Welcome to Kids Book Review’s exciting new posts
segment, Look What I’m Reading! This
is a monthly post in the form of a questionnaire, answered by people connected
to the children’s book industry.
The premise of these posts is to introduce
interesting information from wide-reaching areas of the children’s book
industry; to reveal to readers of children’s books which books are being read
by the interviewees, and the reason for their choices and their source, so a
picture of current reading trends is revealed.
Our guest posts will include publishers,
literary agents, writers of all genres, illustrators of varying styles and
media, booksellers and book buyers, librarians, teachers, literacy advocates
and a great many others from differing imprints and new and established
publishers, beginning from board books to Young Adult novels.
Sharing our guests’ reads offers the opportunity
for children’s book lovers to learn about children’s books in general, and
access behind-the-scenes information about how books are chosen, and why, and
by whom. Interested? Join us at our monthly posts. Booklovers of all kind will find something of
interest in KBR’s posts to which all feedback is welcome.
literacy ambassador, and founder of Kids’ Book Review and the 52-Week Illustration Challenge. She has 40 books in print or production, and her works have received shortlistings and awards including several CBCA Notable Books and the SCBWI Crystal Kite for Australia/New Zealand (SmileCry). Her latest titles are Merry Everything and See Hear.
Which
children’s book are you currently reading?
I
tend to read about a dozen at a time, mainly because most of them are fiction
and non-fiction picture books (though many of the latter are quite wordy). I
pile them next to my bed and slowly savour each and every page.
The one I’m nibbling (because I
don’t want it to end) right now is called Impossible
Inventions: Ideas That Shouldn’t Work by Małgorzata Mycielska, illustrated
by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński (Gecko Press, 2017). If anyone else in the
family wants to even glimpse this right now, they’ll have to distract me with
another book and prise it out of my greedy hands.
Can you tell
us in two sentences what the book is about?
The title
says it all. From ancient to modern times, the book showcases a stream of
unlikely and bizarre contraptions and seemingly impossible ideas and
inventions—some that worked, some that never worked and some that (ominously)
worked only once.
How much did
you enjoy/are enjoying this title?
I am
absolutely loving it. I’m part way through, but I’d say the total time spent
will be at least three hours. The fascinating text is accompanied by diagrams,
labels and cartoonish (funny!) illustrations, making it entrancing for all
ages. I thrive on learning new things. Makes me feel like a kid again.
What made
you choose this title? Was it a review, advertising, the cover, the blurb, the
author/illustrator, or the subject/genre?
I’m always
on the lookout for fascinating, beautifully-illustrated/designed and unusual
non-fiction. I saw this while shopping in Harry Hartog bookstore in Canberra. I
had a gift voucher to spend, and I think 70 per cent of the titles I bought that
day were non-fiction. Pretty typical of me.
What
stood out was the cover—the unique illustration style. Then the title whacked
me right in the cerebral cortex. I grabbed the book and wasn’t letting go. The
fact that it was illustrated by two creators I greatly admire, also helped.
I have about
twenty. Some of the adult books include Stephen King’s On Writing, Jeff Vandermeer’s
Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction and
Stephen Fry’s Mythos. Adult/kid
hybrid books include Charley Harper: An
Illustrated Life by Todd Oldham, All
the Buildings in Paris and All the
Buildings in Melbourne by James Gulliver Hancock.
How did you
come by these titles: personal choice/request, publisher’s review copy, or
other?
The vast
majority of books I buy are found while perusing book shelves in stores, or
cruising bookstores online, book blogs, and publisher websites. I also come
across lots of titles in random places—as part of the zeitgeist; news items and
interviews, for example. I follow a lot of authors and illustrators on social
media, so I tend to know what’s coming out (the two Gulliver-Hancock books were
sighted on Instagram).
I
must admit, I do love collecting books from favourite creators, but then I also
love stumbling across new talent. I love Aussie titles but a lot of my books
are European—most translated, but some not. That's the great thing about picture books. You can 'read' them in other languages.
Do you have
a favourite genre? If so, what is it, and why do you prefer it?
Picture
books all the way. But there are so many sub-genres in picture books—so it’s a
rich field. Fiction, non-fiction, faction, concept books, pop-up books,
wordless, graphic novels, biographical, high text, literary, quirky, activity
books, and more.
Right
now, non-fiction/information/biographical picture books are my preferred choice
because they have undergone a revolution of late and there are some
astonishingly beautiful, remarkable, collectible works available. I
particularly love the large format ones that are too big for any shelf, so
you’re forced to display them as art. What a shame.
Do you read
from printed books or some other medium? Please expand a little on the why of
your choice.
Always
printed books. It’s a soul connection thing. The paper, the weight, the sound,
the feel. Nothing compares. I stare at a screen all day. Printed books are my
respite and my happy place. 