Book Week

Happy Book Week 2023!

This week, many of our classes will be celebrating books and reading in a wide variety of ways. Our Foundation students will be taking a walk to the Campbell Turnbull Library where they will take part in a community story time. Some of our (very lucky!) Year 3/ 4 students are going to hear author Andy Griffiths speak about his drafting and writing process at the Melbourne Convention Centre. 

The highlight of our week will, of course, be our Dress up Day on Thursday. Look out for communication about parade times in the coming days. 

Over the weekend, the Children’s Book Council of Australia announced the winners in the various categories for book of the year. 

The winner of the ‘Picture Book of the Year’ was My Strange Shrinking Parents written and illustrated by Zeno Sworder. 

Many of our classes have used this book as a mentor text during our inquiry into Australia’s connections with Asia, as it is a beautifully illustrated story about immigration and difference. 

The CBCA judges said; 

 “This book is a celebration and fresh perspective on love and self-denial, which many children of immigrant families may recognise, and for other children should help build empathy. Every part of this book design has been crafted with enormous care. The portrait shaped cover is tactile and contains an intriguing image. The end papers, filled with teapots, help to set the mood. There are muted backgrounds which imply hazy or slightly unreliable memories. Small objects appear extra-large helping the reader see the world from both perspectives. The sublime artwork situates itself within an Eastern aesthetic, making nods to the Willow Pattern story, while still giving voice to a surreal reality of immigrant life. The illustrations use light and shadow to great effect and the metaphor of size is repeated in the images beautifully reflecting the sacrifices the parents have made so that their child can grow in a new place, with new opportunities.”

You can watch a read-aloud of My Strange Shrinking Parents here