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Who doesn’t love elephants? Big flappy ears, long trunks, determination, and big-hearted … One of my favourite childhood memories is of sitting beside a crackly record player, listening to the story of how The Elephant’s Child got his trunk. Although his aunts and uncles kept spanking him for his ‘satiable curiosity’, The Elephant’s Child never… continue reading »
Today is World Animal Day, a good opportunity to share a sneak peek of my new book. Today I received an advance copy of The Last Light Horse, due for release March 2022 with Fremantle Press. The Last Light Horse follows the story of Sandy, the only Australian horse (of approx. 136,000) to return from World… continue reading »
It’s wonderful to be back in the Pilbara, the setting for my anthropomorphic novel, The Dog with Seven Names. I’m here to give presentations at the Port Hedland Library and St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary but I’ve also been researching a new novel about a cyclone, one that features a different animal, the horse. More about… continue reading »
It’s almost Anzac Day, a time to remember our veterans and to act in ways that foster peace. On April 25th, I like to read stories about the animals that served during wartime, and the mascots that lifted the spirits of our soldiers and nurses. Thousands of Australian animals went to World War One. There… continue reading »
One of the best little museums in Australia is tucked away on a cattle farm along WA’s south-west coast. Recollections of War, run by John and Kathryn Shapland, showcases military memorabilia, but their driving passion is discovering the stories behind the historical objects they collect. And those stories are not just human… I visited the… continue reading »
In my previous post, The Bilby versus the Bunny, I wrote that in Australia our relationship with rabbits is complex. With Easter just a few days away, today’s post features The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan, an extraordinary, thought-provoking title. At first glance, this award-winning book looks like a kids’ title, and it… continue reading »
Are you in the Easter Bunny or Easter Bilby camp? Last year I shared a blog featuring five bilby books, so this year it’s the bunnies’ turn. In Australia our connection with rabbits is complex. As an introduced species, rabbits are a pest that threatens native wildlife. This is reflected in literature; compare the sweet… continue reading »
During these strange, Covid-days, I’ve found that reading about free-ranging wolves has been strangely comforting. Wolves are great characters; across cultures they’ve long been symbols of fear and badness. Authors such as Kate Forsyth and Amelia Starling have written about their metaphoric use in folk stories, warning women not to talk to strangers in the… continue reading »
Have you noticed people wearing purple poppies on February 24th? Or veterans wearing purple poppies alongside their red ones on Remembrance Day? Purple poppies honour the animals that served alongside humans during wartime. Follow this link to find out more about purple poppies. And a selection of books featuring wartime animals can be found on… continue reading »
Which zodiac animal are you? In traditional Chinese astrology, 2021 is the Year of the Metal Ox. I’m an Ox person. As a child, Ox seemed the most boring zodiac animal to be, but this year steadiness feels like a good quality to aspire to. A more peaceful year ahead is predicted and I hope… continue reading »
Dianne is the award-winning author of 19 books for children and teenagers.
Her PhD research into the Crafting of Animal Characters in Australian Children’s Literature resulted in two novels, Dog with Seven Names and Shark Caller. The latter, a cross-cultural quest novel, was a CBCA Notable and shortlisted for WAYRBA. The former, also a CBCA Notable, won the Speech pathology awards, was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Awards and will be published in China.
