A touching and uplifting story about love, change and the importance of the natural environment in all our lives.
Christopher Cheng (Author)
Christopher Cheng is an award-winning children's fiction and non
fiction author. He dwells in an inner-city Sydney terrace and
presents to people of all ages at schools and festivals worldwide.
He has a Master of Arts in Children's Literature and was a Literacy
Ambassador for the Australian Federal Government. He is a member of
the International Advisory Council for SCBWI (Society of Children's
Book Writers and Illustrators) and an Ambassador for NCACL (the
National Centre for Australian Children's Literature).
His most recent picture book, Dragon Folding, is a tribute to his
neighbours and godson who give so freely of their love and
support.
Other picture books include Bear and Rat, lovingly written for his
amazing wife Bini, and illustrated by Stephen Michael King, which
has been published in many countries worldwide. One Tree,
illustrated by Bruce Whatley, was shortlisted in the NSW Premier's
Literary Awards, and is a CBCA Notable Book. One Child, illustrated
by Steven Woolman, won the Wilderness Society Environment Award for
Picture Books (Australia) and the Skipping Stones Honour Book
(USA). Christopher also worked with Sarah Davis on the critically
acclaimed picture book Sounds Spooky which won an Aurealis Award in
the picture book category and is a CBCA Notable Book.
Christopher is often heard to announce that he has the best job in
the world!
Bruce Whatley (Illustrator)
Since 1992 Bruce Whatley has written and/or illustrated more than
90 children's picture books. His internationally award-winning
titles include his first two books, The Ugliest Dog in the World
and Looking for Crabs. He often writes with his wife Rosie Smith
and has also had much success with the Diary of a Wombat series
created with Jackie French.
Bruce uses a variety of illustration mediums including gouache, pen
and ink, pencil, oils, watercolour and more recently CGI software.
Tin Toys, The Watchmaker Who Saved Christmas and Ruben are classic
examples of his search for new ways to create images.
Bruce and Rosie live on the south coast of New South Wales.
'Grandfather used to live happily on a farm, nearest the tallest
tree on a mountain.
Now he lives with his family in a small apartment in a crowded city
and he is silent and
sad. When his grandson, the narrator, takes home a tiny tree he's
rescued from a
footpath, Grandfather is at first dismissive, but gradually becomes
involved in helping
his grandson tend to the tree. Christopher Cheng's Chinese heritage
informs this book
and it's a privilege for us to be included as readers. One Tree
acknowledges the old
ways while being realistic, but not negative, about modern life. It
shows there are
always possibilities for change and it emphasises how lucky we are
to have elders in
our lives--and how important it is to listen to them. Bruce
Whatley's illustrations are
wonderful. Whatley uses a new technique that has the appearance of
linocut pictures,
although it has been achieved digitally. Not only do the pictures
extend the text, but
they deepen it, and it's this technique that gives the story an
extra layer of interest and
meaning. We follow Grandfather's life, with its obvious changes,
but we also see that
renewal and regeneration are possible for both people and their
environments. This is
an outstanding, life-affirming book that will surely stand the test
time. It is
recommended for those aged five and up.' - Louise Pfanner, Books +
Publishing
'This is a beautiful narrative of love, family, resilience and
nature. One senses that
there could be a very personal back story to this new book and
Bruce Whatley's
stunning illustrations capture perfectly the sense of Chinese
culture in a linocut style.
This is a splendid picture book which I would predict will be
firmly and rightfully placed
in award lists in the coming year.
Highly recommended for young readers from around six years upwards'
- Sue Warren,
OZ-TL network of educators
'Whatley's detailed illustrations will remain with the reader as
they close the last page
and think about the boy and his family. . . This is a beautiful
testimony to the place of
older people within a family, the wisdom they can pass on, the
changes they have seen
and their evolving relationships with the younger generation. Cheng
inhabits his story
with an almost mythic quality; it is like reading a fable which
readers will ponder long
after the story has finished.' - ReadPlus
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