Elephants Have Wings by Susanne Gervay ill Anna Pignataro

‘Please tell us the story.’

‘Yes, the story.’ My brother nudges me.

‘Pleasssse, Father.’

Father always pretends he won’t tell us, but he always does.

Each time, the story is more amazing.

‘Alright, tonight I will tell Grandfather’s story.’

‘Please tell us the story.’

‘Yes, the story.’ My brother nudges me.

‘Pleasssse, Father.’

Father always pretends he won’t tell us, but he always does.

Each time, the story is more amazing.

‘Alright, tonight I will tell Grandfather’s story.’

Two children beg their father to tell them Grandfather’s story. And tonight he agrees and tells them the story of children searching in the dark to discover the secret. Each is sure they have discovered the secret until Grandfather brings a torch and reveals that what they have each discovered is both true and only part of the truth. The two young children having heard this story then embark on a flying journey aboard their grandfather’s mystical elephant. They see the world from above, their grandfather’s home in a distant country, the war that hurt so many and many more places. Eventually they return home to the safety of home. Illustrations are in soft beautiful watercolours, realistic and mythical in turns. Text wanders about the page, adding to the dream/mythical sequences. Endpapers begin monochrome red and end rainbow-hued, though the underlying ink patterns remain the same.

Elephants Have Wings is both realistic and allegorical. The family are safe in their home, but the story the father shares with the children reflects a previous life that wasn’t so safe, and tells a tale that reminds us that there are many perspectives and only by looking at the whole picture can we truly understand others. Elephants symbolise many things for different cultures. They are strong, live long, are considered wise and steadfast. All these characteristics are inherent in any journey to safety. Elephants Have Wings is a beautiful story and will be enjoyed by many young readers purely on a superficial level. But there is much more to be explored here. Migration, oppression, endurance, perseverance and more, illuminated in word and image. A rich and delightful story for young and old alike. Recommended for primary readers.

 

Elephants Have Wings, Susanne Gervay ill Anna Pignataro Ford Street Publishing 2014 ISBN: 9781925000399

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Gracie and Josh by Susanne Gervay and Serena Geddes

My name is Gracie

Today, I’m a squiggly black spider.

My brother Josh helps me make my spider legs

They look like fat sausages.

Josh gives me his woolly black beanie.

His favourite one has green stripes.

My name is Gracie

Today, I’m a squiggly black spider.

My brother Josh helps me make my spider legs

They look like fat sausages.

Josh gives me his woolly black beanie.

His favourite one has green stripes.

Gracie makes a spider costume with the assistance of her older brother, Josh. He’s happy to share one of his beanies, and today he wears his favourite one. Together the pair play. Gracie acts and sings, and Josh captures it for his film. Shooting a film takes some time and the reader follows the pair through the days and weeks as Josh captures footage for his film. There are good and bad weeks as Josh battles cancer and has a visit to hospital. There are appointments to do with his treatment, and every day events like visiting the dentist and attending school. And then there is the grand premiere of their film. Illustrations are pencil and watercolour set in plenty of white space. There are dark days when Josh’s is less well, and brightness when they can temporarily put aside their worries in the joy of living each day.

Gracie and Josh is the story of making a film, with Gracie on stage, and Josh recording her antics. It is a portrait of normal things in a time of great challenge, as Josh and his family do what they can to fight his illness. Gracie’s observations are simple and direct as they reflect their life, and the passage of time is marked by Josh’s ups and downs. ‘Gracie and Josh’ seems simple but the depiction of family is powerful without any glossing over of the seriousness of Josh’s illness. It is a moving story of love and laughter, written and illustrated with realistic and delicate style. Recommended for early primary readers and any family who may be experiencing the trauma of serious illness.

Gracie and Josh

Gracie and Josh, Susanne Gervay ill Serena Geddes Ford Street Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9781921665851

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Ships in the Field, by Susanne Gervay & Anna Pignataro

A small girl is secure in the love of her parents and her toy dog, Brownie. Her parents work very hard in Australia, but are scarred by the memories of the war that forced them to flee their homeland. Her mother was a teacher, her father a farmer, but here in Australia, they take the jobs they can find. The girl (who is unnamed) notes that her father works very hard and her mother seldom smiles. Except on Sundays when they take a trip out of the city to where they see the ‘ships in the fields’. Illustrations are soft, loose and whimsical watercolours and pencil, apart from the picnic tablecloth endpapers, bright red and white check.

On the surface, Ships in the Field is a story about a young girl wanting a pet dog. But there is so much more here. The girl is the child of European refugees, who now struggle to establish a new home in Australia. With few words, the reader paints a picture of the challenges faced by families who flee with little but their clothes and who must reinvent themselves to find a place in their new country. Anna Pignataro’s soft illustrations tell their own story of both sadness and hope. This is a beautifully written and illustrated picture book which will provide the basis for conversations about migrants from all over the world. Highly recommended for pre-school and early- to mid-primary readers.

Ships in the Field

Ships in the Field, Susanne Gervay Anna Pignataro
Ford Street Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9781921665233

 

 

 

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Always Jack, by Susanne Gervay

Leo’s staying this weekend. Mum has ordered me to clean my room. I don’t see why I have to. Mum told Samantha that she has to help me. I don’t want her to. My head is thumping and she’s humming. I grit my teeth. ‘Stop humming.’ She doesn’t. I ignore her.

In I am Jack Jack had to confront a bully. In Super Jack he dealt with the changes force on him when his family blends with that of his new stepdad. Now, in Always Jack Jack is back – and, as always, his life is complicated. His family might be lots of fun, and very supportive, but Nanna is getting older and wobblier, his stepfather Rob needs to spend more time with his own son, Leo, and Rob and Mum’s wedding seems to be the main topic of conversation. Then Mum comes home with news that is so bad all those other things seem trivial. Jack will need all off his courage to survive this one.

Always Jack is a wonderful complement to the earlier two books about young Jack and his slightly crazy, very loving family. Jack is a delightful first person narrator who is honest, funny and full of life. We experience wonderful highs and terrible lows with him, knowing that somehow, his strength and the support of the wonderful people around him, will get him through.

There are a lot of issues explored in this little offering – blended families, the impact of cancer, friendship, the migrant experience, war, ageing and more – but it works because author Susanne Gervay weaves the story tightly, carrying the reader along on Jack’s journey.

Wonderful stuff.

Always Jack, by Susanne Gervay
Angus & Robertson, 2010
ISBN This book is available in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

That's Why I Wrote this Song, by Susanne Gervay

I write because I write. I’ve always done it. Private, emotions-on-the-page lyrics. Not-to-show-anyone words. Lately it’s been spilling out. Flooding me. Sometimes the music screams at me, exploding into my mind. Lyrics and music. I can’t stop them.

Pip lives for music. Sometimes it is fun, other times it’s an escape from the real world, a world where Mum is scared and her dad is angry. Pip’s three friends love music too. Irina plays drums, but her Russian parents don’t approve. They want her to play the piano and study hard. Karen’s parents are divorced, and Karen has to move between them, left with no home, no space of her own. Without music she might well have nothing. Angie has a perfect life, but she loves music, too. The four girls are very different, but music brings them together.

As they move through a tumultuous year of school, boys and family pressures, the girls form a band, Not Perfect. They will make their debut appearance at the mid-year school concert, and it will be unreal. Or will it be a failure? Pip wonders sometimes whether they’ll last until the concert.

That’s Why I Wrote This Song is an outstanding new young adult read, with the world of music and bands forming an absorbing backdrop for the dramas, big and small, of the four girls’ lives. Exploring teen issues including parent-child relationships, family roles, boyfriends, friendships and more, the story is an emotion-filled journey. The lyrics of the girls’ songs pepper the book, adding a new dimension to the story and providing an insight into the song-writing process.

That’s Why I Wrote This Song is the result of a collaboration between best-selling author Susanne Gervay and her daughter, Tory, who wrote the lyrics. In true family spirit, Susanne’s son, Jamie, also had input into the plot. For music fans, there is the added bonus that the two songs featured in the book can be downloaded from the publisher’s website, and a film clip viewed at the author’s website, www.sgervay.com.

That’s Why I Wrote This Song is a brilliant book.

That’s Why I Wrote This Song, by Susanne Gervay
Harper Collins, 2007

Super Jack, by Susanne Gervay

In I am Jack, Jack faced bullies at their worst, and learnt a lot about himself and his family. Now, in SuperJack, he is a year older and has to deal with a changing family.

Jack’s family are great, but a little crazy. His mum loves doing star jumps, his step-Dad, Rob, is obsessed with tidiness, and his grandmother loves buying bargains – especially cheap underpants. Jack’s best friend, Anna, is almost part of the family too. She’s . . . nice. Jack feels strange tingles when he looks at her sometimes. But when his family gets ready to go on holiday, Jack isn’t sure he likes the changes that are happening. Nana is getting old and can’t do the things she used to. Rob is bringing his son Leo, and Jack has to let Leo share his room. Jack is sure Leo is going to ruin everything.

SuperJack is both poignant and funny, focussing on the highs and lows of family life. Author Susanne Gervay has a unique style and empathy for her characters which draws readers in to the story.

SuperJack is an outstanding offering from an outstanding author.

SuperJack, by Susanne Gervay
Angus & Robertson (an imprint of Harper Collins), 2003

Butterflies, by Susanne Gervay

Katherine is just like any other eighteen year old – she has dreams and she has insecurities. Still, she is keenly aware that she doesn’t look like other eighteen year olds. An accident at the age of three has left her with severe burn scars.

At times Katherine believes that no one else can possibly understand her problems, but as she deals with them and grows, she learns to communicate – with those around her and with herself. She faces her troubles with dignity and with humour, refusing to give in to self pity.

Butterflies is a superb young adult novel. Author Susanne Gervay has a wonderful talent for creating stories which explore serious issues with a perfect blend of humour and empathy, of detail and entertainment. Her books don’t hold back from the truth, but are positive and uplifting.

Butterflies is an inspirational novel by an inspirational author.

Butterflies, by Susanne Gervay
Angus & Robertson, 2001

I am Jack, by Susanne Gervay

Jack has a problem. George Hamel, the school bully, has started calling him Bum-head. Soon, the whole school is calling him names, spitting at him, even hurting him physically. Jack can’t tell his mum because she has too many other things to worry about. He will have to work it out for himself.

I am Jack, by Susanne Gervay is a special story about bullying, and one child’s experiences of it. Gervay deals with a sensitive topic with insight and gentle humour, so that younger readers are being educated while they are being entertained, rather than being preached at. There are no quick-fixes or bandaids to fix Jack’s problem, but rather an awakening on the part of those around Jack as his family and his school work together to tackle the problem for Jack and for all other victims of bullying.

I am Jack should be compulsory reading for every parent, teacher and child aged 8 to 12. It is a truly wonderful book.

I am Jack, by Susanne Gervay
Angus and Robertson, 2000

The Cave, by Susanne Gervay

Sam isn’t keen on going on school camp. For eight days he and a group of boys he doesn’t particularly like are going to trek through the bush, over mountains and even into caves, on a survival camp that is supposed to be a physical and personal challenge.Sam’s friends are in a different group and he has nothing in common with the ones he’s with.

The camp has all the challenges Sam expects – no toilets or showers, gruelling walks, not enough decent food – and plenty that he doesn’t. As well as dealing with these, he must also deal with the memories evoked by the camp – memories of happier times, camping in the bush with his grandfather before he died. The camp will reveal many things he didn’t know before, about himself and about the people around him.

The Cave is much more than a story about a school camp. It is an exploration of modern male youth culture. Violence, bullying, drugs and sex mingle with more positive elements such as mateship and loyalty. As Sam learns, so does the reader.

Susanne Gervay has a style which allows readers inside the minds and emotions of her teen characters to reach understanding of the complexities of their lives. Teen readers will learn and grow, but there is much here for older readers as well.

The Cave, by Susanne Gervay
Angus and Robertson (An imprint of Harper Collins), 2002.