1. Adventure
2. Animals
3. Art motifs
4. Art techniques
5. Biographies
6. Convicts
7. Courage
8. Danger
9. Death
10. Discrimination
11. Endpapers
12. Freedom
13. History
14. Law
15. Nonfiction
16. Rejection
17. Rural life
18. Social justice
19. Survival
20. Women

Imagine the life of an Australian woman living in the early 19th-20th century as a notorious bushranger. Mark Greenwood’s lyrical text and Frané Lessac’s naïve-style, highly detailed illustrations capture just that. Jessie Hickman (1890-1936) was only eight years old when her parents left her at a circus where she thrived as a daring circus performer. The endpapers feature her riding a horse and performing acrobatic feats. She was skilled at tightrope walking and known for her handstands on bare-backed ponies. When the circus industry declined, Jessie Hickman began (and ended) her life as a notorious lady bushranger.

Mark Greenwood’s text is characteristically lyrical and playful offering an engaging read aloud. Readers are encouraged to consider Jessie’s lifelong challenges. She experienced marriage and motherhood but neither suited her. She spent her life escaping authorities and terrorising rural communities in regional New South Wales. She makes an interesting comparison with another notorious bushranger, Ned Kelly. Frané Lessac’s illustrations in her typical naïve style offer a wealth of historical detail for the astute viewer.

Mark Greenwood presents fascinating stories about Jessie – how she evaded capture, her home in a cave and an interesting fact – she was a reader. Jessie usually escaped capture until 1928. On the day of her court hearing, the stolen cattle (the evidence) were stolen from the police. She was therefore acquitted, and ‘retired’ to a farm hidden deep within the mountain gorge.

Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac together have succeeded in chronicling Jessie Hickman’s story in a sympathetic way. The text raise questions about women in Australia’s history, including support for the unemployed, women and widows in particular.

The Additional Resources at the back of this book include a timeline of Jessie Hickman’s life, historical images, information about travelling circuses in Australia and a glossary of 20 terms, such as ‘cattle duffing’ and ‘buckjumping’. Young readers are encouraged to explore Australian history, particularly the contributions of women.

Jessie’s amazing life came to an end in 1936 at the age of 46 when she died of a brain tumour. She is buried in an unmarked grave at Sandgate Cemetery, Newcastle.

1. Wikipedia ‘Jessie Hickman’ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessie_Hickman
2. The Bottom Shelf 4 Oct 2025 Review by Barbara Braxton ‘The Legend of Jessie Hickman’ https://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/category/extraordinary-women/
3. Books+Publishing 5 Aug 2025 review by Linda Guthrie of ‘The Legend of Jessie Hickman’ https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2025/08/05/308981/the-legend-of-jessie-hickman-mark-greenwood-illus-Frané -lessac-nla/
4. Good Reading podcast Gregory Dobbs talks with Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac about ‘The Legend of Jessie Hickman.’ Approximately 17 min https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/podcasts/mark-greenwood-and-Frané -lessac-on-their-new-picture-book-for-children-the-legend-of-jessie-hickman/
5. The Book Muse 1 Oct 2025 review by Ashleigh Meikle of ‘The Legend of Jessie Hickman’ https://ashleighmeikle.com.au/2025/10/01/the-legend-of-jessie-hickman-by-mark-greenwood-illustrated-by-Frané -lessac/
6. Just So Stories 12 Sept 2025 review by Sue Warren of ‘The Legend of Jessie Hickman’ https://losangzopa.blog/2025/09/12/the-legend-of-jessie-hickman-mark-greenwood-frane-lessac/
7. Hunter Heritage 3 Sept 2020 ‘Jessie Hickman, Australia’s Last Bushranger’ https://www.hunterheritagemedia.com/post/jessie-hickman-australias-last-bushranger
8. The Courier Mail 24 Jan 2015 Melissa Gulbin writes ‘Wollemi Pine Bushranger story to hit the silver screen’ based on the historical biography, ‘The Lady Bushranger: The Life of Elizabeth Jessie Hickman’ https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/central-queensland/wollemi-pine-bushranger-story-to-hit-the-silver-screen/news-story/dd0a6272c291c1060a963db728dce69a
9. Outback Family History 4 April 2020 Moya Sharp writes ‘The Lady Bushranger — Jessie Hickman’ https://www.outbackfamilyhistoryblog.com/the-lady-bushranger-jessie-hickman/
10. Listnr 11 Jan 2021 ‘Jessie Hickman – The Most Badass Bushranger Was a Woman, Of Course’, 40 min podcast https://play.listnr.com/podcast/all-aussie-hour/episode/tzih-jessie-hickman--the-most-badass-bushranger-was-a-woman-of-course
11. Our Pangaea 5 Oct 2015 ‘Searching for Jessie’ includes photographs of areas where she lived https://www.ourpangaea.net/?p=6593
12. Frané Lessac’s website ‘The Legend of Jessie Hickman’ summarises the story https://Frané lessac.com/book/the-legend-of-jessie-hickman/
13. AusHistory ‘Jessie Hickman — the Wild Woman of Wollemi — Australia’s Unknown Outlaw’ 6 min 13 seconds offers a fascinating visual account of Jessie Hickman’s life with a transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4Oj-xwuknY