A journey of friendship and harmony to inspire all Australians and a landmark publication from an acclaimed team. Nadia Wheatley and Ken Searle help sixteen children from eight schools in south-west Sydney explore their local environment and work collaboratively on art and writing. A model for the way harmony can be shared across the whole of Australian society.
Winner of the 2008 Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children's Literature
Winner in the Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing 2007 (Primary Student Reference)
Winner in the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards 2008 (Best Book for Language Development- Lower Primary Children)
CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award Notable Book 2008
CBCA Eve Pownall Award Notable Book 2008
Nadia Wheatley writes for both adults and young people. Her award-winning books cover the genres of fiction, history, biography and picture books, and reflect her commitment to social justice. Nadia's first book, Five Times Dizzy , was often described as the first multicultural children's book in this country.
Ken Searle grew up around the Cooks River, in the south-west suburbs of Sydney, where he still lives. He is best known for his large paintings in oil on canvas, depicting the suburban and industrial areas of a number of Australian cities. As well, he has painted the landscapes of the Western Desert and of the southern coastline.
In 2005 Nadia Wheatley and Ken Searle developed an innovative Harmony project with children from Muslim, Catholic and state schools in Sydney's south-west. Examples of the students' writing and art are included in the picture book Going Bush , which is illustrated and designed by Ken and has a narrative text by Nadia.