The Importance of Picture Books

An awards shortlist brings up many emotions, especially the Children's Book Council of Australia one, as it is also so full of promise – accolades for the creators, respect for the book, and extra sales for all! But it also offers picture books, particularly, a long and healthy life and that encourages our artists and writers to continue to create these very special and seminal books.

Without picture books to entertain and delight our children, we’d never have adult readers I’m sure.

So for the spectacular talents we have in this country in the form of Anna Walker, Alison Lester,  Lucy Estela, Matt Ottley and Ronojoy Ghosh, their books being shortlisted means we will see their talents again and again. And children will be exposed to the very best in art and words. Something we should be truly proud of in our country as our identity and character are celebrated.

The quality and magnitude of ideas expressed in these four shortlisted picture books is a brilliant indication of  who we are as a country and how our culture is defined.

Anna Walker explores emotional territory in the beautiful MR HUFF with such a deft hand that the inner world of us all, even the challenging inner world, is explored in a way that makes us know what it is to be human – vulnerability and emotion are not to be shied away from.

Alison Lester’s MY DOG BIGSY is a colorful delight, full of wit and adventure  and mischief and excitement – we all know Bigsie, in fact we are all Bigsie at times and her brilliance makes the somewhat ordinary  extraordinary, always.

In SURI'S WALL, Lucy Estela and Matt Ottley create a world that appears unfamiliar, yet the layers and poignancy in art and text lead us quietly to something all too familiar – something politic, and relevant and frightening – what lies beyond borders, what lies beyond a wall, and what it is to be imprisoned.

And Ronojoy Ghosh, the newest name to this impressive list, brings a whimsy and flight of fancy – literally – to OLLIE AND THE WIND and a painterly style that is magical, and assured and guarantees him a long future head.

We are a country of people that are mischievous, politic, whimsical, vulnerable and brash. We applaud our familiar culture, but are openhearted about the new; we question who we are, and who we were and more importantly, who we might be.

To see such traits and explorations in these wonderful shortlisted picture books is something we should all be proud of. They represent who we are at their heart.

Laura Harris
Publishing Director
Penguin Young Readers