1. Alienation
2. Anxiety
3. Art techniques
4. Book design
5. Depression
6. Emotions
7. Fear
8. Flight
9. Guilt
10. Hope
11. Imagination
12. Isolation
13. Peace
14. Sadness
15. Safety
16. Self-reliance
17. Violence
18. Visual literacy
19. War

‘Tintinnabula’ is a beautifully crafted and highly emotive picture book that explores how to keep a sense of hope when beset by dark forces––whether they be internal or external.

Even when things are at their darkest, Cai’s atmospheric illustrations––rendered in pencil and coloured digitally in Photoshop––offer hope in the form of symbolic imagery that pierces the gloom. The opening images are full of dire portents represented by a stream of black semi-formed creatures with gleaming eyes that pursue a young woman in a threatening environment. As the book progresses, signs of hope appear, including a white peace dove and small bells––the ‘tintinnabula’ of the title.

The text is a first-person narrative written in stream-of-consciousness free verse. It is poetic, lyrical and compelling. The young woman relates how she is searching for her happy place––Tintinnabula––where she can escape from the darkness that is trying to envelop her and at last truly be herself. Whether the darkness is within her or an external threat such as war or other forms of conflict is left for the reader to interpret.

As she is pursued by the threatening creatures, she must traverse difficult landscapes. Once she reaches Tintinnabula, the landscape changes to a gentler palette softly backlit in greens and greys––the land of hope that was foreshadowed on the front cover, with its stunning door-shaped cut-out that reveals the longed for destination and encourages the reader to open the book to find out more.

Full of symbolism and atmosphere, this is a book that explores how our imagination can help us deal with the sometimes stark realities of life. It provides a template for the writing of free verse, as well as an example of how picture books can contain both multilayered texts and images for older readers to explore.

Rovina Cai won the CBCA Crichton Award in 2018 for her atmospheric illustrations for ‘Tintinnabula’.

1. Just Kids Lit July 25, 2019. Review by Kate Gordon of ‘Tintinnabula’ by Margo Lanagan and Rovina Cai. https://www.justkidslit.com/book-review-tintinnabula-by-margo-lanagan-and-rovina-cai-illustrator/
2. Kirkus Reviews August 14, 2018. Review of ‘Tintinnabula’ by Margo Lanagan and Rovina Cai. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/margo-lanagan/tintinnabula/
3. Hardie Grant Teachers Notes for ‘Tintinnabula’ by Margo Lanagan and Rovina Cai. (Downloads as a pdf file) https://cdn.hardiegrant.com/-/media/corporate/hgegmont/teachers%20notes%20pdfs/picture%20books/tintinnabula%20tns.ashx
4. The Book Curator June 2018 Issue for Book Week 2018 includes extensive notes for the CBCA Award books including ‘Tintinnabula’ by Margo Lanagan and Rovina Cai. (Downloads as a pdf) https://bookcurator.com.au/web/content/31097?unique=1007fb0b45f195f848b04d4a5408feb14408f0a5&download=true