when you're out and about . . .

When you’re out and about . . .

When you’re out and about in South Australia, during this year, the National Year of Reading, you might spot two reading icons which, I have great pleasure in sharing, relate to two of my picture books.

One is the now completed metal statue of Columbia camel, plus swaying palm tree, blown by the force of one of Columbia’s sneezes. Derived from Columbia Sneezes! the statue is situated in the Storybook Path in Thalassa Park, Aberfoyle Park, along with other statues including a pelican from Colin Thiele’s Storm Boy and tiled mosaic ‘storyboard’ of Phil Cummings’ Goodness Gracious!

You’ll have to be quicker to notice the other icon. It’s the cover design from my picture poetry book about Australian birds and animals, called Silly Galah! It now decorates the back of The Charles Sturt Library van, which is painted pink and called Pinky!

So if you’re out and about you might just notice one or the other. Either way, it’s a nice reminder that both came from books.

Anyone have any other ‘reading’ spin-offs they could share? They might even be yours!

Author’s note: Columbia Sneezes! was illustrated by Gabe Cunnett and Silly Galah! by Cheryll Johns.