The Secret Battle

The Secret Battle by Pamela Rushby, illustrated by Fiona McDonald (Eagle Press) RRP $17.99 ISBN 9780648815426

Reviewed by Wendy Haynes

Roddy Malone has just started back to school in Brisbane in 1942, after threats of war with Japan. Right after the Darwin bombing, deep trenches were dug in Roddy’s school grounds, sandbags stacked against buildings in the city street.

 Though only nine, Roddy was proud to start his first job as a newsboy selling newspapers on the busy streets of Brisbane. He befriends three American soldiers who take him under their wing when he is picked on by two older boys, also newsboys trying to muscle in on his turf.

But one evening on his way home, Roddy witnesses a street fight between America and Australian soldiers. After helping an injured American soldier and reporting the riot to his boss Mr. Sadler, the story was never reported on or recorded in the newspaper Roddy sold, and in fact, it was kept low-key at the time.

Author Pamela Rushby explores and tells that story in this historical junior middle-grade novel and spans from 1942 to 1945. Roddy takes the injured American soldier Hank to his place -- where else could they go? Nursed back to health by Roddy’s single mother, they become close friends.

The Girl in the Mirror

The Girl in the Mirror by Jenny Blackford, illustrated by Fiona McDonald (Eagle Books) October 2019, PB, RRP $17.99, 153 pp, ISBN 9780648194521

Reviewed by Karen Henriks

Maddy moves to a creepy new house and starts at new school. Newcomers are not welcome and Maddy is given a hard time, so school becomes the last place that she wants to be. Her new home is old and full of secrets from the past. It has a coldness and unexplained presence that creates darkness. Maddy’s bedroom becomes her refuge but there is no real peace even there. In the old mirror in her bedroom Maddy finds her first real friend, Clarissa. There is only one problem: they are 100 years apart in time.

Clarissa lives in the very same house as Maddy. She is the girl in the mirror in Maddy’s bedroom and is from the 1890’s. Clarissa’s younger brother Bertie, who died from whooping cough, haunts the stairs in the house in each time space. The friendship helps both girls deal with frightening situations in the their respective homes. The sinister character in the story is Clarissa’s Aunt Lily who is also a frightening presence in Maddy’s world.

There is a mystery to be solved and lives to be saved and an evil force to be overcome. This time-shifting tale hooks the reader into the mystery with its clever storytelling. The reader wants to join the girls in their quest to remove the evil that lurks in the shadows of both their lives. Maddy tackles the girls at school and makes friends with Gareth but worries time is running out to save her baby brother Cory who has become ill since moving into the house. The only person she can turn to is Clarissa.

Meanwhile, Clarissa’s mother’s health is in serious decline and widowed Aunt Lily seems to control everything and everyone in the house. Her strengthening tonic made from plants in the garden seems to not be working. The two girls must use all their intelligence and work together. But will they succeed? 

This is a gripping middle grade novel that is an original and captivating read.

Three Dragons for Christmas

Three Dragons for Christmas by Fiona McDonald, Sophie Masson, Beattie Alvarez, Lisa Stewart and David Allan (Christmas Press)

HB RRP: $21.99

ISBN 9780992283896

Reviewed by Ashling Kwok

Three Dragons for Christmas is a beautiful 32-page book that is perfect for young readers. It contains three original, heartwarming stories created by different authors and illustrators and featuring everyone’s favourite mystical creatures - dragons.

Come on a journey as you discover whether dragons can really make a toymaker’s luck change or pull Santa's sleigh, or whether a dragon family will get their Christmas feast.

The book has a nostalgic feel to it and the pages are beautifully designed and presented. The style and layout of the book is reminiscent of old-time classic fairytales from years gone by.

The cover features gold-foil stamping and enticing illustrations that will appeal to anyone looking for a lovely book to share at Christmas time.

The stories are creative and well written which makes them enjoyable to read. The book also features numerous black and white and colourful illustrations that enhance the story and appeal to readers. The text is clear and easy to read, and the stories easy to follow.

With Christmas just around the corner, now is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Three Dragons for Christmas. Friends and family would love receive this precious keepsake which is great for sharing aloud or for children who like to read by themselves.

Two Fearsome Fairy Tales from France

Two Fearsome Fairy Tales from France retold by Adele Geras, illustrated by Fiona McDonald (Christmas Press)

HB RRP$19.99

ISBN 9780992283841

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

The fly pages of this new book by Australian publisher Christmas Press are wonderful; in black and white they show a scene which feels almost as though it is going to suck you into the story to come. 

The first story is the English author’s retelling of the well-known tale, ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Like most re-tellings, the language is sparse, old-fashioned and straight-forward, relating how a merchant father promises his youngest and most beautiful daughter to a beast set on revenge. Belle is aghast when she first sets eyes upon the beast and declines his many offers of marriage. There is, of course, a twist at the end of the tale and when Belle finally agrees to a betrothal, she releases a spell cast by a wicked fairy.

The story of Bluebeard is the second story in this lavishly illustrated book with all its text set in illustrated frames and with full-page coloured pictures and occasional black and white sketches. Like the beast in the first story, Bluebird has a dreadful appearance – and a young woman, in this case his (unnamed) Bride. ‘His beard was of a dark blue as deep as oceans and flowed from his chin to his waist like a tumbling waterfall of hair. But he dazzled her with gifts and soothed her with kind words.’ On the eve of his departure on business, Bluebird gives his bride the keys to the palace saying that one room is not to be unlocked ‘if you value your life.’

Does the young woman use the silver key? Of course! And what she finds is horrifying. This sets in chain a series of consequences and frantic actions. 

This story was, for this reviewer, much less predictable than the first.

This is another handsome production from Christmas Press joining other retold tales such as Two Tales of Twins from Ancient Greece and Rome (Ursula Dubosarsky) and Two Trickster Tales from Russia (Sophie Masson). Its appeal would be for children aged 9+ years.

Two Selkie Stories from Scotland

Two Selkie Stories from Scotland retold by Kate Forsyth, illustrated by Fiona McDonald (Christmas Press)

PB RRP $19.99

ISBN 9780992283827

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Following the success of Two Trickster Tales from Russia, Christmas Press presents their second book, Two Selkie Stories from Scotland. These two magical fairytales are retold by the gifted storyteller Kate Forsyth, with stunning illustrations by the hugely talented Fiona McDonald.

In The Selkie Bride, Forsyth applies her gift to the tragic tale of a shape-shifting Selkie whose skin was stolen and hidden by the man that fell in love with her, thus keeping her from returning to her home in the sea. Her anguish and heartbreak at being confined to land is later assuaged by her daughter who discovers the skin, and facilitates the Selkie’s escape.  The cost of this choice is the separation of mother and child.

In the Kingdom of the Seals is a mesmerising tale of death and reinvention. A seal hunter is drawn down into the sea after he wounds a bull. He becomes as one of them; views their life and the beauty of their existence. But only he is capable of healing the wound he inflicted. Again, choices must be made. His old life is buried and a new one is born.

These two stories have mythological origins drawn from Scottish folklore. They are something far more magical than fairytales. This is due to Kate Forsyth’s insightful and poetic retelling, combined with the beauty of Fiona McDonald’s equally insightful illustrations. These two creators have links to Scottish ancestry. This connecting thread adds a personal and authentic element to the translation.

The print and pages are delicate as is the content and overall design. This is the second publication by the new Christmas Press, with two more books planned for release before the end of the year. Collectors, be on the alert, as these productions are works of art in every sense.

Interview: Fiona McDonald and David Allan of Christmas Press

Author/artist/designer Fiona McDonald and artist/illustrator David Allan have joined with author Sophie Masson, to create Christmas Press, a new publishing house for children’s books. Their first publication Two Trickster Tales was launched late September. Anastasia Gonis gets an insight into the hows and whys of this union, and attempts to learn about these two creative people.

An extended version of this interview was featured in the October 1 2013 issue of Buzz Words.

You are an author/artist/designer. Can you tell us something about yourself and your work?

F. I’ve always loved making things: pictures, dolls and stories. I hated school and dropped out in Year 11. I went to the city to seek my fortune but enrolled at Julian Ashton’s Art School instead where I spent the next four years rigorously training to be an artist.

I love to make pictures with an enigmatic narrative; people say ‘why is she doing that?’ Or ‘why are they there?’ and my answer is - ‘Well, I don’t know, it’s a mystery’.

Now I am a director at Christmas Press but I also do layout, concept design and am a writer and illustrator, and hope to do both of those in the near future.

You are a new illustrator. What opened the door to this new area of art for you and at what other occupation do you work?

D. I've had a love for drawing ever since I was a young boy. I completed a Diploma in Fine Art at TAFE and have held Fine Art exhibitions of Landscapes and Portraits in Oils. I've always wanted to be an illustrator though, and after working in bookshops and as a graphic designer in the past, I felt like now is the time to pursue my dream career. I've been heavily influenced by classical illustrators such as Arthur Rackham, Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin (especially for Two Trickster Tales), along with Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha and more recent illustrators such as Alan Lee and William Stout. Meeting Sophie and Fiona and getting so much encouragement from them has helped my progress immensely.

How did you come to join forces with David Allan and Sophie Masson to create Christmas Press?

F. Some years ago Sophie and I were lamenting the passing of the age of the luxury Christmas picture book. In the days of Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac publishers produced a gloriously illustrated children’s book in time for Christmas. Nowadays most Christmas books seem to be the very tired retelling of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

At the time we said to each other how much fun it would be to have our own publishing house. We’d call it Christmas Press in memory of those antique books.

It was at the beginning of this year (or even the very end of last year) that we decided we’d really do it and set ourselves up as a publishing house and produced a beautiful book. David Allan had come on the scene by then and his illustrations were exquisite and we thought this a great project for him to do to help showcase his work.

In a continuing unpredictable climate that publishers are currently experiencing, what is it about Christmas Press that will make it stand apart from other established publishing ventures that are struggling?

D. We'd like to think that there is still a lot of love for very traditional picture books in a style reminiscent of Arthur Rackham and other illustrators from long ago. Also we feel there is an untapped market in picture books that specialise in traditional fairy tales and the like.

New ventures in the current changing climate of children’s books need passion, commitment and

money. Do you feel confident that all these needs will be satisfied with the work you all propose to do?

F. Yep! I never worry about money, it always materialises when needed. This is a passion and we don’t expect it to make a fortune. As long as we can keep bringing out new titles I think we’ll all be happy. I have lived on an artist’s wage for most of my adult life. You do without a lot of things but you have the fulfilment you need instead. I think more people need to think about their lives this way, follow their hearts and cut up the credit card. No proper job is secure so what do you have to lose?

Traditional fairytales have long been lost to the world of children’s books. Your work also has its magical side to it. Did this influence your decision in any way to join Sophie and David in recreating new stories and characters from the old?

F. I think the three of us share a visual sense of aesthetic. We all love old picture books, fine technique, great draughtsmanship. We also all love fantasy stories, fairy stories and have a strong nostalgia for childhood.

The printing costs for Two Tricksters from Russia were funded by an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. Can you explain what this is and why you chose this method for funding? 

D. Online Crowdfunding involves seeking to pool the collective money of individuals via the Internet, to fund efforts such as ours. We basically thought we'd have a crack at crowdfunding after seeing the success of other people’s ventures that had been funded in this way. Through networking our friends, colleagues and relatives we were able to very nearly cover the cost of the print run of our book.

Beauty, colour and imagination are part of both worlds that you’re involved in now. In your opinion, is this combination a participating factor in the success of the traditional fairytales that the group is now producing?

F. Absolutely! I personally feel there has been a death of beauty in children’s books and toys in the last few years. Everything in life is becoming homogenised and bland from food to television.

My toys, mainly dolls and dragons, are selling really well as if people are starving for something a bit different. I think the same is happening in the world of books. We are already discussing and planning adding new characters to Granny Fi’s Toy Shop. I just have to find more hours in the day!

What type of media did you use for the artwork in Two Trickster Tales and how does the illustrative style differ from what you are used to?

D. For the artwork I used pen and watercolour on paper. The style for this book is pretty much an extension of what I normally do. Prior to starting the project, Sophie introduced me to the work of the great Russian Illustrator Ivan Bilibin whose work I had somehow missed before and now love. His use of a clean line and areas of flat colour style has been a huge influence on the look of the illustrations I produced for Two Trickster Tales from Russia.

You can read Buzz Words' review of Two Trickster Tales in the post below.

Two Trickster Tales from Russia

Two Trickster Tales from Russia retold by Sophie Masson, illustrated by Davis Allan (Christmas Press)
PB RRP $22.95 (buy direct from publisher, or form bookshops listed on site)
ISBN 9780992283803
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

To all the people that have loved classic fairytales and longed for their resurrection, take heart!  With its first publication, Two Trickster Tales from Russia, Christmas Press has returned the classic tale to new generations of readers with the promise that classic tales from all over the world will be reborn in a fresh and exciting fashion. This is a new enterprise with artist David Allan making his illustrative debut, who with designer/artist/writer Fiona McDonald and author Sophie Masson make up the trio that form Christmas Press.

This beautiful book contains two tales from Russia. In Masha and the Bear, a simple trip to the woods to collect berries leads Masha into a bear’s clutches. But she is clever and resourceful, and soon finds a way to get home. With The Rooster with the Golden Crest, a rooster that refuses to listen to logic, finds himself in the clutches of a hungry fox, not once but three times. He is saved from ending up as dinner by his fast-thinking friends, a cat and a thrush.

The illustrations are presented in colour, sepia, and black and white. Delicate lines and intricate details return with full page pictures, borders and double-paged spreads. The design and layout is superb and the language has been adapted well to weave in with and complement the entire structure of the book. The book can be read or listened to with equal pleasure.