Publisher's synopsis
Dedicated to the largely unsung, mostly unseen workers for young people in need, this evocative picture book by Libby Hathorn will stir hearts everywhere. With stunning illustrations by Gregory Rogers, this is the story of Shane and a cat with no name as they wander the streets at night on their way home. In 1995, Gregory won the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations in Way Home. He is the first, and to date the only, Australian illustrator ever to have won this prestigious British award.
Illustrator
Click here to read more about Gregory Rogers.
Libby Hathorn is an award-winning author of more than eighty books for children and young people. Translated into several languages and adapted for stage and screen, her work has won honours in Australia, United States, Great Britain and Holland. She is winner of The Alice Award, 2014, for ‘a distinguished and long-term contribution to Australian literature.’ In 2017 she won the Asher Literary Award (for a book with the theme of peace) for A Soldier, A Dog and a Boy, already a CBCA Notable 2016.
Her best-selling novel Thunderwith (Honour book, CBCA) re-titled The Echo of Thunder as a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starred Judy Davis who was nominated for an EMMY for her performance as Gladwyn.
Of her picture storybooks she wrote the text for Way Home which won the Kate Greenaway Award, UK, with illustrations by Gregory Rogers. Grandma’s Shoes was performed by Opera Australia and Theatre of Image and Libby won an AWGIE for the libretto; and Sky Sash So Blue was performed as an opera in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Her recent novel Eventual Poppy Day, (Highly Commended by SSW, 2016) is an Anzac story; and her recent picture book Outside a CBCA Notable Book for 2015, is being developed as an opera for children, with the outstanding music of Elena Katz Chernin.
Libby is a keen educator, has lectured part-time at Sydney University; is a guest speaker at conferences such as PETAA, and writers’ festivals such as the Ubud Writers’ Festival, 2012; the Adelaide Writers Festival, 2015; the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2018. She is devoted to poetry and to ‘spreading the word’ about poetry.
She is currently working on a novel entitled Asylum and her next picture book, Miss Franklin based on the life of Miles Franklin, will be published by Hachette in 2019.
Gregory Rogers was born in 1957 in Brisbane, Australia. He studied Fine Art at the Queensland College of Art, and had his first major exhibition in 1983, the year in which he won the SGIO Art Award for photography. He illustrated his first book in 1988. He has won a number of awards for his pencil work, but likes to work with pastels, ink and watercolour too. In 1995 Greg won the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations in Way Home. He is the first Australian illustrator ever to have won this prestigious British award.