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The future is calling
2024 has a nice futuristic ring to it, does it not? To my ear at least it sounds like the distant future we grew up hearing so many fantasies about has just now come around, and landed right at our doorstop. But does it feel futuristic? To those who have lived through several decades at least, it surely feels futuristic - what with the internet and the miniturisation and digitisation of all things in our lives, it's hard to deny that much in the way we live has changed. Ind

Reeta Dhar
Jan 24, 20246 min read


It's the most wonderful time of the year ...
Another year has flown by so we must be having fun! It truly is a wonderful time of the year, as things wind down and the space opens to stop, take stock and reflect on the year that has been. Our pride and joy this year has been seeing the ' wise as ' community go from strength to strength, right across Australia and beyond. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who made this possible; our customers, booksellers, educators, agents, suppliers and affiliates. It's only

Reeta Dhar
Dec 20, 20232 min read


Willow the Wonderer picture books are ready for their debut in China
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

Reeta Dhar
Dec 10, 20232 min read


Ufos and Picasso's dirty dishes: What inspired the art in our new picture book, Space Odyssey
"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

Darren Pryce
Dec 3, 20238 min read


New Willow the Wonderer picture books review by Counsellor Sian
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

Reeta Dhar
Nov 25, 20233 min read


Only 4 weeks left to add Willow the Wonderer to your Christmas stocking : The perfect gift for kids
Christmas parcel lodgement deadline This is our usual public service announcement about the fast approaching shipping deadlines for Christmas, courtesy of the Australia Post. To ensure your parcels read their intended destinations in Australia by Christmas please ensure you have shopped and the parcels are shipped on: Standard Shipping by 19th December Express Post by 21st December This means that you have only four weeks left to get your Christmas shopping done and presents

Reeta Dhar
Nov 21, 20234 min read


Discover educational books for kids with a wide array of learning guides and teaching resources
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

Reeta Dhar
Nov 3, 202310 min read


Looking for children's picture books? Check out Librarian Pam's review
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

Reeta Dhar
Oct 27, 20233 min read


The verdict from our 'First Readers Club' is in: Space Odyssey is a book for our times
"...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

Reeta Dhar
Oct 25, 20234 min read


A space adventure book that teaches kids about belonging, connection and empathy
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

Reeta Dhar
Oct 20, 202312 min read


Media Release: Book 3 in the Willow the Wonderer Series Launches with Pre-Publication Rights Sale
Independent Australian publisher, Wise As Stories, has launched the third title in their popular children's book series, Willow the Wonderer. Entitled 'Space Odyssey', the Simplified Chinese rights to the highly anticipated book also sold to Beijing Reader & Thinker Culture Co pre-publication. For Immediate Release : 11.10.23 Wise As Stories are pleased to announce that the third book in their ‘ Willow the Wonderer ’ children's picture book series was officially launched to

Reeta Dhar
Oct 11, 20233 min read


Darren Pryce is a finalist in the prestigious Mosman Art Prize
You all are no doubt very familiar, if not deeply in love (going by your book reviews), with Darren's illustrations for our Willow the Wonderer picture book series. He is in fact a very established illustrator who has honed his craft over a career spanning almost four decades. But not many I’ll wager know of his fine art practice. From illustration to fine arts Darren turned to the fine arts over a decade ago following on from his success as an Illustrator in the golden 'pr

Reeta Dhar
Sep 30, 20234 min read


Willow the Wonderer picture books have gone into reprint - again!
We started this month with an exciting milestone : Our debut picture book series Willow the Wonderer has gone into yet another reprint. This marks the third printing for our first book in the series, Willow the Wonderer and the second for Honey Time . At over 2 metric tonnes, this will be our biggest print-run yet and yes, includes our upcoming new title - but more on that later... Right now we are nervously eyeing the last few boxes of the books we have on-hand and hoping

Reeta Dhar
Aug 18, 20239 min read


An ode to our grandmothers and the many roles they play in our lives
A lesson in unconditional love She sat and listened intently to what my energetic nine-year-old self-had to say. Then when I finished my...

Counsellor Sian
Aug 9, 20237 min read


Picture books loved by wonderers
We forget our baby's birthday ... Willow the Wonderer turned two in June! Hard to believe that two years have flown by since we held the first hardcopy of Willow the Wonderer in our hands - and posed for this daggy photo to mark the occasion... I think this was the 'high-point' of our COVID fashion! Darren and Reeta holding their first Willow the Wonderer picture book! Willow the Wonderer picture books have since found their way to homes all across Australia . It's been wond

Reeta Dhar
Jul 21, 20233 min read
Blog: Quote
“Light a campfire and everyone's a storyteller"
John J Geddes
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