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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 »
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 »
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 »
As parents return to offices and children label new school stationary, Shaun Tan‘s fabulous book, Cicada reminds us of the importance of being brave and remaining true to our dreams. To help little people prepare, I’ve updated and added to my list of First Day Animal Books. You can access the list from the link… continue reading »
Do you make a New Year Resolution? My 2020 plan to write regular anthropomorphic posts went out the window, along with so many other things this year. However, my love of animal fiction remains strong as ever. With this fresh new year comes new resolutions to better juggle priorities. And so… on the 1st and… continue reading »
Do dogs in the White House influence politics? It seems the answer could be yes. This fascinating article explores how mixed-breed Pushinka may have averted a Cold War nuclear catastrophe in the early 1960s. And check out this thought-provoking YouTube clip: dog lovers for Joe. You can’t fake a relationship with a dog, and showing… continue reading »
I’ve never read anything like this. Laura Jean McKay‘s novel is like anthropomorphism on steroids… I loved it. A strange pandemic is moving outwards from Australian cities (timely) and infected people can understand animals. This should be fascinating, but what the animals are saying isn’t that nice, and people are losing their minds. Jean, the… continue reading »
Thousands of Australian animals went to World War One. There were dogs, cats, cockatoos, kangaroos, wallabies, a rooster called Jackie and even a koala whose name was Teddy. These animal mascots helped cheer the homesick soldiers, but just one animal returned. Working animals also went to war; carrier pigeons, horses, and donkeys. Of the 136,000… continue reading »
In Australia, rabbits are destructive pests, so shy marsupial bilbies are the new heroes of Australian Easter Bunny stories. Bilbies look like rabbits. They’re a similar size and they have very long ears. Here are five stories with bilby characters. Three books share the same Easter topic with bilbies as the same central characters, but… 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.
