Updated September 27th 2011

Janeen will present prizes to finalists in the SA Water's Literature workshops, (poetry and story writing) on Sunday 16, October, at the State Library.

She will be visiting these schools during November:

Westbourne Park Primary
Wallaroo Primary
School of Nativity

Poetry Competition

Janeen won a copy of Lorraine Marwood's new poetry book, called 'A Note on The Door' (Walker Books) for her entry called Letter-Box Note. Very exciting! Read the full poem in the Poetry Section.

Another poem, A Dancing Cat, was published in School Magazine, Blast-Off edition, in September 2011.

Did you ever read Janeen's Aussie Nibble book, Party Time!?

Now Penguin Books have reprinted it with four other wonderful Nibble stories and called the anthology, My Best Book of Nibbles – 5 Great Stories for Girls.

A great birthday or Christmas present idea!

Stuck!

Toby and Woofy are always together. One day when Toby plays a game with Dad, Woofy gets stuck. What will Toby do without Woofy? And how will he get Woofy back?

Category: Big Book, Professional References,
SOSE/HSIE, Wellbeing
ISBN: 978 0 73127 480 2
Description: Big Book
Publisher: Pearson Primary
24pp - Paperback

Short and Scary: a whole lot of creepy stories and other chilling stuff

Black Dog Books

edited by Karen Tayleur
Junior fiction
paperback 240pp
ISBN 9781742031330
World ex ANZ rights available

Columbia the camel, from my picture book, Columbia Sneezes! is to be made
into a large metal sculpture, and become part of the Storyboard Walk,
at Thalassa Park, Aberfoyle Park.

The sculpture will be unveiled on Saturday, 3rd September! Very exciting.

Great news! 'I Spy Mum!' is the Little Big Book Club's book choice for 2 - 3 year olds during the month of May.

Get your copy now from all leading bookshops.

I Spy Mum! Activity Time and Learning time for teachers and parents available from www.thelittlebigbookclub.com.au.

The following books are now available to purchase direct through

By Jingo!
Wishbone
Cross-Currents
Beach Pirates
What's wrong Aram?
Machino Supremo!

The Wacky Sticky Soaky Flowy Thing!

Attention: Primary and secondary teachers of English, Art, Science and Society and Environment:
SA Water is calling all creative Writers, Artists & Poets of all year levels!!
FREE ACTIVITIES - BOOK NOW!

Download flyer here. (pdf 292kb)

Have you read the funny poems in Machino Supremo! yet?
Well, why not crank up in 2011 and get yourself a copy?
And here's a brand new set of wonderful teachers' notes to accompany each poem.
Thanks to the publisher, Celapene Press, for providing them.

Janeen and about twenty other EKIDNAS (SA Writers and Illustrators for Children) gathered in
Dymocks city book shop on Sunday 22nd November for a wonderful promotion of their books.

The group chatted to interested customers and read stories. There was also a quiz and raffles for the children.

Thanks Dymocks.

Like our Ekidna T-shirts? That's me, sitting in the front row on the right in the white T-shirt.

Janeen judged the scarecrow competition at the recent Country Show at Kadina.

Congratulations to R/1 class at Wallaroo Mines School for their entry.

The prize was an autographed copy of Janeen's picture book, Shirl and the Wollomby Show
(in which a scarecrow appears).

She also read her book at the Show over the weekend.

Great fun!

South Australian Children's Book Illustrators' exhibition,
Storylines2
Gallery M, Marian Cultural Centre from
August 6 - 26. www.gallerym.net.au

A selection of Janeen's poems were also part of the 'art scene', like this
installation on the wall and the puddle poem on the floor.

Writer, illustrator and coordinator of the exhibition Claire Richards,
looked just right in her 'puddle boots'!

Libby Gleeson
and Janeen Brian
at a recent
Children's Book Council
of Australia Conference in
Sydney.

'A wonderful conference in all
aspects of children's literature
and illustration.'

I Spy Dad! has been shortlisted for the 2010 Speech Pathology Awards!

The intention of Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year Awards is to:

• Enhance people’s awareness of the role speech pathologists play in literacy development.
• Gradually develop a nationally recognised pool of books that speech pathologists can recommend for the development of oral language and speech and/or sound awareness.
• Promote the Association with the Book of the Year Awards ceremony.

Did you know about the picture book, I Spy Dad! that has been very popular since its release in 2009? Now, there’s I Spy Mum!

Recently released, and in time for Mothers’ Day, it’s full of fun, energetic illustrations by Chantal Stewart and lots of lovely, rhyming rhythm to read aloud!

You might even spy your mum!

'I Spy Mum would make a great companion for Brian's I Spy Dad, which I reviewed here
at The Book Chook , and which has been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book
of the Year Award. Both are typical of Brian's rhyming picture books - a strong rhythm,
impeccable rhyme, and above all, FUN! Fun to read aloud, fun to share with kids,
and fun to discuss and respond to.'

The Book Chook

The launch of Shirl and the Wollomby Show was a wonderful and woolly event. Lots of people, fun, and knitting contests! There was ‘a mudcake to taste,’ just as appeared in the story - except the sheep made ‘grassy-green jam’ as well!

The launch was held at Little Picassos, Glenelg, and we were surrounded by all the wonderful pieces of art, which were connected to the story and created by the art students. Thanks kids and thanks to Janine Boyd, the director. It was wonderful to have both Kat Chadwick, the illustrator, from Melbourne over to help celebrate, and Lorraine Marwood, writer/poet from Bendigo, as the book is dedicated to her.

Thanks too, to Joanne at Omnibus for all those yummy platters of food!  (photo is at launch of Shirl and the Wollomby Show. Shows me on the left and illustrator, Kat Chadwick, at Little Picassos. )

I recently took the book to the Mount Barker Show where I read to children - and an occasional sheep!
Review excerpt: This brightly illustrated picture book has a flowing, rhyming text that would suit reading aloud to a wide age range. A refreshing book!
~ Magpies Volume 25, Issue No 1, March 2010

Do you like being scared? Just a little? Maybe a lot? Then you should dip into Short and Scary,
an anthology just for you. Published by black dog books it’s full of stories and poems to send a
tingle to your toes. You might like to read my story called Eat Your Words. I dare you!

Sometimes when a book is printed in another country the publishers re-design the cover. Here's the 2009 American version of Too Tight, Benito! transformed into Too Tight, Benny. The publisher, Sandy Creek, for the bookshop Barnes & Noble, also wanted Benito’s name changed.

Janeen was guest speaker at the recent Hills District Primary Schools Readers Cup.

Her book, Cross-Currents, was one of 7 books selected for the teams to read.

Congratulations to the winning team from Crafers Primary School!

Welcome to the launch of 'I Spy Dad!'

It was held in Ipswich on Fathers' Day 2009, and well-known illustrators, Ann James and Terry Denton, helped act out the fun of the story, while Janeen looked on, enjoying it all!

Janeen had a great time visiting
many schools in Melbourne during
Book Week.

Here she is with several students at
Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School.

Ever played the game 'I Spy?' 'I Spy Dad!' is about a little girl looking for her dad. But with so many others, all playing and having fun with their children, will she find him?

A fun, rhyming picture book for the young and the young-at-heart. 'I Spy Dad!' is bursting with bright, colourful pictures by Chantal Stewart.

Can you spy a copy of 'I Spy Dad!' in your library or bookshop?

Janeen's much-loved Aussie Bite,
Elephant Mountain,
has been selected as a Notable
in the Younger Readers Category
of the 2009 Children's Book Council
of Australia Awards!

Have YOU read it yet?

Oddball
A FUN-TASTIC launch by Jenny Baber and the students and staff at Our Lady of Grace School, Glengowrie, SA! Many handball thanks!

An hilarious handball tale with a hypnotic bent in the Lightning Strike series from Walker Books.

In a moment of temporary insanity, Sol Tranter challenges school bully, Aggo, to a game of handball - and what’s worse he blurts out that he is going to beat Aggo using hypnotism. Sol is miserable and desperate in equal measures, and with no plan forthcoming, he hopes for a miracle.

But will one come - and will it arrive in time?!

'What does a bear do when he's grown too big for his cubby-hole? Meet Benito Bear, in
Too Tight, Benito! Janeen’s picture book, illustrated beautifully by Judith Rossell and published by Little Hare Books. Benito goes looking for a new cubbyhole, but none of them are suitable. When the right cubby-hole turns up... it’s not where Benito expects!’

A heart-warming story about the classic search for the thing that was never lost.

"This lovely story satisfies in so many ways."
~ Ann James, well-known, award-winning illustrator.

Janeen had a wonderful time running workshops for children and adults at the inaugural CLIC Festival in Alice Springs. (Children’s Literature in the Centre).

Her book, Columbia Sneezes! even had an outback launch!

Here’s Janeen with a balloon sculpture of Columbia - big hump and glasses as well!

'Columbia the camel lives in the desert, as a camel should. He likes all the spiky palm trees, the clear moonlit nights and the endless dunes. He likes it all, except for the sand carried on the desert breeze - that just makes him want to sneeze!'

Ever seen a camel wearing glasses? Or a desert traveller on stilts? Gabe Cunnett’s humorous illustrations make you laugh. Columbia Sneezes! is a fun picture book, published by Omnibus/Scholastic.

Grab yourself a copy! (But make sure it hasn’t got sand in it!!)

Rated one of the 5 top reads for Autumn from Just Kidding Magazine.

Came in as Bestseller of the Week in the Highest New Entries chart from Boomerang Books.

"Janeen Brian is an expert at rhyming text, which never sounds forced and is always fresh,
lively and full of rhythm.’ Columbia Sneezes! is ‘a story in rhyme which is perfect read-aloud
fun for young children."
~ Margaret Hamilton, former children’s publisher, now reviewer.
(Junior Bookseller & Publisher)

"Inspired perhaps by ‘Hoosh!, her fine information book on camels, comes one of Janeen Brian’s most
engaging picture books."
~ Katharine England, reviewer for The Advertiser.

Are you taking part in The Premier’s Reading Challenge? Well, guess what?
Janeen is now one of the Ambassadors for the Challenge.

See website: www.prc.sa.edu.au

She wishes you all well with your reading!

A QUICK QUIZ!!
Janeen has 22 books so far on The Premier’s Reading Challenge book list.
Count how many of her books YOU have read!
WRITE in her guestbook and TELL her!

By Jingo!
Columbia Sneezes!
Cross-Currents
Dog Star
Duck Down
Elephant Mountain
Hoosh! Camels in Australia
I Spy Dad!
Machino Supremo!
Nature’s Way A to Z
Oddball
Leaves for Mr Walter
Party Time!
Pilawuk – When I was Young
Pop-up Fox
Rock-and-Roll Ducks!
Silly Galah!
Shirl and the Wollomby Show
The Super Parp-Buster!
What’s in the River?
Where does Thursday go?
Wishbone

Read Janeen's first Aussie Bite!, Elephant Mountain

It is illustrated by Sally Rippin and published by Penguin Books.

"I'll always look after you," Kasem says to the little elephant. But will Kasem be able to keep his promise?

The story is based on a factual event that happened in Thailand during the 2004 tsunami.

Teacher Notes Now Available for
Elephant Mountain!

Read what others say about Elephant Mountain:

"Truly a beautiful and simply told story."
~ Cass Brian - avid reader

"You did a great job of blending in background from your reading and research about Thailand,
elephants and the tsunami, to make the story so believable. Kasem, your main character,
really came to life too.

I’m sure your readers will all keep turning the pages to see whether he gets his wish."
~ Elizabeth Hutchins - children's author.