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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'The Dead Heart is a desert wilderness in the centre of Australia. It is difficult to imagine anything can exist in such a harsh place. But the Dead Heart has a secret. It holds amazing stories of adaptation and survival. Follow in the footsteps of early explorers like Charles Sturt and learn what the indigenous people of this land first discovered: not all is quite as it seems.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
-
The Art of Narelle Oliver
Joy Lawn
(interviewer),
2009
single work
interview
— Appears in: Magpies: Talking About Books for Children , September vol. 24 no. 4 2009; (p. 4-6) In response to Lawn's questions regarding her artistic vision, innovative techniques and interest in natural Australian history, Oliver says her work is created through the 'intriguing relationship between words and pictures' and how 'they work either together or against each other as different points of view in a narrative' (4). Lawn asks Oliver about her 'vision and vocation' which, through her strong artistic style and celebratory designs of Australian indigenous animals, produces texts that are a 'melding of non-fiction and fiction' (5). Oliver says she has been fascinated by indigenous adaptations of Australian native animals since early childhood and this interest developed further when she studied biology. With her first picture book, Leaf Tail she wanted to introduce young readers to 'some of the less-well-known Australian creatures' but 'did not want to write a straight information book' (5). Instead, she wanted to explore the creative potential of the adaptive features to be found among many creatures - design, shape, texture and pattern - in terms of storytelling and 'problem-solution scenarios' (5). Oliver has also produced picture books about imaginary and mythological creatures, for example, Mermaids Most Amazing, The Very Blue Thingamajig, and Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie, however, it is mainly through her natural history picture books that she aims to capture the diversity of Australia's natural landscapes and 'instil postive feelings about these places in young Australian readers' (6). In this sense, her work is driven by the belief that 'a personal feeling and knowledge of the landscape is critical to developing a desire to preserve that landscape' (6). -
Animals to Grab 'em by Their Tales
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sunday Age , 3 March 2002; (p. 11)
— Review of Confessions of a Bad Dog 2002 single work picture book ; The House of Narcissus 2001 single work picture book ; Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart 1999 single work picture book ; Okra and Acacia : The Story of the Wattle Pattern Plate 2002 single work children's fiction -
Sand Swimmers : Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction
2000
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 89-94) -
Sand Swimmers: Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction
2000
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 95-100) -
Reading(s) Beneath the Surface : Using Picture Books to Develop a Critical Aesthetics
1999
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Journal of Language and Literacy , vol. 23 no. 1 (p. 11-21) Through various literary and illustrative devices, The Rabbits, One Less Fish, and Sand Swimmers demonstrate the complex interplay between two symbolic mediums. By her reading of the content and form of these books, Mallan draws attention to the need to engage students in a critical discourse which attends not only to the aesthetic and literary properties of these texts, but also considers their social and political implications.
-
Untitled
1999
single work
review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , May vol. 43 no. 2 1999; (p. 39)
— Review of Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart 1999 single work picture book -
Animals to Grab 'em by Their Tales
2002
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sunday Age , 3 March 2002; (p. 11)
— Review of Confessions of a Bad Dog 2002 single work picture book ; The House of Narcissus 2001 single work picture book ; Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart 1999 single work picture book ; Okra and Acacia : The Story of the Wattle Pattern Plate 2002 single work children's fiction -
Sand Swimmers by Narelle Oliver
1999
single work
review
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Winter vol. 7 no. 2 1999; (p. 30)
— Review of Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart 1999 single work picture book -
Background to... Sand Swimmers : The Secret Life of Australia's Dead Heart
1999
single work
column
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 14 no. 1 1999; (p. 4-7) -
Reading(s) Beneath the Surface : Using Picture Books to Develop a Critical Aesthetics
1999
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Journal of Language and Literacy , vol. 23 no. 1 (p. 11-21) Through various literary and illustrative devices, The Rabbits, One Less Fish, and Sand Swimmers demonstrate the complex interplay between two symbolic mediums. By her reading of the content and form of these books, Mallan draws attention to the need to engage students in a critical discourse which attends not only to the aesthetic and literary properties of these texts, but also considers their social and political implications. -
The Art of Narelle Oliver
Joy Lawn
(interviewer),
2009
single work
interview
— Appears in: Magpies: Talking About Books for Children , September vol. 24 no. 4 2009; (p. 4-6) In response to Lawn's questions regarding her artistic vision, innovative techniques and interest in natural Australian history, Oliver says her work is created through the 'intriguing relationship between words and pictures' and how 'they work either together or against each other as different points of view in a narrative' (4). Lawn asks Oliver about her 'vision and vocation' which, through her strong artistic style and celebratory designs of Australian indigenous animals, produces texts that are a 'melding of non-fiction and fiction' (5). Oliver says she has been fascinated by indigenous adaptations of Australian native animals since early childhood and this interest developed further when she studied biology. With her first picture book, Leaf Tail she wanted to introduce young readers to 'some of the less-well-known Australian creatures' but 'did not want to write a straight information book' (5). Instead, she wanted to explore the creative potential of the adaptive features to be found among many creatures - design, shape, texture and pattern - in terms of storytelling and 'problem-solution scenarios' (5). Oliver has also produced picture books about imaginary and mythological creatures, for example, Mermaids Most Amazing, The Very Blue Thingamajig, and Dancing the Boom-cha-cha Boogie, however, it is mainly through her natural history picture books that she aims to capture the diversity of Australia's natural landscapes and 'instil postive feelings about these places in young Australian readers' (6). In this sense, her work is driven by the belief that 'a personal feeling and knowledge of the landscape is critical to developing a desire to preserve that landscape' (6). -
Sand Swimmers: Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction
2000
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 95-100) -
Sand Swimmers : Visual Literacy and Non-Fiction
2000
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoints on Literacy : Challenging Voices, Changing Views : First Annual Conference Jointly Presented by The School Library Association of Victoria and 'Viewpoint: On Books for Young Adults', November 1999 2000; (p. 89-94)
Awards
- 2000 joint winner The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature — Picture Book
- 2000 shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
- 1999 commended Whitley Awards — Best Children's Book — Older Children
Last amended 10 Sep 2021 12:00:12
Subjects:
- Desert,
- Australian Outback, Central Australia,
Settings:
- 1844-1846
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