Go Home Stay Home - Life with Covid-19

Here’s a little media experiment for a story I’ve been developing for the past year about a little boy who has to stay home.
It’s kind of crazy that in the space of a week this is now a reality for many families world wide. My story despite this sad beginning turns into an unbelievably, adventuress tale with lots of laughter along the way. Stories are great like that - they can transport you from one place to another and draw your attention to things you hadn’t considered.

For all of you who are at home right now there are so many wonderful authors, illustrators and musicians who are sharing their gifts to brighten the days indoors.
Here are just a few of my favourites - follow them with me if you like!

@macbarnett - laugh a minute storytelling picture books and chapter books.
@oliverjeffers - story reading and picture telling - maybe drawing too?
@carsonellis - drawing promps and storytelling.

Media experiment for a story I have been developing last year.

Media experiment for a story I have been developing last year.

 

New Zealand School Journal

Earlier this year I had the awesome opportunity to illustrate a story for the New Zealand School Journal. I can still remember as a child spending hours in our class resource room flicking through numerous volumes of the school journal which were packed with great stories and beautiful illustrations. I have collected several issues over the years and actually found some early issues from the 1950s on a recent trip to Oamaru (see below).

My small collection of School Journals from the 50's, 70's and now 2016!

Did you know the School Journal has been in print since 1907? You can read more about its background here. 

It was such an honour to contribute to something that has had such a long history for children and reading education in our country! My illustrations appear in the Level 3, May 2016 issue, accompanying a story by Renata Hopkins called 'The Healers Apprentice'. It was a fun brief as I also got to illustrate the chapter headings and drop cap numerals as well!

You can find more School Journals in digital format on the Literacy Online website set up by the NZ Ministry of Education here.