Dreaming with eyes wide open

I am proud to be represented as a CBCA Noteable for 2022 in the Picture Book of the Year category with my illustrated picture book ‘SALIH‘. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be connected and celebrated with this year’s theme :

’Dreaming with eyes open’

‘Stepping into your own story…listening to Country as the first Storyteller…learning from friends who help you along the way’

Opening our eyes to the world around us and having the bravery to dream with eyes open seems more overwhelming than ever before.

But ‘listening to Country as the first Storyteller’ and reconnecting to the natural elements that exist despite us and have existed for longer than our modern world could sneeze, is an endless source of renewable energy that can light our pathway ahead.

We need stories about hard and challenging experiences that share the way communities and individuals can survive and thrive beyond the impossible.  Stories about diversity and adaptation bring understanding and meaning for our young readers.

By ‘learning with our friends who help us along the way’ especially through challenging times, we can be inspired to reignite our hopes and dreams. Dreams that reflect –

• Sharing and caring for our natural world
• Who we are
• What we value
• How we organise ourselves
• How we express ourselves
• Those who help us along the way

These are the stories I am proud to share with our children.

It is an honour to be nominated for a CBCA NOTABLE for 2022 amongst the fabulous creative professionals in this country.

I am impressed with the breadth of talent and volume of new creators in this year’s list and I am so grateful for the dedicated work by the CBCA judges and volunteers who undertake long hours to appreciate every work on its merits.

Thanks to author Inda Ahmad Zahri for her wonderful manuscript, Paul Collins and the hard working team at Ford Street Publishing and Nan McNab for her collaborative expertise as Editor for this work.