The Dreaming Tree by Jo Oliver

The Dreaming Tree

Oak trees can live

for hundreds of years.

Ours must be very old.

Nana remembers it

from when she was young.

Hearts of oak

from little acorns grow.

The Dreaming Tree

Oak trees can live

for hundreds of years.

 

Ours must be very old.

Nana remembers it

from when she was young.

 

Hearts of oak

from little acorns grow.

 

TThe Dreaming Tree is a collection of poems about Australia, contemporary and historic. From gum leaves to prawning, landscape to frost, this collection covers a wide range of subjects. There are poems as old as the land and as new as children playing. A note at the end suggesting readers write their own poems, using their world as inspiration. Each poem is accompanied by illustrations, each spread sets the image as if it were a photo in an album. The background is ‘stained’ and ‘torn’.

Poetry is like a snapshot, a photo taken to catch a single moment, a single idea. This collection is set out like an old photo album, perhaps suggesting that each poem is ageless, timeless. Jo Oliver suggests that poems have no rules, and while there are those who would disagree, it’s a great way for children to begin writing. Freeing young writers from the assumed obligation to rhyme removes one level of challenge and hopefully will inspire them to ‘have a go’. Individually, these poems look at single ideas, together they offer a starting place for viewing Australia and Australians. Recommended for primary readers and for educators wanting examples of nature poems.

The Dreaming Tree, Jo Oliver
New Frontier Publishing 2016 ISBN: 9781925059489

 

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

The Light by Jo Oliver

The lighthouse stands on the high, smooth rock of the island. The light shines from dusk until dawn to protect those at sea.

My father is the lighthouse keeper.

Our family lives in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.

The lighthouse stands on the high, smooth rock of the island. The light shines from dusk until dawn to protect those at sea.

My father is the lighthouse keeper.

Our family lives in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage.

Louisa and her family live on a little island off the NSW coast, for their father is the lighthouse keeper. Theirs is an isolated life, in a remote location. Louisa, second daughter in a family of four narrates a day in their life. The day begins with chores and schooling, and more chores. They don’t see much of their father because he works all night keeping the light shining to sea. On this day, he cannot sleep long, and will need to be extra vigilant as a storm closes in. But in the meantime, there is also free time to enjoy the wildness, the seals and penguins, the sounds of their world. Louisa accompanies them on her tin whistle. When jobs are done, dinner is finished, they gather to share music. Mother plays the piano, Dad the fiddle and Louisa the tin whistle. A wrecked boat brings extras to the island, drawn first by the light, then by the music. Fittingly, presentation is portrait and the cover design increases this notion of height.

‘The Light’ documents a day in the life of a lighthouse man and his family from the perspective of a young girl. The first person narrative brings the reader close while the illustrations offer more details. The clothing suggest an earlier time, as does the formality of ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’. Illustrations are charcoal and soft pastels and also introduce a nostalgia for another, simpler time. Most are framed, as if looking at photos, and some are set on music scores, bringing to life the sounds of the island. ‘The Light’ shows not only another way of living (in isolation and self-sufficiency) but also the dangers of the coastline and the role lighthouses and their keepers played in keeping sailors safe. Endpapers feature diagrams of a lighthouse and cottage. Recommended for lower- to mid-primary readers.

The Light, Jo Oliver New Frontier Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9780921928413

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Tatiara, by Jo Oliver

Tatiara is a beautiful swimmer.
Sometimes she looks at me as if to say, ‘Why can’t you come in too?’

Tatiara is a seal who comes to live in a Tasmanian bay when she is injured. There she befriends the narrator, a girl who also has an injury and wears a back brace which prevents her from swimming free with Tatiara. Their friendship gives each strength as they heal.

This is a gentle picture book with illustrations combining etchings with a watercolour wash. In places it seems a historical tale, with the illustrations of the brace and the wharf suggesting the story is set in the past, but the time period is hard to place, with clothing and city settings suggesting a more contemporary time. Regardless, the gentle tale of a bond between a girl and a seal, is touching.

Tatiara, by Jo Oliver
New Frontier Publishing, 2010
ISBN 9781921042225

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Pilgrim, by Jo Oliver

Pilgrimis the name of a boat, built by the narrator’s great-grandfather. The narrator, a small boy, tells the reader about his first journey to sea. He and his father rise early and make their preparations for this father and son fishing trip. They pass familiar landmarks seen for the first time from the water. The boat leaves the river or cove and they are at sea. The boy relaxes, safe in his great-grandfather’s boat with his father. Now he can enjoy the sea, feeling ‘brave and peaceful.’

Pilgrim, on the surface, is a story about a small boy overcoming his fear and going to sea with his father. His initial nervousness is transformed as he watches dolphins. This will suffice for most small readers/listeners. But there is more here for the older reader. The reference to the builder of the boat as a returned soldier is expanded upon as they journey past landmarks with the name of well-known war battles. The illustrations in Pilgrim are strong hand-coloured lino cuts. Each image is framed by white and occupies a page or opening. There are also smaller lino cut images showing other images, a feather, war medals and a soldier’s hat. Perhaps the suggestion is that all journeys, no matter how small, require courage and the support of those around us. And some, like the great-grandfather of this story, also make it safely home. Recommended for 5-8 year olds, although it may also be used for older children in classroom discussions around war.

Pilgrim, by Jo Oliver
New Frontier Publishing 2008
ISBN: 9781921042850