Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.
On Wednesday's show
Today was a farewell to Jill McCallum, regional Youth Services Manager, who has been a cheerful and effective advocate for services to, and literature for, young people in our region. Jill looks about 21 still, but is retiring to spend a well-earnt time reading and eating chocolate.
Jill has been a regular visitor to the radio program, particularly for discussion of the winners of Children's Book of the Year awards, with Pia Butcher.
She has been happy to talk about her particular favourites amongst the tens of thousands of books she has seen over the years, and today brought along her all time favourite, Maurice Sendak's Where the wild things are. This classic picture book is now being filmed, and we are looking forward to seeing how the delightful, whimsical pictures of Sendak translate to the screen. I brought along one of my favourite children's authors, who has a lot in common with Sendak. Bob Graham is an Australian author who has the same knack as Sendak of giving the child's perspective of the world, but also layering his story and pictures so that there is much to be discover in them for older readers.
Jill also talked today about a book which is at the other end of the spectrum of picture books. The arrival by Shaun Tan is directed at older readers, and is beautifully illustrated story without words, describing the experience of someone coming to an alien culture. There are moments of isolation, of loneliness and puzzlement, but also hope and friendliness. Tan has produced several books in this style, all quite intriguing.
Music today was Handel's The arrival of the Queen of Sheba.
---- Lesley
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