As a part of my fellowship with Reading Australia and the Copyright Agency, I am, quite literally, trying to READ Australia. In my project, titled “Everybody’s Story”, I am investigating character diversity in Reading Australia’s Picture Book Catalogue. Reading Australia is an organisation that aims to promote a love of Australian texts by developing freely accessible teaching resources. Reading Australia’s collection comprises novels, non-fiction and picture books. My project focuses solely on the picture books of Reading Australia, of which there are 123. My aim is to analyse the diversity of these texts in terms of culture, gender, age and ability. However, like all research plans, my grand designs fell away when it came to sourcing all 123 books.

I discovered early on in my research that the Reading Australia picture book collection had several older titles that were out of print and newer titles that had short print runs. This meant that sourcing these books was difficult. A chance meeting with Dr Belle Alderman at the CBCA Book of the Year Awards led me to the door of the NCACL. As a Canberran and a librarian, I had heard so many good things about the work of the NCACL, so I was very excited when Belle graciously invited me to visit, and told me that the NCACL is always open for visitors. Even better, Belle saw the list of books I had struggled to find and assured me that their collection could fill the gaps in my research.

It was a sunny Canberra day when I arrived at UC, and I was pleasantly surprised to find Belle, Rose and Ruth finalising the Midnight Gang Exhibition in the UC Library. They greeted me and told me I could be the first to see the exhibition. I was so ecstatic! After I had squealed my way through the exhibition, I was welcomed into the NCACL space. You know it’s a magical space when you walk in to see framed original artworks by superstars in the kids’ lit world (think ‘The Very Hungry Bear’). The shelves were packed with their Indigenous literature collection that showcases Indigenous authors and languages. While purusing this collection, I spoke to Ruth about my project. She reminded me of the NCACL Cultural Diversity Database and the NCACL Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Resource. I took the opportunity to look at these comprehensive resources while Belle collected the books I needed help to source.

As I analysed each of these books in turn, I was again struck by the power of picture books to share incredibly diverse viewpoints through thoughtful imagery and expertly selected language. From the incredible detail in ‘Do Not Go Around the Edges’ to the provoking messages in ‘One Tree’, I was reminded yet again that picture books truly are windows into others’ worlds and mirrors of our own. Yet the range of diverse books is often elusive to teachers, who, through semi-structured surveys, have reminded me that they struggle to find books that meet the needs of their diverse communities. Thank goodness for a place like the NCACL in this landscape, which can be the beacon directing teachers and teacher librarians to these books.

For the next stage of my research, I hope to further draw on the work of NCACL as I develop a collection of diverse texts and resources to support teachers in meeting the needs of their communities. And just as in the first stage of this project, I know I will be drawing on the knowledge and support that the NCACL provides to do this.

Biographical profile

Libby Baker is a teacher librarian, literacy consultant and researcher based in the ACT. She is the 2025 Reading Australia Fellow. Libby is a passionate literacy educator, having presented and published on functional grammar, multimodal texts and using a contextualised approach to literacy. Libby develops resources for educators on literacy teaching, which she publishes on her website: libbybakerliteracy.com

The post Reading Australia at NCACL appeared first on NCACL.

When I left America for Australia I brought with me a long-time interest in children’s books. Upon my arrival, I was given a collection of May Gibbs’ illustrated stories. What an amazing and inventive Aussie creator. Confession time! The big bad banksia men sent shivers down my spine. I adored the imminently lovable gumnut babies. But is the work of May Gibbs still of interest?

Our Centre holds a very large collection of May Gibbs’ books. Not long ago we acquired a four drawer filing cabinet of material on May Gibbs. Jane Brummitt, from Adelaide, is distantly related to May Gibbs. Jane became a collector of everything May Gibbs – ephemera like a May Gibbs letter opener, an apron, a doll, a cup and so much more. Jane scoured Australian libraries and research collections tracing the life of May Gibbs. She photocopied items along the way and filed them by year of publication. As happens such collections can become very large.

What should be done with these collections? Is anyone interested? One day, Jane asked whether our Centre would be interested in her collection. ‘Yes!’ I answered. The collection arrived in many boxes containing hanging folders each with a tab by year of publication. These filled a four drawer filing cabinet.

The absolutely lovely Tania McCarney, who has created a picture book biography of May Gibbs, offered to create a guide to this collection. This task took many months and ended up as a gigantic spreadsheet with intricate details of every. single. item.

Would anyone be interested in this collection?

Recently, I received a request from a PhD candidate, Virginia Sandell, whose research on Australian women cartoonists includes the cartoons of May Gibbs on women’s suffrage. Here’s what Virginia Sandell discovered in Jane Brummit’s four drawer filing cabinet of May Gibbs material housed at our Centre.

Virginia Sandell talks about her research on May Gibbs below

One of the difficulties in researching little-known figures from the past is they can be hard to find; often leaving few traces of their lives and work in libraries, archives or other repositories. Sometimes a brief mention in newspapers or a casual reference in other works opens new avenues to explore, but more often than not, leads to yet another dead end. And in researching early twentieth century Australian women cartoonists for my thesis there have been lots of dead ends!

So recently I was excited to come across the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature (NCACL) and a treasure trove of files related to one of the women cartoonists I am researching — May Gibbs. While May Gibbs is widely known as the author and illustrator of much-loved children’s classic tales such as ‘Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’—still in print more than 100 years after it was first published in 1918 — she is seldom remembered as a cartoonist.

Indeed, few know that May Gibbs was a cartoonist at all. But Gibbs was one of Australia’s earliest cartooning women with her political cartoons appearing from 1902 under the pseudonym ‘Blob’ in the now long-forgotten Western Australian publication, the Social Kodak.

The May Gibbs collection at NCACL was compiled over many years by author and researcher Jane Brummitt and then archived for NCACL by Tania McCartney. It contains a wealth of materials which Jane sourced over the course of many years of her own research, and which she has generously donated to NCACL. Collections such as this are invaluable to future researchers and contribute to building richer and deeper understandings of the past.

The May Gibbs collection is contained in fifty-nine files with a detailed list of hundreds of items ranging over thirty-five pages. There are books, photographs, postcards, cards, posters, flyers, magazines and newspaper clippings, advertisements, copies of paintings and illustrations, cartoons, comic strips, letters and brochures, together with Brummitt’s handwritten or typed notes, emails, and a range of ‘ephemera’.

For my research, I was keen to concentrate on just seven files which covered Gibbs’ early life and work in Western Australia through to the end of the First World War in 1918. Included in these files are photocopies of Gibbs’ cartoon work in support of women’s suffrage in the UK in 1911 which were published in the Common Cause newspaper and in the Christian Commonwealth newspaper—the latter a publication which had proved difficult to trace and access, so it was great to find it here in the NCACL records. Also included in these files are Brummitt’s own notes about many of the issues and protagonists portrayed in May Gibbs’ cartoons.

Many thanks to Belle and her great team who warmly welcomed me to the NCACL, had a trolley full of my requested files ready and waiting for me, and made a comfortable space available for me to undertake my research over the two days I spent with them.

Virginia Sandell is a PhD candidate at the University of New England. Her PhD thesis examines the lives and work of some of Australia’s women cartoonists in the first half of the twentieth century.

 See also:
MAY GIBBS – Her Life, Work, and Nutcote
The Gumnut Legacy of May Gibbs – NCACL
NCACL’S May Gibbs Legacy Collection – NCACL a blog written by Tania McCartney
May Gibbs titles held in the NCACL collection

The post Remembering May Gibbs appeared first on NCACL.

As an active book blogger and children’s book advocate, I work hard to promote Australian children’s and young adult books, from picture books to novels. The reason for this is that there is a lack of reviews in mainstream media for children’s books, and most coverage is in specialist publications like Magpies, Reading Time, Books and Publishing or Good Reading Magazine. I also write for Good Reading Magazine from time to time.

There are other reviewers like Joy Lawn, Romi Sharp, Thuy On, and Karys McEwen who review children’s books for Books and Publishing. Some of us run our own blogs or Substacks to discuss reviews and other aspects of children’s books as well. There are amazing podcasts like Totally Lit by Ky Garvey, Words and Nerds by Dani Vee and Your Kid’s Next Read with Megan Daley and Alison Tait. Other bloggers I follow include Melissa Gijsbers, Veronica Joy, and Sue Warren. This is just a small cross-section of reviewers with an avenue to promote children’s books.

But the reason I focus on children’s and young adult books on my blog is that there is rarely, if ever, any mainstream media coverage. Specialist publications require a subscription though. Or there’s social media. Social media and any mainstream media often focus on the big names or celebrity authors. On what ‘should’ be read rather than what might be interesting from my quick scans. It’s disheartening to see these avenues show the same authors all the time.

I get to promote and highlight the authors and books that might be overlooked. However, there is still a sense that a lot of media puts adult books on a pedestal as capital B books, and leaves children’s books languishing at the kid’s table.

Everyone mentioned does things differently, and we follow style guides for professional reviews. On blogs, we have freedom to write what we need to write, to go as in-depth as we want, and to review what suits our audience.

As someone who is contacted at least weekly, I have found that publicists and publishers will usually either send me information or links. This makes reviewing easier.

With requests from self-published authors, I have asked for information a few times. Chasing up can get the information, repetition of the request or no response at all. I need more than a genre and audience to be able make a reviewing decision.

This is a challenge, because it makes getting the review done harder. I don’t have time to chase things because I run my blog on my own. I read and review everything I say yes to. To cope, I have had to set limits.

Some of these requests come right as I’ve just received several packages of books I’ve committed to.  I have to turn many requests down at these times to fit things in and focus on what I already have.

So, where to next with my reviewing? Whatever is next on my pile and fitting in other reading where I can.

Ashleigh Meikle is a book reviewer at The Book Muse, Sisters in Crime and Good Reading Magazine. She is also a Guide Dogs volunteer, and advocate for disability and children’s books. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Threads @thebookmuse1.

The post About Blogging for Reviews appeared first on NCACL.

Recently, I visited the National Centre for the latest component of my volunteer service*. It’s always an absolute pleasure to come in, and this visit was no exception. After a friendly and helpful introduction from Belle, Rose and Ruth, the business of the day began – or should I say, the business of The Midnight Gang.

Guided by Belle, I travelled around the Centre office space and the University of Canberra’s library for a lovely and immersive look at the preparations currently occurring for the upcoming The Midnight Gang Exhibition and its grand opening, Midnight Madcaps.

My aim was to chronicle these preparations through a series of images, and get a real sense of just how much effort and care goes into preparing for an exhibition such as this one. Ultimately, I was struck by the realization that, while this kind of work doesn’t just get done by wishing on a star, the levels of collaboration and commitment that go into it are genuinely magical.

The original artwork for The Midnight Gang was donated to the National Centre by The Literature Centre Fremantle, Western Australia. It arrived in a unique storage box and created a great deal of excitement for the volunteers who opened it, unleashing a splash of vibrant colour into the room.

Belle negotiated with the University of Canberra Library for a date to host the exhibition in the Mura Gadi gallery. Happily, February was the month that worked for all. Promotional materials were designed over the December period. For a Christmas project, Belle updated Margaret Wild and Ann James‘ biographical details. The number of personal awards they have each received is testament to their creativity. When I was shown Margaret Wild’s holdings by Rose, I couldn’t believe how extensive they were.

Of course, a hanging system for the artwork was required. This was purchased, and volunteer Rowan Simpkin and her husband spent many productive hours readying the artwork for hanging. Emma Janssen created bespoke activities for two groups of very lucky children who have already booked in to the exhibition.

An exhibition wouldn’t be child-friendly without access to artworks and books. As NCACL holdings are unique, copies were purchased for all to enjoy.

As you can see in the featured image, an important component of any exhibition are the descriptive labels. These have been created by Ruth Nitschke. The labels detail all aspects of the art created, answering questions for those who are curious about what they see.

One thing is for sure – all of this scene-setting came from one inspiring team effort. It is sure to lead into a night of fabulous insights into The Midnight Gang. It’s the first time that both Margaret and Ann have been together to discuss the beloved children’s story, and they’ll do it with Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder OAM on the 18th February 2026 from 5:30-7:30pm.

Don’t miss out!

* Celeste is completing 52 hours of volunteer service for her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.  Dr Belle Alderman AM is her supervisor.

Celeste Alderson-Fletcher has been a teenage volunteer for the NCACL through the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program since 2023. She enjoys all things literary and verbal and hopes to inspire that same enjoyment in others.

See also:
Wild, Margaret – NCACL
James, Ann – NCACL
James, Ann
The Midnight Snaps – NCACL an e-gallery of pre-exhibition images created by Celeste Alderson-Fletcher

The post Setting the Scene appeared first on NCACL.

Click here to see Emma’s full article layout and 22 images.

Behind the cover of a book about almost everything, lives a vast array of illustrations intertwined with cheeky humour from one of Australia’s cherished and celebrated author-illustrators.

You won’t find his name on the front cover nor on the imprint/verso page. You’ll have to turn over the book and discover his name hidden within the blurb.

In the early 1980s, Five Mile Press commissioned a well-known illustrator named Bob Graham. Bob had just moved from Sydney to Melbourne and was keen to further develop his portfolio. However, this project would be slightly different from what he would later be recognised for.

Consisting of 192 pages, Roland Harvey’s Incredible Book of Almost Everything published in 1984 is a collection of fun facts, how things work, short stories and how to make instructions. Contributions can be found from Allan Baille, Peter Smith, Jean Chapman, Doug MacLeod, Nan Hunt, Lyndon Rose, Lotars Ginters, Jack Newman, Heather Philpott, Frank Trebianni, Hazel Edwards, Eve Pownall and of course, Roland Harvey.

A significant contributor is Bob Graham, not only for his illustrations, but also for the fun facts he delivers in an engaging and amusing way.

During my time cataloguing Bob’s original artwork from the book, I was acquainted with a few familiar features and techniques which might be interpreted as glimpses of the future. 

Four key themes or elements can be seen throughout his contributions, ranging from his distinctive handwritten typeset and witty humour to unique brushstrokes and touches of humanity. 

Let’s commence by taking a closer look at his distinctive handwritten typeset and calligrams,  which are where the word/s create a visual image connecting to a theme. I wonder if he sketched the surfing calligram first to establish the composition.

When handwriting the page content, Bob has also added humour in both the written and illustrative form with title characters complaining about the quality of the riddles, skiers testing their luck down a steep slope and a rhinoceros greeting passengers as it passes at 60 km an hour. 

On some pages, Bob has provided amusing disclaimers when he has decided to draw something a little more interesting than the norm. Can you spot them?

Which illustration has a dog lover talking to the wrong end or a secret spy about to have his chest used to send a message?

You can feel the velocity of the ball being hit by Chuck Masters and start to get giddy with the man on the street exercising on the horizontal bar.

Unique brushstrokes creating memorable characters are sprinkled across the pages.
Touches of humanity are found here and there. Can you feel the warmth and compassion radiating from the Roman and the serviceman?

Does the soft pastel glow of the grandma remind you of any characters or the overgrown prickly garden remind you of any books?

Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Bob Graham’s artwork, a few intricate surprises pop out from the pages. What an intriguing artist he is. 

A primary school teacher for two decades, Emma Janssen adores sharing picture books and junior fiction with children. Her passions include writing quality children’s literature and empowering students to see themselves as writers and readers by assisting them to write and illustrate their own published picture books. Emma works for an international educational publishing company that publishes her picture books, a junior fiction series and supporting resources.

See also:

The Magic of Ephemera by Emma Janssen
Bob Graham’s Artwork Frameworks held by the NCACL

The post Behind the Cover appeared first on NCACL.

I vividly remember my first visit to the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature, with my daughter Ms B. We enjoyed looking at the extensive collection of many editions of Australian classics, as well as the author and illustrator files full of delights – especially Ms B’s favourite, Bob Graham. The Centre’s beating heart and our tour guide, Belle Alderman, told us about the enthusiastic volunteers who collect items for NCACL. In 2023, I became one of them.

Pam Quick describes the role of the clipper in a previous blog entry – it’s an excellent introduction to this vital work which supplements NCACL’s holdings.

I live close to the centre of the City of Literature, within walking distance of at least a dozen fine public libraries. I spend my days reading and writing, immersed in my own created world of picture book scholarship @40_Years_of_Picturebooks. It’s been easy to add ‘clipping’ to this routine. Personal searching for long forgotten children’s books gives me a reason to visit my other favoured public space: the opportunity shop.

As any dedicated op-shopper knows, there’s an art to finding. Books are seldom in any discernible order. I easily skim over the highly coloured glossy bindings of the never-opened unwanted gifts crowding the shelves, looking for the shabby, well-loved paperback picture book I don’t yet know I need.

These titles often end up with other highly coloured, slim, paper items like magazines.  It was in such a stack that I found Deborah and Kilmeny Niland’s first illustrated book, ‘The Little Goat’ (1972, Lion).

The survival of a slender paperback from one century to another is a small miracle. Where had it been all this time? Thanks to NCACL’s online catalogue, I checked holdings on my phone: NCACL didn’t own it. Into the postpack of clippings, it went.

The business of children’s books has always included the production of secondary items known as ephemera. NCACL has many such items relating to May Gibbs’s characters Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. While hunting with Ms B for homewares for her first house in Perth, I found a placemat decorated with images of gumnut babies. Would NCACL like it? Into the clippings postpack, it went.

Many contemporary illustrators also create saleable artwork in the form of post and greeting cards.

Op shops acquire these items the same way they get books and placemats to sell – donated from people’s private collections (a.k.a. house clearances). The contents of desk drawers – stationery including cards – often end up in a shoebox next to the cash register.

Ms B and I were visiting an op shop of my childhood, looking for a preloved formal dress for her graduation. While she tried one on, I flicked through their box of cards. And there it was: a birthday card created by Bob Graham c1980.

Should I add a zero to the card, as a special gift for a daughter’s upcoming birthday? Or gift it to a unique Australian children’s literature archive?

Into the postpack of clippings, it went.

Margaret Robson Kett is a former specialist children’s librarian who now writes about books fulltime (not just the ones she finds at op shops).

She divides her time between the unceded lands of the Kulin nation (Melbourne); Wadawarrung country (Ballarat); and Whadjuk Noongar Boodja (Perth).

Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @40_Years_of_Picturebooks

The post Op-Shopping for NCACL appeared first on NCACL.

During my Master of Librarianship studies with Charles Sturt University, I had the privilege of completing a two-week placement at the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature (NCACL), located at the University of Canberra. From the moment I first stepped into the centre, I was struck by the sheer richness of its collection—books, ephemera, and original artworks that celebrate and preserve the legacy of Australian children’s literature.

Beyond its physical treasures, the centre also offers several digital databases that support educators and researchers:

• Picture Books for Older Readers
• Cultural Diversity Database
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Resource Database

One of my key tasks during the placement was to review the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander database to ensure its listed resources aligned with current AIATSIS guidelines. This was a timely and meaningful exercise, especially as I had recently transitioned to a new school where the library had been neglected and lacked a teacher librarian for several years. The experience not only helped me prepare for similar work in my own school library but also allowed me to evaluate potential resources for purchase that would enrich our collection.

Another highlight of my placement was writing annotations and sourcing teaching materials linked to various picture books. It was a joy to dive into new titles and explore how they could be used to foster visual literacy among upper primary and secondary students—blending education with the pleasure of storytelling.

I wholeheartedly encourage teacher education students, teachers, teacher librarian students, and teacher librarians to visit NCACL—either in person or online. The centre offers a wealth of knowledge, not just through its resources but through its incredible volunteers, many of whom come from education and library backgrounds.

If you have the opportunity, bring your class to experience the vast array of Australian literature and the stunning original artworks donated by authors and illustrators. It’s a chance for students to see the creative process behind their favourite childhood books and to appreciate the artistry and effort that goes into each one.

Christina Bowman is a dedicated educator with over a decade of experience in primary education, having taught across multiple schools in Canberra. Her diverse roles have included classroom teaching, working in learning support units, and supporting EALD (English as an Additional Language or Dialect) students. Driven by a passion for literacy and learning, Christina transitioned into the field of librarianship, completing her Master of Librarianship at Charles Sturt University. She now serves as a Teacher Librarian in a college library, where she combines her teaching expertise with her love for literature and information literacy to support students and staff in a dynamic learning environment.

The post A Placement to Remember appeared first on NCACL.

Over the course of ten enriching days, I had the privilege of completing a professional placement at the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature (NCACL). As a Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) student, this experience allowed me to step into the world of information professionals and contribute meaningfully to the centre’s important work.

The NCACL is more than just a library: this unique archival institution is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and celebrating Australian children’s literature. It is a space where stories are not only stored, but also carefully curated for education, research and cultural appreciation.

I was fortunate to be immersed in a variety of activities during my placement, gaining valuable experience and knowledge not only in the role of information professionals and how they curate their many resources, but also the role NCACL plays for educators, researchers, and students. As part of this experience, one of my main responsibilities was to continue and manage a research file on Jessica Townsend, author of the beloved Nevermoor fantasy series.

Research files at NCACL are detailed records that gather press articles, interviews, reviews and promotional material, all categorised for ease of access. I sorted, labelled and preserved materials into themes like book launches, author interviews, promotions and critical reviews. This involved printing/photocopying the material, using archival materials like plastic paper clips, and applying a classification system which involved labelling the author’s surname and a letter to represent the category it falls into, before the file is stored. This file is then used for any future information on the author, which would be added into the file.

It was fascinating to see how much thought and precision goes into building an author’s profile not only to record their achievements, but to give future researchers and educators a clear lens into their literary journey.

Alongside this I also worked on creating annotated bibliographies for a range of picture books, including titles featured in the centre’s cultural diversity database. This task involved reading each book closely, summarising the story in clear, accessible language, and reflecting on how the text and illustrations support themes of inclusion, identity, celebration, and cultural understanding. Another enriching perspective was the rare books collection. Yet another was the amazing ephemera collection, and the process to document, describe and store the collection so it is accessible and easy to find when needed.

Two standout titles I worked with were Just One Bee by Margarete Lamond, a beautiful metaphor for resilience and environmental change, and What Do You Do to Celebrate? by Ashleigh Barton, which explores global celebrations and traditions through the eyes of children. Writing annotations for these books was both a creative and analytical task. It pushed me to consider how each story could be used in the classroom to support both literacy and social understanding.

Being surrounded by thousands of children’s books, original artworks, and the dedication of the NCACL team was inspiring. I gained hands-on insight into the kinds of behind the scenes work that support teacher librarians, educators, and researchers across Australia.

My placement reinforced what I have been learning in my studies, that teacher librarians play a vital role as curators of knowledge, literacy leaders, and advocators of diversity. I am incredibly grateful to the NCACL team for welcoming me into their world of stories, books, artwork and other resource materials. This placement has not only deepened my professional skills but also my appreciation for the continual power that Australian children’s literature and authors bring to the world of books, and the tireless work that goes into the resources in the collection.

Vlotina Souflias: Master of Education (Teacher Librarianship) student and a primary school teacher for eight years. Vlotina has worked in several industries and has four other degrees. She enjoys promoting reading for pleasure and encourages children to appreciate the world of books and the role that libraries have in our society.

NB the Selby dog toy in the feature image is unique to the NCACL.

The post Behind the Shelves appeared first on NCACL.

Recently, the NCACL was thrilled to take delivery of a large international collection donated by beloved children’s writer Andy Griffiths, including the ‘Treehouse series’, created with illustrator Terry Denton. With 11 sequels, in multiple formats, in many languages, it is one of Australia’s most successful children’s series, and a highly successful export. As NCACL carefully adds these multilingual books to the collection, it’s worth considering the effort that must have gone on behind the scenes to carry this very Australian, very funny, series to other territories.

Translating Australian children’s books into other languages is a complex task that involves a nuanced understanding of cultural context, literary style, and the perceived reading tastes and abilities of young readers. The very things we often cherish about humorous children’s books are exactly what makes them hard to translate: like rhyme, word play, metaphors, and onomatapeia. All of these feature heavily in Griffith’s work, which has been praised for encouraging children to learn to read while they love to read.

Haruno Nakai, the Japanese translator of the Treehouse series, says that it’s not just individual words, but things like differences in social structures and the ways in which young people tease each other that were factors for consideration in her work. “Some of the jokes were kind of insulting,” she recalls, “so I changed or modified them for Japanese readers.” Nakai says that some books simply can’t be released in Japan because the jokes are not universally funny, but she enjoys solving the puzzle when she can.

The Treehouse books also capture young imaginations with quirky, faux-childlike illustrations, often creating very busy pages with text flying in all directions around increasingly chaotic landscapes. Jan Moeller was the German translator of the Worst Week Ever series, by Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove, a similarly hilarious series for junior readers, that relies heavily on the interplay of words and pictures.

“The words in German are often longer than their English counterparts,” says Jan, “[but] in a comic book/novel hybrid like Worst Week Ever, the drawings dictate the whole layout. The entire composition of the pages is fixed, which means that even when I’m translating the regular narrative text next to the illustrations, I have to make sure the paragraphs in the translation don’t contain even a single line more than the original paragraphs.”

Translating humorous children’s literature, therefore, is a balancing act between linguistic accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and reader engagement. It demands not only technical skill but a willingness to adapt creatively while respecting the original work.

Apart from raising reader interest, linguistic humour builds and stretches young readers’ literacy abilities and vocabularies, without feeling like homework. In Worst Week Ever, lead character Justin Chase’s father Harold is a great lover of nicknames. JuJu Choo Choo, Jay Cee, and Judge Choozy are just a few examples, each of which is culturally loaded as well as reliant on sound patterns and double meanings.

“I have compiled almost sixty in a separate Word document, just to keep track of them all, and their translations,” says Stéphanie L. de Miranda, the series’ Norwegian translator. “The problem is that idiomatic expressions tend to use different images from language to language.” In the French edition, for example, we see Juju Choo Choo (train noise) exchanged for Juju Chouchou (darling, or favourite) – a culturally aligned exchange that still retains the cheeky ‘Dad humour’ of the original.

“Unfortunately, sometimes you just have to let go of the original joke and talk (or write) around it. But it is so satisfying to find a proper solution that’s fun and feels organic as well!” says Anouk Abels-van den Boogaart, Dutch translator of humorous Australian picture books, like those of Laura and Philip Bunting, as well as the globally popular Dog Man series. “I always think the vibe and the sense of humour of an author need to be intact. That is the most important thing and trumps being 100% faithful to the original wording.”

Translation is rarely a straightforward case of swapping word-in-language-A for word-in-language- B, particularly when it comes to humour. Languages and cultures evolve under many influences, some global, some very much local. Consequently, what we find funny is quite often culturally specific. When funny books travel around the world, it is the research, creativity, and close attention to detail of a skilled translator that brings a smile to the faces of each new room of readers.

Dr Lara Cain Gray has built her multi-discipline career across librarianship, teaching and research. She currently curates diverse multilingual book collections with non-profit education publisher Library For All. She is a book reviewer, literary prize judge, public speaker, and author of ‘The Grown-Up’s Guide to Picture Books’.

See also:
Lara Cain Gray – Blog and Writing
Beyond Words: The Complexity of Translating Australian Picture Books – NCACL Blog written by Dr Lara Cain Gray
Not Just English – NCACL Blog written by Christopher Cheng, NCACL Ambassador

Note: NCACL Cataloguing pending for the Treehouse series translated by Haruno Nakai.

The post Global Gags appeared first on NCACL.

I am a student in the Faculty of Art and Design at UC completing a Bachelor of Arts in Culture and Heritage where I can focus my studies on conservation.  I was warmly welcomed to complete my internship with the NCACL to work with some original artworks. When I approached Belle, she immediately had the idea for me to start working with the SRA Australian Stories collection produced during the 1970’s and 1980’s – which is a series I incidentally am very familiar with through my studies. I chose to conserve The Black Swans and enlisted the help of another intern in the same degree for assistance.

The entire series had been donated to the NCACL the previous year along with the original artworks that had been sent to China for printing. The artboards were donated still in the state for this printing process with 14 boards comprising 3 layers each, all stuck together with pesky sticky tape. The first layer of each artboard is a tissue paper with scribblings from the printers and some quick remarks from the publishers. The second layer is a plastic sheet with a glued-on text block that would be the text for each page. The final layer of each art board is the beautifully coloured watercolour artwork.

This SRA series is a brilliant example of Australian literary and publishing history and the Australian education system of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The layers of tissue paper and plastic give an insight to the publishing practices of the 1970s and 1980s which is not as accessible when looking at a finished book. The series shows the greater attitude of Australian culture and ideology and Australia’s’ attitude to children’s stories. It shows a time of wanting Indigenous culture but not understanding the need to include Indigenous voices. This series can be used as another level of teaching Australian children about these practices and the changes.

Through our examination of The Black Swans we noticed the tape was degrading, staining the surfaces it was placed on and releasing from the materials it was meant to hold together.  We also noticed staining from white out – used potentially to cover up mistakes – had leaked out into the paper. We determined that these stains were not likely to continue to degrade, they were at their worst already. There were tears and rips along the folds of the tissue paper and some general wear and tear expected of a 50-year-old artwork.

It was a great learning curve to be able to apply the classroom teaching to a real item of consequence and I think we took on the opportunity with a good measure of care and delicacy (and secretly a little fear). We were able to slowly work through a proposal of how to preserve the artworks and after conferring with our degree heads we were reminded of the ‘better to do less’ rule and we reconfigured our plan of attack.

Then we entered the working phase of the internship where we moved the artworks to UC’s heritage lab and started on our revised plans. We measured the pH levels (below left) of the tissue and artboards to make sure they were stable and not acidic. We measured the colours for fading which can now be rechecked for monitoring.

We ironed out creases on the tissue paper (below right) to ensure it would lie flat in storage. We then fixed the holes and tears using a glue-like starch paste and Japanese mending tissue paper. Finally, we placed non acidic tissue between the plastic and artwork to act as barrier. From there we have created a report and general guidelines for future interns and other historians of the work we completed and how to use the standards we formed. This work we hope can be transferred across the other books and their correlating artworks in similar conditions.

Overall, this was a fantastic opportunity, and we are so lucky to have had the support of the NCACL staff over our 8 weeks with plans to stop in and cause trouble with everyone again.

Introducing Maia Vincent:
‘I’m Maia and I am about to finish my undergrad in culture and heritage where I will continue my education to join the workforce as an object conservator. Art and history have always been a big part of my life, so this was a natural career choice for me. I endeavour to always present culture with humility and care.’  Maia was invited to present her work on the SRA project at the ACT Region Heritage Symposium ‘A Future for the Past’ on 2 August 2025. She was also interviewed on ABC Radio along with her University of Canberra supervisor, Associate Professor in Cultural and Creative Futures Alison Wain.

Everyone at the Centre enjoyed Maia who had a cheeky sense of humour and was always a pleasure to have around – she worked very hard!
* Image: Maia Vincent (Centre) Dr Alison Wain (Right)

* Featured image Graduate Certificate in Heritage Materials Conservation, University of Canberra online image 2021

See also:
Documenting Collection Items – NCACL blog created by Dr Alison Wain Associate Professor in Cultural and Creative Futures Discipline Lead Cultural Heritage and Conservation University of Canberra, Australia, March 2025

The Longevity of Sticky tape! – NCACL blog created by Bob Graham, September 2023

Restoring Bib and Bub Newspaper Comic Strips – NCACL blog created by the late Margaret Hamilton AM and Gaye McDermott, February 2023

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