PO Box 3413
Wellington 6015
New Zealand
April 2009
Dear Friends,
I have been very impressed with some of the manuscripts sent to me by young writers. A 12 years old poet Bart English of St Mary's School Wellington, is writing the kind of poetry that I wrote in my early twenties; school classes have sent in bunches of stories that have driven me to the same sort of comparison, wonderful stories, full of life, energy, told from the heart. There are a lot of good illustrators out there, too. I'm sure my friend Amber Edwards won't mind me telling you about the first time I met her. Nine years old Amber came to the Auckland Storylines Family Day last year. I was book-signing when Amber and her mother came up and asked if I would like to see some of Amber's drawings. Out of a large envelope came some fine drawings of dragons and people. I absolutely knew that these were far too sophisticated to be the work of a child. Surely her mother had done them, I thought. Perhaps Amber read those thoughts. "Would you like me to draw you?" she asked. I told her to go ahead, and then I went on signing books. Less than two minutes later Amber presented me with an astonishing picture of me, clearly me, reading a book to a large attentive cat. I was breathless with awe. I knew many adults who would give anything to draw as well that. Well, that was the beginning. Weeks later, Amber illustrated one of my stories called "Dragon Droppings." We published it ourselves, a few computer copies, and now Amber is drawings a variety of cats for an intended cat book.
So where is all this leading? To teachers, of course. All children are naturally creative but unless their creativity is encouraged and nurtured, it will fade like a garden without rain. Behind the talent I see every time I open school mail, are great teachers.
Too often, the media visits the ills of society on teachers and education systems. I write occasional letters of protest, wishing that I could make national displays of the writing and art that comes to my desk. It's not just about creativity but also empowerment. Let me tell you just one of the many true stories. A dozen years ago a retired teacher in Canada wrote to me about a nine year old boy called Andy who could not read or write. She was seeing him two afternoons a week, lessons on a table at McDonalds where effort was rewarded with food. The first card I received from Andy had the teacher's writing but it was signed with a big uneven letter A. Four years later, Andy was sending me stories via his teacher. A five-page story called "The Boy who Ate the Wind and Drank the Rain" described the violence of the boy's home life and was sober reading. This retired teacher had given Andy the skills to write about that. Neither of us knows where he is today, but I am sure that the dedication of this woman has given him the tools necessary for success.
In New Zealand, the education system is geared toward the holistic development of the student. Sometimes I hear grumbles from people of my own generation who believe that children should learn by rote, but children have different learning needs and in this country the emphasis is on the child's learning rather than the teacher's teaching.
You'll think this a long introduction to a web letter. Yes, it is. There is a saying: Whereof the heart is full, the tongue will speak. I get filled with gratitude to teachers.
Since the last newsletter I've written 15 new Story Box stories for Clean Slate publishers. Nearly all of these have the original illustrators and it's a treat to see new Mrs Wishy-Washy, Dan the Flying Man, the Hungry Giant, the Meanies, Smarty Pantys. It also a delight to learn that a couple of teachers now using Story Box, actually learned to read with the books when they were five. Does it make me feel old? No, just recycled young.
What else? A picture book called "The Night Train" has been published by Boyds Mills, U.S. with illustrations by Jamison Ondine. Soon, another picture book about rascally Greedy Cat will be published by Scholastic. It's called "Greedy Cat and the Goldfish" and Robyn Belton's illustrations are wonderful. When you see this book, look for the torn curtain. I won't explain that. It's a visual gem.
Recently, Walker Books did a fine publication of The Duck in The Gun, originally published in 1969 and written as my Vietnam War protest. Robyn Belton and I are very pleased with the new edition. When the original book went out of print in America in the 1970s there was an opportunity for its publication in New Zealand with Shortland. At this time, I was working with Robyn Belton and Learning Media on the first Greedy Cat book. I knew that Robyn's illustration style would be perfect for "The Duck in the Gun." Fortunately, Robyn thought so too. Wendy Pye published it as a hard-back, 32 paged picture book, but it didn't fit with Shortland's reading programmes, and when management changed, it too went out of print. For years, Robyn and I have had requests from teachers and librarians for a revival of "The Duck in the Gun" but it was Julie Harper of Jabberwocky Children's Bookshop, who alerted Walker Books to this need. The result is very fine indeed. The book is beautifully designed, the paper and font matching Robyn's lovely pictures.
And what else? Terry is still doing some photography and we'll be getting together on a book of "Values" for families and schools, which will have his photos. The new interest I mentioned has nothing to do with writing. I have taken up woodturning. My lathe is in a shed in Featherston and I try to get to it at least one day a week. I'm doing a Polytech course and although I'm naturally a slow learner, I'm getting better at making bowls and boxes and platters. It's a pleasure to put a bit of firewood on the lathe and find the bowl inside it.
Now, of course, you know why this letter has been so long in coming.
With apologies and love from your friend,
Joy Cowley
