Waves
For Those Who Come Across the Sea
Age 7+
History & The Past: General Interest
Waves is about the waves of migration that have taken place over the centuries. It is made up of 14 first person narratives that describe the motivation and the journey.
Every journey is perilous, every situation heartbreaking. Every refugee is a person forced by famine or war or fear to leave their home, their families, their friends and all they know. Children have travelled on the waves of migration to the shores of Australia for tens of thousands of years. This book tells some of their stories.
Creators
Donna Rawlins is an illustrator, book designer and teacher who has specialised in making books for children for most of her working life. She has won many awards for her work and in 2003 was the recipient of the prestigious Lady Cutler Award, presented by the Children’s Book Council of New South Wales, for her outstanding contribution to the children’s book industry.
Mark Jackson is an illustrator based in Melbourne. He has co-illustrated several books with his wife, Heather Potter, and their work has been featured in several exhibitions. Mark has several titles published by Walker Books Australia: The Truth About Penguins written by Meg McKinlay, 2010; Not Like Georgie written by Scott Hatcher, 2009; and Stuck! written by Charlotte Calder, 2009, which was short-listed in the Young Children Category of the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards 2010, and received a Notable mention in the Picture Book Category, Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards, 2010. Platypus, published in 2015 and a part of the award-winning Nature Storybook series, was a Notable Book at the CBCA Book of the Year Awards in 2016 and was also short-listed for the Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature in the same year.
Heather Potter is an illustrator based in Melbourne. She has co-illustrated several books with her husband, Mark Jackson, and their work has been featured in several exhibitions. Their first Walker Book together was picture book Not Like Georgie by Scott Hatcher, 2008. Heather also illustrated the verse novel Pearl Verses the Worldin 2009 by Sally Murphy, which won the Children’s Book Category for the Indie Book of the Year Awards and Honour Book, Younger Readers category, Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards, 2010.
Reviews
Waves is beautifully written, with equally stunning illustrations. The cover alone is worthy of framing!
The Golden Adventures
I love narrative non-fiction books (both for kids and in my own reading time) and this is a fantastic example.
Bookish Bron
Waves is a book that should, and I would like to think will, have a special place in homes and schools everywhere. Its themes are relevant for everyone.
Kids' Book Review