Wondering what are the best ways to help young children who are learning to read? You need to take note of this article from the ABC on Structured Literacy - An evidence-based approach to teaching reading that involves a combination of phonics (sounding out words) and explicit teacher-led instruction. It is based on a " landmark international study that examined 10,000 pieces of research going back to 1966 to distill six big ideas behind the science of reading . Reading th

The Patch Primary School's production of Willow the Wonderer (Photo Credit: The Patch Primary School) A story too good not to share It's not everyday that a lifelong educator - and her entire school - gets behind your storybooks . So , I thought I'd share this wonderful story with our community.   Writing this reminded me, like I hope it does you, of 'that teacher': The one who went the extra mile and made all the difference to your life.   Enter Stage Left : Debra Herrmann

Guess what the postie delivered a few days ago? We weren't quite sure ourselves when the tightly wrapped parcel arrived a few mornings ago, which added nicely to the excitement of unwrapping the mystery box. We weren't disappointed either; nestled within countless layers of cardboard and padding were the advance copies of the bilingual - Simplified Chinese and English - edition of Willow the Wonderer picture books! Bilingual Simplified Chinese and English Edition of Willow t

"There is no such thing as the unknown, only things temporarily hidden." Captain James T. Kirk Creativity is a messy business Enter Francis Bacon , not the sizzling breakfast kind but the icon in the artistic pantheon. He didn’t cover up the blemishes on his canvas; instead, he transformed the errant strokes into unsung heroes of the composition. He once said, "And sometimes when I've been working I've been so disgusted by it that I grab the brush and put brush marks all ove

Most of you are no doubt familiar with Counsellor Sian. Her original book review of Willow the Wonderer series is the stuff of legends, having reached over half a million folks across Australia! Sian is a registered therapeutic counsellor and has a private practice in QLD . She brings over a decade of experience in the field and a passion to help people find peace in their world. We were keen to hear what Sian made of our new Willow the Wonderer book - Space Odyssey - so

Willow the Wonderer now comes with its own 'Early Childhood Learning Hub' The wonderful world of Willow the Wonderer just became even brighter today with the launch of our " Early Childhood Learning Hub ". First Reading of Willow the Wonderer at the Crescent Head Playgroup. Photo credit: Susan Snape The Early Childhood Learning Hub contains a wide array of learning guides and teaching resources to accompany our Willow the Wonderer picture books, which not only impart seeds o

Remember Pam? She's worked in libraries for most of her life - 26 years in fact! There she was back in 2021, enjoying a quiet retirement in the country working on her art practice with her best mate, when she came across two creative souls publising their first picture children's picture book - Willow the Wonderer . It was about the search for happiness and had just the right philosophical pull and ethereal quality to get Pam to sacrifice her prized anonymity and agree to fro

"...It's exactly what young people need to hear." With that endorsement from one of our reviewers from our First Readers' Club (who also happens to be a psychologist) we felt ready to hit print and publish on the third book in our Willow the Wonderer picture book series - Space Odyssey . But let me rewind a little bit and introduce our First Readers' Club properly. Our First Readers' Club : how it all began Our First Readers' Club began quite organically back in 2021 as were

Willow the Wonderer: Space Odyssey Space Odyssey has officially launched - and with that our Willow the Wonderer picture book series is now three books strong. As I pen this blog, many books are already on their way to little wonderers all around Australia. A brand new addition to their Willow the Wonderer collection and hopefully, repertoire of life's wisdom. It's all the stuff that celebrations are made of but getting into a celebratory mood this past week was not possible