Norah Colvin

Live Love Laugh Learn … Create the possibilities

Category: readilearn

  • Once Upon a Whoops! Cover Reveal — Pre-orders Open – #readilearn

    Once Upon a Whoops! Cover Reveal — Pre-orders Open – #readilearn

    Today I am excited to announce that this year’s Share Your Story Anthology, Once Upon a Whoops! is available for pre-order now and will be available for sale on 1 September.

    Once Upon a Whoops! is a collection of twisted fairy tales and ridiculous rhymes with peculiar pictures, all by Australian authors and illustrators.

    I am delighted to tell you that I have two fractured fairy tales included in the collection: Three Alpha Pigs and Silverlocks and the Three Bears.

    Three Alpha Pigs twists the original Three Little Pigs with three pig brothers who are definitely of this century. In case you didn’t know, as I didn’t until I researched it for my story, Generation Alpha are those born since 2010. Like many of their generation, the brothers play video games and avoid chores whenever possible. They think that having built successfully in Minecraft, they’ll be able to build successfully in the ‘real’ world when they leave home and need somewhere to live. Mr Gruff, who lives next door, doesn’t think they’ll stay away from the comforts of home too long. His kids never do.

    Silverlocks is an older Goldilocks. She’s done her time and wishes everyone would stop reminding her of her past. She uses an online booking service to secure holiday accommodation, but things don’t turn out as she hoped and flashbacks of the past intrude on her stay.

    In addition to my two stories, there are more than forty stories and poems collected in the anthology, including some by authors I’ve previously interviewed: June Perkins, Karen Hendricks, M J Gibbs and anthology organiser Michelle Worthington. Many other stories and poems are also by already published authors with many books to their names, so I’m in good company.

    Proceeds of Sales

    As with each of the previous Share Your Story anthologies, sales of the book will raise funds for charity. This year’s charity is Life’s Little Treasures Foundation, an organisation that provides support for families of premature or sick babies. This includes items such as Precious Prem Packs and guide books for families in hospital.

    Copies of the anthology will be sent to every children’s hospital in Australia as part of the Little Readers Readathon.

    Continue reading: Once Upon a Whoops! Cover Reveal — Pre-orders Open – readilearn

  • Let’s meet courageous, creative Claudette by Helene Magisson – #readilearn

    Let’s meet courageous, creative Claudette by Helene Magisson – #readilearn

    Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to Claudette, the beautiful new picture book written and illustrated by Helene Magisson, published by Red Paper Kite. While Helene has illustrated many other picture books, this is the first that she has both written and illustrated.

    I have previously introduced you to Helene’s gorgeous artwork when interviewing her about Magic Fish Dreaming, a collection of poems by June Perkins and Sarah’s Two Nativities by Janine M Fraser. Please refer back to those posts to find out more about her beautiful artwork.

    About Helene Magisson

    Helene Magisson is an award-winning illustrator. She started her artistic career as a painting restorer in Paris, where she was also trained in the art of medieval illumination.
    Helene has lived in Africa, France and India. She is now settled down in Australia with her family. She has illustrated more than 15 books and has collaborated with major Australian publishers.
    Recent awards include:
    • Claudette, her first book as an author-illustrator, has been longlisted in the Australia Books Industry Awards 2021
    • Little Puggle’s Song written by Vikki Conley, CBCA 2020 Notable Picture Book of the Year
    • Slowly! Slowly! written by T.M. Clark, CBCA 2018 Notable Picture Book of the Year

    About Claudette 

    Loutka is a brilliant puppet maker. All of his creations work perfectly, just as he expects them to. Except for Claudette. She is a rickety misfit who longs for freedom and adventure. What can be done with such a puppet? Loutka doesn’t know.
    So Claudette stays on the shelf. Until one incredible day…

    Claudette takes the reader on a courageous and magical adventure beyond the clouds, discovering the power of beauty, possibility and self-worth along the way.

    ‘A book infused with magic!’ – Megan Daley, Children’s Books Daily

    Longlisted in the Australia Books Industry Awards 2021

    The Interview

    Helene, we’ve met you before as an illustrator of beautiful picture books. Now we are talking to you as an author-illustrator.

    What gave you the idea for this delightful story of the extraordinary puppet Claudette?

    Continue reading: Let’s meet courageous, creative Claudette by Helene Magisson – Readilearn

  • Cultivating friendships on the International Day of Friendship – #readilearn

    Cultivating friendships on the International Day of Friendship – #readilearn

    Next Friday 30 July is the International Day of Friendship. One of the aims of the International Day of Friendship is to foster a culture of peace through education. It is “based on the recognition of the relevance and importance of friendship as a noble and valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings around the world”.

    Some children find it easy to make friends. Others may find it a little more difficult. While some of us enjoy time on our own, there’s no denying that days are often brighter with friends. This is especially true of children at school. Without a friend to play with, children can feel left out and alone. They may feel they don’t belong and begin to think ‘What’s wrong with me?’ Having a friend or two can influence how they feel about attending school and impact the whole school experience.

    The establishment of a welcoming and supportive classroom in which all children have a sense of belonging is essential and underpins a great year of learning and teaching for all involved. Part of that classroom is the social dynamics and friendship groups. They don’t always form naturally and, especially when some friendship groups are already established, newcomers may have difficulty being accepted when they try to fit in.

    Here at readilearn, we have a variety of lessons, activities and teaching resources to assist the teaching of friendship skills in your classroom. They can all be found in the Friendship Skills collection in the section Character Development.

    Getting to know each other

    Getting to know you surveys are a great way for teachers and children to get to know each other at the beginning of the year, and support the establishment of a welcoming, supportive environment in which individuals are respected and appreciated. Topics to survey are limited only by your imagination. With the incidental development of literacy and mathematical skills, they make an all-round great introduction to school.

    Me and my friends Children interview their friends to find out ways in which they are similar and how they differ from each other

    As children get to know each other, they come to realise that they have some characteristics in common and some that differ. Those characteristics do not make them better or worse. They make them who they are.

    Me and My Buddy is a great activity for your children’s first session with their buddy class.

    Children interview their buddies to find out more about them and discuss ways in which they and their buddies are similar and different.

    A community of friends

    Continue reading: Cultivating friendships on the International Day of Friendship – Readilearn

  • Meet Oswald Messweather a delightful new picture book by Dimity Powell – #readilearn

    Meet Oswald Messweather a delightful new picture book by Dimity Powell – #readilearn

    Today I am delighted to reintroduce you to Dimity Powell as she introduces us to Oswald Messweather, the star of her latest picture book. I have previously talked with Dimity about her earlier books At the End of Holyrood Lane  and Pippa. She also wrote a wonderful guest post for us about the importance of libraries, Libraries: A Wondrous Universe to Explore.

    About Dimity Powell

    Award winning children’s author, Dimity Powell writes exclusively for children with over 30 published stories including Oswald Messweather (2021), Pippa (2019), critically acclaimed, The Fix-It Man (2017) and At The End of Holyrood Lane (2018), winner of the 2019 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award.

    Dimity believes kids and great stories are life-essentials, like ice-cream. She fills her spare time reviewing the ones she loves (stories that is, not ice-cream flavours) at DIM’S re VIEWS and Kids Book Review for whom she is the Managing Editor. She is also a Books in Homes Australia Role Model, an accredited Write Like an Author facilitator and online and in-school presenter for G.A.T.E.WAYS Education.

    Dimity is an experienced presenter at writing festivals, conferences and schools both in Australia and overseas who is represented by Speakers Ink and Creative Kids’ Tales Speakers Agency. She loves eating cake with ice cream, sailing on the beam and writing in her diary although combining all three at once makes her nauseous.

    Dimity lives on the Gold Coast, Australia where dreams sparkle and superheros surf. Discover more at http://www.dimitypowell.com.

    About Oswald Messweather

    Mess and disorder upset Oswald. Even the complexity of his own name is enough to set Oswald’s legs jiggling and his palms itching with anxiety. To combat his unease, Oswald obsessively counts his take-everywhere pocket pals – his crayons. It is a compulsion he finds comforting but also extremely exhausting.

    Oswald’s obsessive preoccupations distract him from everything and everyone else around him, until one day Oswald is encouraged to use his penchant for perfection and eye for detail in a class project. With the help of his crayons, Oswald’s classmates create something spectacular, which helps Oswald realise just how valuable he is in spite of his anxieties.

    Oswald Messweather is not a picture book that focuses intently on the educational perspectives of children with OCD but rather more on the emotional aspects associated with this debilitating condition.

    The Interview

    Thank you so much for visiting us at readilearn again, Dimity. It’s a pleasure to have you here to talk about your new book. Please tell us, what gave you the idea for Oswald Messweather?

    Continue reading: Meet Oswald Messweather a delightful new picture book by Dimity Powell – readilearn

  • Lessons for teaching the letters and their most common sounds – #readilearn

    Lessons for teaching the letters and their most common sounds – #readilearn

    This week, I am delighted to tell you that I have finished making and have uploaded a lesson for each letter of the alphabet ready to teach on the interactive whiteboard. I had hoped to have them finished by the end of June, but I don’t feel too bad that it took me until 4 July — not too far over my goal.

    Each letter is introduced in its own lesson with its most common sound, as is the expectation of most English curricula and phonics programs. This includes 20 consonants and the short sound for each of the 5 vowels (a, e, i, o and u). The letter ‘x’ is the exception. Its most common sound is ‘ks’ as heard in ‘box’, so that is how it is introduced.

    The lessons are available individually and can be used in any order.

    They are titled, for example Let’s learn about initial j and can be found in the Literacy/phonics collection.

    Each lesson follows the same format.

    The letter and ten words are presented aurally as well as visually with images as an additional aid to memory.

    Continue reading: Lessons for teaching the letters and their most common sounds – readilearn

  • Rollo’s Wet Surprise by Penny Macoun — a review – #readilearn

    Rollo’s Wet Surprise by Penny Macoun — a review – #readilearn

    Today it is my pleasure to introduce you to the delightful new picture book Rollo’s Wet Surprise by Penny Macoun as part of a Books on Tour promotion.

    About Penny Macoun

    Penny Macoun was born in Sydney, Australia. She has been writing since 1993 when her story about a funnel web spider was printed in a school newsletter. Ever since, Penny has loved the ‘other worlds’ that words create, and hopes to continue to create these worlds for many years to come. Rollo’s Wet Surprise is her second book. When she is not writing or editing, Penny dabbles in various forms of visual arts and enjoys being in the garden.

    About Rollo’s Wet Surprise

    Rollo is a dog who loves to go to work with his owner, Jim. Jim is a builder, and when he is working, Rollo loves to explore all the different homes Jim and his team of builders work at.

    One day, the builders are moving lots of big, heavy windows to a safe area. Rollo begins to explore this new part of the garden, and sniffs around.

    While Rollo is exploring, he gets a very wet surprise!

    What I like about this book

    Continue reading: Rollo’s Wet Surprise by Penny Macoun — a review – readilearn

  • Ocean Devotion by Elizabeth Cummings — a review – #readilearn

    Ocean Devotion by Elizabeth Cummings — a review – #readilearn

    Earlier this month on 8 June, we celebrated World Oceans Day, so I was delighted to be invited to participate in the Books on Tour promotion of the new book Ocean Devotion written by Elizabeth Mary Cummings and illustrated by Melissa Salvarani.

    World Oceans Day is a day for celebrating, protecting and conserving the world’s oceans. ‘The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.’

    The theme for 2021 is ‘One Ocean, One Climate, One Future — Together’

    The book Ocean Devotion helps to spread that message in an empowering story which urges us to take action to care for the ocean and life in and beneath its waves.

    The message begins with the dedications:

    “Our oceans are precious. Let us join together to build a cleaner, greener future for all. With love and thanks to you Dad for your example.” E.C.

    “In a few years we have created a sixth continent made of plastic, a practically indestructible material. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are the three magic words that can change the world.” M.S.

    About Ocean Devotion

    Continue reading: Ocean Devotion by Elizabeth Cummings — a review – readilearn

  • Picture Books about the Environment — a selection – #readilearn

    Picture Books about the Environment — a selection – #readilearn

    Sharing picture books with young children is one of my favourite things. Picture books can fill children’s minds with wonder, curiosity and imagination, and their hearts with love. Picture books lead them gently into the world beyond their own front doors. They allow children to explore the previously unexplored in the comfort and safety of their own familiar surroundings, at home or at school.

    In this post, I share some books that will help children develop an interest in and concern for the environment through reading and discussion.

    Ethicool Books

    A good place to start is with publisher Ethicool Books. I recently interviewed Stuart French, the founder, who explained their goal of engaging children in discussions about issues such as climate change, ocean pollution, poverty and gender equality through stories told in their beautiful picture books. While you can find a full list of their books on their website, these are some of my favourites:

    Remembering Mother Nature by Stuart French introduces children to the concept of Mother Nature and encourages them to take an active interest in the environment and help to save the planet.

    My Rainforest Classroom by Stuart French introduces children to the beauty of the world’s environments and its inhabitants. It shows how easily the environment can be damaged and urges them to take action to protect it.

    Continue reading: Picture Books about the Environment — a selection – Readilearn

  • Meet author Karen Tyrrell and the fifth exciting Song Bird Superhero adventure: Drought Rescue – #readilearn

    Meet author Karen Tyrrell and the fifth exciting Song Bird Superhero adventure: Drought Rescue – #readilearn

    Today it is my pleasure to reintroduce you to Karen Tyrrell with the fifth of her books in the Song Bird Superhero series. Each of the books in the series encourages children to believe in themselves and their ability to make a positive difference.

    In each adventure, Song Bird tackles a problem facing a different environment and empowers children with knowledge they can use to protect our precious world.

    With World Environment Day occurring tomorrow on 5 June, Karen couldn’t have picked a better time to launch her book.

    About Karen Tyrrell

    Karen Tyrrell is an award-winning author and former teacher who coordinated science at her school. Karen and hubby, Steve won an Arts Queensland stART grant to travel to Winton and Longreach to research Song Bird: Drought Rescue.

    As a girl, Karen dreamed of flying. Now she soars via alter ego Song Bird, superhero. Karen’s eleven books connect children with their inner superheroes. Her characters empower kids to live strong, develop team-building skills and grow resilience to deal with bullying.

    Karen lives in Brisbane, Quensland, where she presents FUN storytelling sessions and creative writing workshops at schools, libraries and festivals.

    Kids Helpline supports Karen’s books, STOP the Bully and Bailey Beats the Blah. The Queensland Department of Environment and Science supports Song Bird: Rainforest Rescue and Song Bird: Great Barrier Reef Rescue.

    About Song Bird: Drought Rescue

    Continue reading: Meet author Karen Tyrrell and the fifth exciting Song Bird Superhero adventure: Drought Rescue – readilearn

  • Tiny Flying Insects #flashfiction

    Tiny Flying Insects #flashfiction

    This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes tiny flying insects. Think about how the insects shape the scene or add to the action. Go where the prompt leads!

    Like many, I have a love-hate relationship with tiny flying insects. I love some. I hate some. Well, perhaps hate is too strong a word. I dislike their presence but appreciate their contribution to the environment, whether it be as decomposers or valuable food source.

    My love list includes:

    • butterflies
    • bees
    • ladybirds
    • dragonflies

    My not-so-much list includes:

    • cockroaches
    • flies
    • mosquitos
    • midges

    These two groups probably lie at either end of the continuum with thousands more in between.

    My fascination with these tiny creatures can be easily evidenced on readilearn, my collection of teaching resources for the first three years of school, where there are numerous resources devoted to minibeasts, especially bees, butterflies, and ladybirds.

    Keeping caterpillars in the classroom and watching them progress through their life stages until metamorphosing into adult butterflies was one of the children’s and my favourite things. It is a wonderful way to enable children to see nature close up and develop an appreciation for these tiny creatures and their contribution to the environment. It encourages them to look more closely and with more wonder when exploring the outdoors.

    It would be easy to write a story about one of the tiny flying insects that I love and more of a challenge to write about one that I love not-quite-so-much. However, I have previously written a story about a fly for an (imaginary) audience of young children. I share a 99-word synopsis of that story in response to Charli’s challenge. Let’s see what you think of it.

    BBQ the Fly

    Named for their favourite thing, BBQ’s parents farewelled their son on his first independent foray.

    “You can! Avoid the can!” they called. BBQ had trained relentlessly, perfecting every manoeuvre — walking on ceilings, buzzing people and, especially, dodging the dreaded spray.

    BBQ’s antennae zeroed in on a backyard barbecue where he chose a juicy sausage for his ritual dance. He had just extended his proboscis when a swarm muscled in. Through the crowd, one of his compound eyes caught the glint of something metallic —a can!

    He retracted his proboscis and escaped just as the spray downed the unfortunate swarm.

    Thank you blog post

    Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.