Buzz Words
chats to Robert Favretto about his latest children’s book, On The Nose
(Morris Publishing Australia). Robert is a primary school teacher and Victorian based writer of children’s fiction. His previous publishing credits include CAT-astrophe
(Morris Publishing Australia), Leonardo’s Spot of Trouble
(Blake Education) and Lost for Words
(Limelight Press). He has also had his short story The Cuckoo Clock
published in the CHARMS anthology. Robert has completed a Diploma of Professional Children’s Writing and has presented writing workshops for primary school aged children and the Mornington Peninsula Libraries.
Comment on this post to be in the draw to win a copy of On The Nose
. Details below. There is also a review of Robert's book.
Welcome Robert. Please describe your book in five words or less.
Not to be sniffed at!
How did the ideas for your book come to you?
Disgusting smells have always held a fascination for kids. So when I came across an article about a rare, living thing that emits a repulsive scent, I thought it would make a great idea for a children’s story. The foul odour would take over a city, and all I needed was someone special to solve the mystery of the phantom stink. Enter Justin Credible – a comical, quirky character with a long nose and expert on smells. The ideal person to sniff out the problem.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Justin Credible uses his super nasal powers to solve crimes of a smelly nature. However, unlike talented kids who are sometimes singled out and teased for being exceptional, Justin isn’t resented at all. At a time when bullying is becoming more and more frequent among children in schools and online, it’s great to see that his difference is embraced and celebrated, not shunned and ridiculed. So apart from OTN being a good rollicking fun read, it also has a light-hearted message.
Why did you choose to write in this genre?
I feel comfortable writing in this genre because of my work as a primary school teacher. I am familiar with children’s interests and the sort of books they like to read, especially reluctant readers. Humorous, imaginative, and fast-paced stories with plenty of action are generally favourites, so I try to steer my stories in that direction.
Does the life of your main character parallel with yours in any way?
Like Justin, I have a prominent nose, although I don’t share his super-sniffing prowess. I enjoy pleasant smells, like the tantalizing aroma of fresh coffee, but certainly not disgusting odours like the ones featured in OTN. Justin and I both enjoy mysteries. However, Justin’s investigative powers are better than mine. (He has a better nose for solving those hard to crack smelly cases).
Thanks for chatting with us Robert. Good luck with your book.
As part of the blog tour, we will give away a copy of On The Nose
. To be in the draw, simply comment on the post and send an email of your comment to info@morrispublishingaustralia.com with the subject "On The Nose competition". Competition closes midnight EDST 15th April 2014.
On The Nose by Robert Favretto, illustrated by Kevin Burgemeestre (Morris Publishing Australia)
PB RRP $13.95
ISBN 9780987543479
Reviewed by Ramona Davey
Robert Favretto’s chapter book On The Nose is a fun read for children aged 8-12 years old. The main character is Justin Incredible, a Grade 4 school boy who has a nose like no other. Perfectly made for such tasks as guessing what his classmates have for lunch in the game ‘’Sniff-a-snack,’ or playing quoits. But the most important job Justin’s nose will have is to solve the mystery of the bad smell of Aroma City. Justin, who has been trained as a super sleuth for the DNA (Department of Nasal Affairs), follows his nose in this fast-paced, detective story. Armed with a compass, a scent-o-meter and following a whole bunch of smelly clues, Justin discovers who and what is causing everyone to leave Aroma City.
On The Nose is full of puns, similes and play on words which teachers may find very useful during Literacy lessons. I read this book out loud with my eight and nine year old children and they loved the humorous names of all the characters, such as Stella Mozzarella, Marsha Mallow and Barry Mundi.
The front cover has a colourful illustration that shows Justin’s unusual nose. Inside there are four fun, black and white cartoon style illustrations throughout the story. Boys that love humour and aren’t put off by gross
sneezes will find this a fun read as will readers who prefer books that have a few illustrations in them.
Ramona Davey is a trained Primary teacher and children’s writer.
