, then a close-up, then a long shot - so Subbie is small in the overall picture. Many people do this when making documentaries or movies, for variety, to keep the viewer engaged. I approach picture books the same way.

Here are a couple of other (much less serious) books to share with your students about horse racing:

The Epic Race

I'm not especially keen on these next two books but they might be in your school library - they are both very silly but they might give your young students a smile.

Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation by Ashleigh Barton illustrated by Sarah Davis

Bookseller blurb: It's holiday time for Solomon and his cousins. Uncle Dracula has planned a surprise visit to Paris. There will be fine food, fabulous fashion and fang-tastic art. When the cousins become captivated by a magical Mona Lisa, Solomon gets a bad feeling they're up to something. Again. Soon they have accidentally unleashed mayhem on the city of love and Uncle Dracula is too busy testing his renewed vampire skills to notice. Can Solomon and Lucy save the day before it's too late?

You might like to begin by reading my post about the first book from this series. While it is not essential to read the first book in order to understand this second, I think it would help you make more sense of the main characters especially Solomon, his cousin Lucy, and Uncle Dracula.

Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation will be released tomorrow (3rd October, 2023) - I received an advance copy just over a week ago - thanks UQP. When you read this book it might be good to have a map of Paris and perhaps grab some books about the Mona Lisa. Paris itself feels someone like an extra character in this book. As a way to introduce this book to your students you could discuss why the vampire children want to steal the Mona Lisa - I am sure no one will guess the real reason or the consequences of their heist. 

Here are some fiction and nonfiction books about the Mona Lisa:

I enjoyed the first book in this series about the Titanic. 

This new instalment was published early in 2023

Read more about this on the publisher page. Published in 2023.

I like the way Sarah Davis has illustrated these two covers and alliteration of the titles is fun. There are some very funny moments in this second book. Here are a few examples:

• Uncle Dracula (Dad) shops on EeeeBay. Oh and he keeps saying he slept like a dog when it should be, as Lucy tries to tell him, slept like a log.
• The cranky jetsetter taxi driver, Walter, is a wonderful character (but his taxi is not big enough for the whole family they should have booked a maxi-maxi taxi). I love his taxi rules.
• Leaving for Paris they accidentally leave the youngest child at home - poor Elvis - rather like a scene from the movie Home Alone. The group were halfway across Austria when dad remembered what/who was missing.
• On their previous holiday they stayed at the Fangi-la in the Maldives.
• The getaway car, after they steal the Mona Lisa, is a hot pink, glittery stretch limousine convertible. "Thyme's face ... lit up like it was Halloween. 'A limo!' she exclaimed. 'I've been asking Dad for a limo for centuries. He says they're for show-offs and hens' parties."
• Vincenzo, their own driver from Transylvania, has come to Paris to help but when the magic is unleashed Lucy explains bad things happened to his family in the past - something to do with magic beans and a scam.
• In the library Le Jardin des Livres you will discover a whole new meaning to the idea of speed reading plus the Brewey Decimal System invented by Tabith Brew. Now used in most libraries in the world!

Solomon Macroni and the Vampire Vacation is a long book with 287 pages of fairly small print but the mayhem of the plot means the story just races along to a very satisfying conclusion. 

Here the picture books by Ashleigh Barton:

Before you were Born by Katrina Germein illustrated by Helene Magisson

"Famil and friends all gathered here, bringing their love, good wishes and cheer. All the talk was of you and when you would come. Were you kicking inside? Or sucking your thumb?

In this book each page shows a different family at various family events and in each scene we see a mum-to-be. There is a family part in a suburban backyard; a group arriving at the family farm and a group of ladies sitting on the red earth of the outback. On the following pages we see more gatherings and the giving of gifts - tiny new clothes and toys. On the final double spread we see the four mums with their partners and their new baby. There are subtle references to disabilities - such as the guide dog with the mum sitting in a park. When you go back you will see her guide dog sleeping in the lounge room and her white guide stick. 

Take a look here to see Helene Magisson creating the art for this book. Here is the web page for Katrina Germein. If you use this book with a group of Kindergarten or Grade One students here is a set of teaching notes. 

Helene Magisson’s exquisite illustrations encompass all that Katrina Germein expresses in her verse text, and more. Visually stunning, this outstanding picture book represents every parent, regardless of their origins. Kids' Next Read

Written in rhyming couplets the text focuses on the experience of the baby shower. It features the traditions of a variety of family groups from an array of different cultures. (I would give this book an A+ for sensitive inclusivity). Further, the book beautifully captures the speculation and longing that accompanies many pregnancies. Reading Time

This would be a lovely gift for a family who are expecting a new baby perhaps as a baby shower gift and then it would be a book to share with that child after they are born and through their early years to talk about the excitement of waiting for the new baby. I have one photo of my mum when she was pregnant, and it is a special photo because I can see she is happy and enjoying the garden in her new home. When I was a child I loved this photo because it 'proved' I really did 'belong' to my mum and dad. 

Jorn's Imagination by Coral Vass illustrated by Nicky Johnston

"Jorn loved ideas. He collected ideas everywhere he went."

"Then one day, Jorn had a new idea. A magnificent idea."

"Jorn decided to enter a competition."

The timing of this book is perfect as we celebrate 50 years of the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House opened in October 1973 and this month in 2023 there are a huge number of events to commemorate this event. 

Did Jorn Utzon really find inspiration in orange peels? I adore this idea and do hope/assume it is true.  young children do need to read about the creator of one of our most iconic buildings and this narrative is very accessible. 

I also found this text very engaging as an adult reader even though I knew some of the back story. It was fascinating to discover Jorn demonstrated his interest in architecture from a very young age. There was a huge amount of controversy in Sydney over the building of our Sydney Opera House - issues of the design, money (it was very expensive), time and construction conflicts but none of this needed to be explained in this book - the main idea here is to celebrate the genius of Jorn Utzon and the glorious building that has become an iconic symbol of Sydney and Australia. My own personal connection comes back in 1973 when my father who was the President of the parent group at my high school (Mackellar Girls) decided the school speech day or presentation day should be held at the Opera House. Very strangely I was not able to be there, but I imagine it was a very exciting day.

The timeline on the final end paper is excellent and the front-end papers invite close study and then these images are repeated later in the text. 

I love the suspense and pace of the final pages where we see people looking across from the Botanical Gardens but we cannot see the Opera House, then turn the page and as a reader we are still waiting for the big reveal, then another page turn, with a recap through fragments of his inspiration, and then finally the full building nestled beside the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the soft dusk light. 

Publisher blurb: Was it a sailboat, a seashell, a swan or an orange peel that inspired Jørn to design Australia’s most recognisable building? In this gorgeously illustrated story, we follow Jørn through childhood as he discovers his love of building and creating, gathering ideas from everything around himself. When he grows bigger, so do his ideas, and something begins to take shape… can you guess what it might be? Jørn’s story is about embracing dreams, believing in your own abilities, and the power of new ideas. Written in honour of the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Opera House, it is also a topical springboard for educators and families into how the iconic landmark came to be. In celebrating the incredibly talented Jørn Utzon, it shows children that there are no limits to what they might achieve if they follow their dreams.

I would have liked a further reading list to be included and perhaps a list of sources used by Coral Vass because I did read that she did huge amount of research for her book including talking with the Utzon family. This is hinted at in the dedication.  A photo of the Sydney Opera House could also have been included on a notes page. But on the other hand, this book is aimed at younger children and it can be used as an excellent jumping off point for further research. By way of coincidence a relative of Jorn Utzon was a student at my former school. This book should be added to every Primary school and public library here in Australia. 

John Utzon's, Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination is written with the wonderful lilting cadence of repeated phrasing, alongside the anticipation of ‘expected’ surprises through language. Writer Coral Vass easily - and cleverly - takes us from Jørn's youth to adulthood with an elegant economy of words, deftly explaining all the while how his creativity is nurtured and grown. Kids' Book Review

Sensitively written and illustrated in a way that doesn’t reveal the mystery to the end, this is a book that not only celebrates a little life that has big dreams that come true, but inspires the reader to drift away and imagine ... The Bottom Shelf

Jorn's Magnificent Imagination was a 2023 Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book Notable title. Here is the web page for Coral Vass. Here are some teachers notes from the publisher. You can see all of Nicky Johnston's books here. 

Here's another children's book about our Opera House (long out of print but it might be in a library):

Meet Florence, a flamboyant fur seal who lives on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.

Unlike the other seals, Florence has plans. Big plans. She's going to be a world-famous singer.

But does Florence have what it takes to become a real SEALPRANO?

Based on a true story, THE SINGING SEAL is for anyone who has ever felt small but dreamt BIG!

From the book Incredible Cross-Sections by Stephen Biesty

Further reading for teachers and adults:

Architect Magazine

Art Now and Then

Doco Mo Mo Australia