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Dingoes dancing on tiptoes...
Sugar Gliders munching on spiders...
Blue-tongue lizards showering in the flowers...
These are just some of the things
our native creatures do to get
ready for their night time.
What do you do?
Tuck your little ones in with this beautifully illustrated rock-a-bye lullaby. Metrical verses introduce us to a plethora of Australian fauna from Possums in the blossoms to Devils in the pebbles. All getting ready for the night. A lovely sleepy time story.
– Jackie Hosking, Pass It On
Children are fascinated by the night and all the fear and excitement that comes with it, as they explore the darkness with torches and see eyes peering back at them amongst the stars. In this gorgeous story, you will spy a variety of Australian animals preparing for the night. My favourite is definitely the boobook owl. The rhyme scheme and rhythm of this book make it a delight to read aloud and will make it a favourite.
– Veronica Chapman, TeachEzy
Waiting for the Night is an entrancing bedtime read for children under eight, filled with lilting verse and striking full colour spreads depicting Australian fauna in a stunning array of landscapes. Anna Seed’s vibrant palette provides eco-rich imagery that is as ample as the variety of native Aussie creatures who patiently wait for the sun to set so that they can feast and romp through the nocturnal hours.
– Dimity Powell, Kids Book Review
Although a tanka may be as small as a pebble, it creates expanding ripples in the mind of a receptive reader, ripples that touch far shores, with the polished perfection of the poem as the still center of meaning and experience.
This year's team consisting of M. Kei (USA), Editor-in-chief, Patricia Prime (NZ), Magdalena Dale (RO), Amelia Fielden (AU/JP), Claire Everett (UK), Owen Bullock (NZ), David Terelinck (AU), Janick Belleau (CAN), David Rice (USA), read over eighteen thousand poems to select the best for inclusion in this, the final volume in the must-read series.
Mrs Eileen Rickaby, a semi-retired botanical illustrator and Orchid Society member with a penchant for Mozart, lives a quiet ordered life with Missy, her cat. Her tranquillity is disturbed when close friend and neighbour Irene brings home a twice-widowed younger man of dubious character, and introduces him as her future husband. Petty theft, vandalism and violence disrupt the peaceful retirement village. How can Mrs Rickaby protect her friend from this con-man lover? Mrs Rickaby’s Lullaby is an engaging novel of haunting lyricism and gentle humour, exploring the timeless themes of love, loss and widowhood, friendship and belonging.
Julie Thorndyke’s two collections of tanka poetry, Rick Rack and Carving Granite, were published by Ginninderra Press. Editor of Eucalypt: a tanka journal since 2017, she also writes fiction and other poetry forms. Waiting for the Night, Julie’s picture book for children, was published by Interactive Press. Mrs Rickaby’s Lullaby is her first novel.
wild /waild/ adj. 1. living in a state of nature, as animals that have not been tamed or domesticated. 2. growing or produced without cultivation or the care of humans, as plants, flowers, fruit, honey, etc… 3. uncultivated, uninhabited, or waste, as land. 4. a. native to Australia and New Zealand: wild violet; wild cat. b. escaped to the wild… 5. living in an uncivilised state. 6. of unrestrained violence, fury, intensity, etc… 7. characterised by or indicating violent excitement, as actions, the appearance, etc. 8. frantic; distracted, crazy, or mad… 9. violently excited: wild with rage, fear, or pain. 10. undisciplined, unruly, lawless, or turbulent… 11. unrestrained, untrammelled, or unbridled: wild gaiety; wild orgies. 12. disregardful of moral restraints as to pleasurable indulgence. 13. unrestrained by reason or prudence: wild schemes. 14. extravagant or fantastic: wild fancies. 15. disorderly or dishevelled: wild locks. 16. wide of the mark: a wild throw. 17. Colloquial intensely eager or enthusiastic. 18. Cards (of a card) having its value decided by the wishes of the players or the player who holds it. -adv. 19. in a wild manner; wildly. -n. 20. (often plural) an uncultivated, uninhabited, or desolate region or tract; a waste; a wilderness; a desert. -phr. 21. in the wild, in natural surroundings or habitat: animals in the wild. 22. run wild, a. to grow without cultivation or check. b. to behave in an unrestrained or uncontrolled manner… (From Macquarie ABC Dictionary)
Join 159 poets from across Australia in an exhilarating and often surprising foray into the many facets of ‘wild’ – human, animal, environmental and metaphorical.
Now, 20 years on, more than forty creators return to celebrate the survival of this maverick venture with the very best of work past, current and future. Their message to you is that independent publishing houses like IP are, and always will be, an essential part of the cultural landscape even in the face of globalisation and aspiring robots.
Who are these daring writers whose work is Just off Message?
You know how to find them.
River monsters, murder, and redemption can all be found in these watery tales. From poignant to humorous, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Featured Contributors:
Elaine Barnard, C. W. Bigelow, Kevin Breen,
Arthur Carey, Steven Carr, Michael Coolen,
Thomas Elson, Ben Fine, K.Drew Fuller,
Samuel George, Patrick Cabello Hansel,
Joyce Holland, Jeremiah James,
Michelle S. Johnson, David W. Landrum,
Jerome W. McFadden, John Nelson,
Jacqueline Patricks, Garth Petersen,
Destiny Eve Pifer, Vincent Poturica,
Gen Ryan, Lyra Sparrow, J.A. Thorndyke,
Wayne Via, David A. Voyles, Samang Wadee,
Jimmie Ware, Leslie Wibberley, Matthew Wilson,Gary Wosk, and Jerry Zinn
Zimbell House is dedicated to helping new writers become quality authors.