Ford Street Launch!

Sunday, I went to Ford Street Publishing in Abbotsford for the launch of this book.

I returned with three books. Here are the other two.

Dannika Patterson(author) and Megan Forward(artist) spoke about how they had prepared the book. As there were several children in the audience at the start, they did a modified version of the talk they give for schools. They had just got to the drawing activity when Dad’s phone rang and every last child in the room had to leave, so they finished it there. But it was a fascinating talk, well worth getting up early on a Sunday and taking two trains from Elwood to Abbotsford. 

And the book was a lovely work. Jacaranda trees seem to be a big thing in Sydney, where the creators come from, and this one celebrates them. Five children, bored with nothing to do, use their imagination to visualise what the tree could be. In my favourite picture, the tree is a ship and the seed pods are sting rays, the fallen blossoms jellyfish. 

As they were talking, there were knocks on the door, followed by doggy doorbells, as Paul Collins’ two pooches, which he had brought with him, barked and ran for the door. The Ford Street office door always seems to be locked. 

As usual, there was a little bookstall that sold not only the book being launched but other Ford Street titles. I couldn’t resist buying two of the YA novels. I’ve just finished reading Pretty Girls Don’t Eat and have started reading Justin D’Ath’s Three. I loved his novel Pool, which we offered as a Literature Circles title some years ago, but that is now available in ebook, so I didn’t buy it.

Afterwards I went for lunch in Johnston St with my friend Bruce. We stumbled into a cafe which sold nothing but pizza and ended up asking for doggy bags, because the only size they had was family size anywhere else. 

It was a pleasant afternoon in all, and nice to see Paul again(I had dinner with Bruce on Tuesday). His partner, author Meredith Costain, is in India at a writers’ festival, so was not at the launch. 

Now to read Three!