1. Allegory
2. Art techniques
3. Birds
4. Book design
5. Depression
6. Emotions
7. Empathy
8. Friendship
9. Loneliness
10. Mystery
11. Sharing
12. Symbolism
13. Visual literacy

‘Satin’ is a multi-layered story about loneliness, happiness, kindness, sadness and sharing. The story is also about inexpressible human needs. The combined talents of author and illustrator here is mesmerising. On one level ‘Satin’ is a haunting allegory inspired by the Australian Satin Bowerbird’s habit of gathering blue objects to decorate his nest. ‘Satin’ features a young boy who daily slips out of the forest very early when no one is around. He walks along the ‘silent sleepy sunrise streets, looking for blue …’ He avoids people and slips back to the forest before people come out of their houses. He searches for and adds blue objects to his collection. These fill ‘his heart with gladness.’ But lately something seems missing. One morning while collecting blue objects, he hears a child speak the word ‘blue.’ Sharing a moment with her teddy she says, ‘Mumma says she’s feeling blue, Teddy. I don’t know why.’

Satin knows immediately that what is needed is one of his blue objects. He leaves his best one on the windowsill. The young girl is thrilled. Thus begins Satin’s gifts of blue around the town and the happiness this brings. These days Satin still collects blue, but with others.

The art is mesmerising. It is mystical, haunting and surreal. Multiple interpretations are possible. The endpapers are a mosaic resembling broken pottery. Shades of midnight blue and deep purple lighten to shades of pink and mauve as the story’s mood changes. A final double page spread features a flock of soaring Satin Bowerbirds set against a white background.

Lorena Carrington’s art is based on the creative photography of found objects. She manipulates images digitally to create her illustrations. She draws inspiration from broken blue crockery commonly found in backyards around the Castlemaine area where she lives. China fragments are scattered throughout the background, so like the Satin Bowerbird, viewers are invited to hunt for these. When Satin bequeaths his blue objects to others, colours change from dark blues and purples to pinks, yellows and greens. Lorena Carrington describes her illustrations as ‘layers of photographic images: the buildings, the silhouetted foreground landscape and figure, the bird, distant trees and the full moon against the misty sky….’ ‘Satin’ is a moving experience.

1. Abbey’s Bookshop YouTube Sophie Masson & Lorena Carrington introduce ‘Satin.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whYobcXQWts
2. Lorena Carrington’s website ‘The story of Satin: Part 1: creating the text’, featuring comments from the author, Sophie Masson https://lorenacarrington.com/news/
3. Sophie Masson’s writing blog ‘The story of Satin, Part 2: creating the visual world’ featuring comments from the artist, Lorena Carrington https://firebirdfeathers.com/2023/02/22/the-story-of-satin-part-2-creating-the-visual-world/
4. ReadPlus 20 Feb 2023 review by Fran Knight of ‘Satin’ https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/satin-2
5. Kids’ Book 25 Mar 2023 review by Shayne Wardrop of ‘Satin’. http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2023/03/review-satin.html
6. StoryLinks 1 Apr 2023 review by Lara Cain Gray of ‘Satin’ https://storylinks.booklinks.org.au/2023/04/01/satin/
7. Buzz Words 20 Feb 2023 review by Dannielle Viera of ‘Satin’ http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com/2023/02/satin.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR0sW7qlNNoBfUavp7d_WAz-cuz6BmXy1TiLH2PkkUXH5-A7KMSxE-9Lmf4
8. MidnightSun Publisher Teachers’ Notes 6 Jan 2023 for ‘Satin’ https://midnightsunpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Satin.teacher-notes.6-Jan-2023.pdf
9. Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, ‘Backyard Buddies: an educational initiative of FNPW’ (about the Satin Bowerbird) https://backyardbuddies.org.au/backyard-buddies/satin-bowerbird/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0oL2h-6r_gIVmE0rCh2W3gPHEAAYASAAEgKtp_D_BwE