Mallee Sky
Age 7+
Picture Books
An extremely timely and beautiful picture book about the effects of drought and climate change in the Mallee.
The first people of the land call the Mallee “Nowie”. It means sunset country. When the sun goes down the red heat of the day bleeds into the sky and sets it on fire. Drought and rain – life under a Mallee Sky.
This poetic text by emerging author Jodi Toering is beautifully accompanied by lush oil paintings by fine artist and illustrator Tannya Harricks.
Resources
Creators
Jodi Toering a reading recovery teacher in Ballarat. Mallee Sky is her first book.
Tannya Harricks is an award-winning visual artist/painter based in Sydney, Australia. Her paintings are derived from sketches done out in the landscape and brought to life in the studio with intense layers of oil paint and bold, confident brushstrokes. She has exhibited in Sydney for many years and has been awarded the Waverley Art Prize and Hornsby Art Prize. She has also been a finalist in many prominent Australian art awards including the Mosman Art Prize, Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, Muswellbrook Art Prize, Benalla Nude, Gallipoli Art Prize and the Gold Coast Art Prize. She has previoulsy illustrated Dingo for the Walker Books list.
Reviews
Toering’s words and Harricks’ illustrations combine perfectly to represent the celebration of rain and the joy, hope and relief it can bring.
CBCA: Reading Time Blog
Every brush stroke of this picture book is a masterpiece and every sentence a poetic homage to the sunset country and its strength.
Kids Book Review
Both the text and the illustrations are magnificent, capturing the features of the Australian country landscape and life in an Australian farming town with poignant beauty.
Blog of Dad
[a] most evocative book with poetic text and stunning illustrations
The Bottom Shelf
A beautiful and timely story to read with children, the towns along the highway are getting smaller as each year passes, highlighting the difficulty of making a living in this marginal land. But the sunsets are amazing, the landscape breathtaking and the wildlife astounding, the images in this outstanding book reflecting the emotional pull of this part of Australia
ReadPlus
This engaging picture book…captures the beauty and interest of Mallee landscapes throughout Australia. Recommended for its splendid illustrations, insightful text and evocation of communities and farming cycles in the Mallee country areas throughout Australia
Magpies Magazine
