I spent a truly magical day with the kids from two schools in Coolgardie and Kurrawang, WA. It was such a wonderful way to finish my Follow the Dragon tour as Laureate. At C.A.P.S Coolgardie, I had a fantastic session where I met a student named Kana, who dressed up as Zadie Ma for Book […]
It was my last full day in Perth yesterday, which I spent holding a Chinese painting workshop at the beautiful Paperbird Books in Fremantle. Below are images of some of the artworks made. I’ve had a wonderful time this past week covering 10 schools in 5 days from East to West, North to South. I […]
My fourth day of book week in Western Australia was another great day. I spent time with kids at South Coast Baptist School and then Frederick Irwin Anglican School, with a stop at beautiful Waikiki Beach. Thank you to Ron Gorman for being my lovely minder for the day. On my fifth day in Perth, […]
I spent a lovely morning amongst the trees on a hill overlooking a lake at the Montessori School. There were some great artists in Years 4, 5 and 6. Here are a few of their characters named: Bob, Buddy and Goat Dude. After lunch and a drive along the coast, I spoke at Quinn’s Baptist. […]
On my second day of Book Week in WA, I visited the Year 4s at All Saints College. I finished my session and was walking back through the grounds when I saw a student playing a polka-dotted piano. How lovely that there’s a piano for all to use. I was quite under the weather with […]
This week, I travelled to Western Australia to spend Book Week in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Albany. My first day of Book Week was a tiring but extra rewarding one, where I visited two great schools in Perth – Providence Christian College and Carey Baptist College. I was blown away by the diversity of the questions […]
Western Australia, my final visit as Australian Children’s Laureate.
Aug 18: Australian Children's Laureate News
My last interstate visit in my role as Australian Children’s Laureate is to beautiful other-side-of-this-huge continent, Western Australia. According to Google Maps, from my home to Perth, it’s 3428 kilometres and would take 1 day and 12 hours of non-stop driving. There’s also the 2-hour time difference between east and west coasts. I’m really looking […]
On Tuesday I delivered the Wang Gungwu Lecture. You can see it on ABC iview. The event was organized by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations 澳中基金会, an Australian government initiative to strengthen understanding and engagement between Australia and China. Senator the Hon. Penny Wong also had some important words to say via video link. […]
After Wahgunyah, I traveled to Benalla for my very last Australian Children’s Laureate Follow the Dragon gig for the year. I was hosted by Benalla Art Gallery curator, Brenda Wellman. And this is the space I presented in. I loved being surrounded by all these beautiful old paintings. The year 3 and 4 students from […]
My last trip for the year as I reach the halfway mark as Australian Children’s Laureate – Wahgunyah and Benalla
Nov 28: Australian Children's Laureate News
I travelled up to Benalla by train then was driven the one hour to Wahgunyah where I spoke to the students at Wahgunyah Primary School. There has been flooding in NSW and Victoria in towns close to the major rivers, Wahgunyah, which is on the Murray River was no exception although flooding there was light […]
At last I have a bit of downtime to catch up with what I’ve been doing the past few months. I keep up to date on social media but find it harder to update my blogs. The Headland Writers Festival was a lovely regional festival. It was small and intimate and personal. And the people […]
What a thrill it was to be on Play School Story Time recently. I could choose any one of the iconic Play School toys to accompany me. They are all kept in a locked cloth cupboard. I could almost hear them giggling and jostling with each other. It was such a hard decision to make […]
I was honoured to officially open the gorgeous new library at the brand new Strathtulloh Primary School in Victoria. With the help from local businesses and grant funding through the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation, the school was able to fill the library with hand-picked books from Readings. I hope this wonderful new space inspires children […]
It has been such an exciting month. I recently returned from a weekend in Tasmania where first I met with fellow children’s authors and illustrators from SCBWI Hobart (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). This is a wonderful organisation and I encourage kids’ authors and illustrators to join their local chapter if they have […]
The Write Around the Murray festival was fabulous. I did quite a few school sessions and as usual the kids were great. I also had a lively panel discussion with Eliza Hull and Gary Lonesborough hosted by Yves Rees about identity. The best question in that session came from a 6 year old. “What makes […]
I talked about being Australian Children’s Laureate and Zadie Ma and drew dragons with students from Springvale organized brilliantly by Greater Dandenong Libraries. Great kids and questions and drawings!
Here are some pics from the CBCA event on the shores of Lake Macquarie at the Museum of Art and Culture in Toronto. I had a wonderful time chatting to local CBCA Central Coast members, teacher librarians, authors and illustrators. I never take for granted how lucky I am to be sharing the love of […]
I loved meeting all the staff at MacLean’s Bookshop in Newcastle. Repost MacLean’s Booksellers “What an absolute treat it was to meet Gabrielle Wang, the Australian Children’s Laureate. Thanks so much for visiting I our shop today.”
Continuing my Dragon Tour as Children’s Laureate Foundation with a trip to Lake Macquarie Museum of Art and Culture MAC in NSW. What a lovely venue to present at. It was a beautiful blue sky day as I told stories and drew with years 3-6 students from 2 local primary schools. Then in the evening […]
My trip to South Australia finished yesterday. It was my first interstate tour as Children’s Laureate Foundation. I had a wonderful time in the Adelaide hills and on Kangaroo Island talking to kids and grownups. Thank you to all the many people who worked with Kristin Darell the program manager at Children’s Laureate Foundation to […]
Follow the dragon to Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Jul 03: Australian Children's Laureate News , Book News
My next stop in South Australia as Australian Children’s Laureate was to Kangaroo Island. Over two days, I spoke at the three primary schools there – Kingscote, Parndana and Penneshaw campuses. I talked about being Laureate, then about books and writing followed by a dragon drawing workshop. This is Emma from Kingscote campus who kindly […]
A wonderful Laureate visit to Adelaide, Stirling and Hahndorf
Jul 02: Australian Children's Laureate News
This was my first interstate trip as Australian Children’s Laureate. Over the next two years I will be visiting every state and territory in Australia. Thank you to Clive from Penguin Random House for looking after me so well, taking me to visit bookshops around Adelaide and into the hills. The photo below was taken […]
As Australian Children’s Laureate each month I create a new writing and drawing activity for children. This month it’s Imagine a Forest. And here are 6 amazing facts about these lungs of the earth.
My first Laureate presentation – a writing and drawing workshop at the Immigration Museum Melbourne
Mar 30: Australian Children's Laureate News
My first workshop as the Australian Children’s Laureate was held yesterday at the Immigration Museum I couldn’t think of a better place to begin my ‘Follow the Dragon’ tour around Australia. I had fun working with students from the Victorian College for the Deaf and from my mum’s old school, University High. You can see […]
As Australian Children’s Laureate, every month I post up a writing and drawing activity to keep kids’ imaginations strong on the Children’s Laureate Foundation website. March’s protagonist is the hermit crab. Here’s an amazing fact about these beautiful creatures. As they grow, hermit crabs need to find empty shells. With some species, when a crab finds […]
I will be able to pick up some great tips for my two year laureateship from these two wonderful past Australian Children’s Laureates, Allison Lester and Leigh Hobbs.
Children’s Laureate for 2022-2023 at the State Library of Victoria on Tuesday. The Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation and I have been working very hard over the past year preparing the program for the next 2 years. Thank you to the board especially to the incredible program manager Kris Darrell and graphic designer/illustrator extraordinaire Lee Burgemeestre. […]