Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend by Tania McCartney

Young Caroline Jones tucked a auburn curl behind one ear and arranged a chain of tiny wooden dolls on the windowsill of her family’s front room. Her tongue played at the corner of her mouth in concentration. Outside the window, faded roses crowded the sill. Through the petals, Caroline caught a glimpse of her father, William Jones, working in the garden.

Caroline caught sight of her father sprinting across the yard towards two local men who were lifting a wounded soldier from the carriage. The soldier had a rickety old crutch splayed at his side, and as her father helped lift him the soldier’s face twisted with pain. One of his legs was missing.

Young Caroline Jones tucked a auburn curl behind one ear and arranged a chain of tiny wooden dolls on the windowsill of her family’s front room. Her tongue played at the corner of her mouth in concentration. Outside the window, faded roses crowded the sill. Through the petals, Caroline caught a glimpse of her father, William Jones, working in the garden.

Caroline caught sight of her father sprinting across the yard towards two local men who were lifting a wounded soldier from the carriage. The soldier had a rickety old crutch splayed at his side, and as her father helped lift him the soldier’s face twisted with pain. One of his legs was missing.

Caroline Chisholm was born into a large, loving and socially liberal family in England in the early 1800s. From an early age, she was aware that life was different for many other people. She developed a keen interest in travel, but also in guiding those who she was sure with a little help could improve their own lives. Her work started on a small scale, helping her mother support families around their home. After she married, she lived in India for a while before travelling to Australia. There, as in India, she found girls and women who lacked the skills necessary to gain meaningful work. For a year, she helped train and place women in towns and regions around Sydney. But her work broadened over time so that she could help more and more people. Her policies helped bring families to Australia. Most openings are accompanied by colour illustrations from Pat Reynolds.

‘Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend’ is a new offering in the Aussie Heroes series from New Frontier Publishing. Each showcases an influential Australian, who may or may not be well known to a present generation of young readers. ‘Caroline Chisholm’ introduces the child Caroline, showing the foundations that led to her adult work. A time line at the end of the book provides the ‘facts and figures’ allowing the narrative to read like a story without being bogged down with numbers. The narrative mixes non-fiction with fiction, providing a warm introduction to a character who has sometimes polarised historians. There are hooks here that will encourage further research and exploration. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

 

Caroline Chisholm: The Emigrant’s Friend, Tania McCartney ill Pat Reynolds
New Frontier Publishing ISBN: 9781921928482

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Aussie Heroes: Fred Hollows by Hazel Edwards Ill Pat Reynolds

Dr Fred Hollows is well known in Australia and in many other countries for his work in eye health, particularly with remote and disadvantaged communities. ‘Aussie Heroes: Fred Hollows’ introduces the man as a child and follows his education and life from birth to death.

Fred Hollows was born in 1929 on the South Island of New Zealand. He had three brothers: Colin, John and Maurice (Monty).

For the first seven years of his life, Fred lived with his family in Dunedin, where his father worked as a train driver for the railways and grew chrysanthemums in his garden for a hobby.

When the family later moved to Palmerston North, still on the South Island, he was enrolled in the North East Valley Primary School. At the age of thirteen, he graduated from primary school and attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School.

 

Dr Fred Hollows is well known in Australia and in many other countries for his work in eye health, particularly with remote and disadvantaged communities. ‘Aussie Heroes: Fred Hollows’ introduces the man as a child and follows his education and life from birth to death. But Fred Hollows, like so many others, was only able to do the work he did because of other passionate and caring people around him. So it is that the reader also meets Fred’s family and others he inspired. He was a practical man as well as a skilled one and developed programs that would provide services and products in many countries. His second wife continues the work of the foundation that bears his name.

‘Aussie Heroes: Fred Hollows’ is a new offering in the non fiction series from New Frontier Publishing. Other titles include ‘Weary Dunlop’ and ‘Dame Nellie Melba’. Each title looks at the life of a well known Australian, and their legacy. The series is pitched at primary-aged readers and includes a timeline and a list of contents. Chapters are short and colour illustrations are included throughout. ‘Aussie Heroes: Fred Hollows’ introduces the child, then the man who became a hero. By presenting the childhood that precedes the ‘heroism’, there’s a suggestion that anyone can become a hero. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Professor Fred Hollows (Aussie Heroes)

Aussie Heroes: Professor Fred Hollows , Hazel Edwards Pat Reynolds
New Frontier Publishing 2012
ISBN: 9781921042751

 

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Professor Fred Hollows, by Hazel Edwards

foundation, to ensure that his work continued long after his death.

In Professor Fred Hollows, part of the Aussie Heroes series, author Hazel Edwards recounts the key events in Hollows’ life and work in a simple, accessible form. Coloured illustrations scattered throughout the book bring the story to life.

Three out of four people who are blind don’t have to be. They are blinded by poverty alone.

Frederick (Fred) Cossom Hollows was born and grew up in New Zealand, knowing from a young age that he wanted to make a change for the better. He studied medicine and then decided to become an eye doctor. Moving to Australi,a he recognised the need to take eye care to the people who most needed it, and so set up mobile eye clinics, working in remote and Aboriginal communities providing low cost and free medical aid, and saving the sight of thousands of people. Later, he took his programs to other countries. Before his death in 1992 he established a foundation, to ensure that his work continued long after his death.

In Professor Fred Hollows, part of the Aussie Heroes series, author Hazel Edwards recounts the key events in Hollows’ life and work in a simple, accessible form. Coloured illustrations scattered throughout the book bring the story to life.

Hollows is an inspirational character and an excellent role model to be presented to children as an example of humanitarian action, and the power of self-belief and the difference an individual can make. Professor Fred Hollows would make an excellent addition to school libraries and is suitable for classroom use.

Professor Fred Hollows (Aussie Heroes)

Professor Fred Hollows (Aussie Heroes), by Hazel Edwards, illustrated by Pat Reynolds
New Frontier, 2012
ISBN 978192104275

This book can be purchased in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop, by Hazel Edwards

‘Ready, set, go.’ Ernie Dunlop heaved the sack of grain onto his shoulder. His brother, Alan, was just behind him, struggling with a second sack. The two boys ran across the dusty farmyard, staggering under the loads. The hot sun was like needles on their skin.
‘You won again Ernie,’ panted Alan, dropping his sweaty sack on the growing pile. Ernie was taller than Alan who was 20 months older. Both boys had strong shoulders from the farm work. Often they made a competition out of the jobs around the farm, but long-legged Ernie usually won.

Ernie, who became known as Weary while at university, was born 1907. He and his brother grew up on a struggling family farm near Wangaratta. He was an inquisitive, spirited and very active child who knew early on that he wanted to be a doctor. He studied pharmacy then won a scholarship to study Medicine at Melbourne University. While studying, he became a skilful rugby player. When war was declared, Weary joined up, keen to put his surgeon skills to good use. But as well as being a skilled surgeon, he was a good administrator, good at solving problems and negotiating with others. These skills were to become instrumental in his survival and the survival of others when he became a prisoner-of-war of the Japanese.

Weary Dunlop was a big man, both in stature and in ability and in terms of his achievements. Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop is the second title in a new series from New Frontier Publishing. The first was about Dame Nellie Melba, and there are more titles on the way. Each introduces an iconic Australian and their life both before and after they became well known. Chapter headings outline stages in his life and a timeline gives an ‘at-a-glance’ summary of his life. Most openings feature a colour image. This is an accessible introduction to the life of a fascinating Australian. It covers his childhood, education, marriage, war experience and post-war life. A well-rounded summary of a remarkable man. Recommended for mid-primary readers.

Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, Hazel Edwards ill Pat Reynolds
New Frontier Publishing 2011

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author
www.clairesaxby.com