announcing Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo!

My warmest thanks to Barbara Braxton for this wonderful pre-release review of Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo - out this August! I am also delighted to reveal the cover of the book for the first time. It's the best Riley adventure yet! and just in time for Canberra's glorious Centenary.

Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo
by Tania McCartney and Kieron Pratt
Ford Street Publishing, 2013
Hbk. 9781925000023

Riley is an aviator who likes to travel with his friends in his red tin plane and see the world and explore other cities and countries - usually in search of some pesky critter who likes to hide! Following his adventures in Beijing, Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne, this adventure takes him to Canberra in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our nation’s capital. Starting with being startled by strange noises in the chamber of Parliament House, Riley dashes outside to discover a kangaroo popping and pinging all over those famous lawns. Jumping into his little red plane with his friends Panda, Dragon, Lion, Koala and Wombat, they follow the kangaroo on a journey around the famous landmarks of Canberra, coming to rest when she finally finds what she’s lost.

It is the illustrations which give this book its charm – cartoon-like graphics superimposed on actual photos of the Canberra landscape which tickled Miss 6’s fancy. As a native of Canberra the places were very familiar to her and she loved pointing them out and telling me stories about them. Her favourite is Questacon followed by the National Museum of Australia.

But this is not just a book for Canberra children. As the national capital, the city has a number of significant buildings such as Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial and the National Library of Australia, all of which are free to visitors, so as well as being a great souvenir of a visit, it would also be a great introduction particularly for groups planning to visit here. A great addition to all that is happening in Canberra in 2013 canberra100.com.au and worth a place on the shelves. Where would Riley and his friends visit if they came to your town?

Barbara Braxton
Teacher Librarian
M.Ed.(TL), M.App.Sci.(TL), M.I.S. (Children's Services)

riley and the dancing lion on Read to My Child

When I first heard about Jasmine Berry and her sensational new website, my heart fluttered. Jasmine has created a truly heartwarming site called Read to My Child - a site dedicated to book readings for young kids. Jasmine's philosophy can be outlined in her own words:

". . . I wanted a site where my children could be read to by an actual person, with no animation, in as natural a way as possible. I wanted to create the feel that my kids were not just watching another show on a screen but rather being read to by a real person, holding a real book, with real pages . . ."

Jasmine says her site in no way replaces parents reading to their children but is another option (as opposed to TV or electronic games) when parents need a few moments to themselves. I simply love this idea - and what a thrill it was to see Jasmine read Riley and the Dancing Lion on her site. It's so wonderful hearing someone other than myself read the story! You can listen to the reading here. 

You'll also find many more fabulous readings on the site, and Jasmine is working hard at adding more recordings in the coming months, so make sure you check back often!

happy new year!

This is the year! Roo is soooo excited to be the featured animal in Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo: A journey around Canberra - due out September 2013!

Get set for a spectacular Floriade launch! Watch the site for details . . .

merry christmas!

Wishing you all a glorious Christmas and a truly sparkling 2013.

with love,

Tania

+ Riley, Panda, Dragon, Lion, Koala + Wombat

x

{with thanks to the superb Kieron Pratt for photographing Riley and his friends!}