Publisher's synopsis
Sometimes you don’t always get what you want. Instead of the rocket backpack, you might end up with a terrible suitcase for the very first day of school. And this makes you mad! But sometimes what you think is terrible, might not be so terrible after all, especially when there are rocket ships and new friends involved. The Terrible Suitcase is a lovely story about acceptance, making friends and new experiences.
Illustrator
Click here to read more about Freya Blackwood.
Emma Allen was a trained speech pathologist, specialising in early childhood, before she returned to university to pursue a lifelong love of literature. The Terrible Suitcase won the 2013 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood award. She writes from her Canberra home where she lives with her husband Richard and three young children Harriet, Rupert and Hazel.
Freya Blackwood was born in 1975 in Edinburgh, Scotland and grew up in Orange in NSW, Australia. Before she became a children’s book illustrator, she worked as a special effects artist, notably working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 to 2003.
She began illustrating children’s book in 2002. Her stunning and iconic illustrations perfectly capture the warmth and complexity of growing up. While warm and classic, her style has a unique quality that renders her work instantly recognisable. Her work has captured international attention and a swag of awards and nominations. These include the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal (2010), which is the UK’s most prestigious award for children’s illustration, and the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award – Early Childhood (2007).
Her most recent books are Maudie and Bear (2010), Harry and Hopper (2009), Her Mother’s Face (2009) and Amy and Louis (2006). Freya lives in Orange, NSW, with her daughter, Ivy.
Visit her website: http://www.freyablackwood.com.au/