What Will You Choose to Read Aloud?

As an Australia Reads Ambassador I am proud to announce that Australian Reading Hour is coming very soon, in fact it’s on the 9th March!

While you can choose to read quietly to yourself, why not share the experience with a loved family member, friend, class or colleague. The time of day doesn’t really matter, it’s just a chance to stop and contemplate and hopefully help make reading a part of your daily routine.

What will you choose to read aloud?

Naturally your choice of book or other reading material will depend on your audience, that is, the person you choose to spend the hour reading with.

Below are a few options to help you on your way.

Babies

Board books are always great for little ones. They can’t do too much damage to the pages as they try to turn them every which way. Board books are also quick and easy for that short attention span.

They are often concept books to help bub explore and make sense of the world around them. Books on colours, shapes, farm animals, vehicles and transport, fruit and vegetables, the list goes on and on.

These often have only one word and picture to each page, but some may have several words and pictures for your little one to point to. This also helps make it more interactive as you discuss each picture on the page.

Toddlers

They still love their concept board books, but are sometimes ready for books that Jen Storer terms contories. Books with basic concepts but also include a bit of a story. For those of you who don’t know this marvellous women, Jen is an amazing author, coach and chief inspirationalist that runs the incredible writers group The Duck Pond.

One of my favourite board books that could be called a contory is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. With days of the week, food and the life cycle of a butterfly, you can’t go wrong.

Another favourite that I love reading and sharing, is Wibble Wobble, written by Jen Storer and Illustrated by Lisa Stewart. ‘Filled with the joyful moments of a toddler’s day as they discover and explore their world, this is a book guaranteed to become a firm family favourite.’

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle in board book format

Wibble Wobble by Jen Storer and Lisa Stewart

Pre-Schoolers

By the time your child is 3 - 5 years, they are ready for rhyming picture books. These are essential for the growth of language and comprehension. Rhyming picture books are ideal for learning about word play, patterns and prediction. As you read aloud with your pre-schooler, they can guess the rhyming word and ‘begin to read.’ The pictures often help these predictions as well.

‘Oi Frog!,’ written by Kes Gray and illustrated by Jim Field, is a great example of a simple rhyming picture book that pre-schoolers adore. Frog doesn’t want to sit on a log, and asks what other animals may sit on, such as cat sits on a mat, hares sit on chairs, mules sit on stools and gophers sit on sofas. My grandson loves to shout out the rhyming word as soon as I say the animal.

Oi Frog! by Kes Gray and Jim Field

The Early School Years

Kids 4 - 6 years are ready for prose picture books. Books with a story line, an over-aching problem to be resolved. They are still learning about the world around them but that world is beginning to expand outside of the home. There are so many delightful picture books written for this age, it would be difficult for me to name just one favourite.

Picture books can still be read to kids of all ages, especially 6 -8 and even up to 12 years. I have read picture books to classes from Kindergarten to year 6. With a little thought it is amazing what type of lesson and enjoyment you can find from a fun read aloud session.

Sometimes your reader may be looking for something non-fiction and there are picture books to cover these too. CSIRO Publishing have recently released some great picture books. ‘Swoop’ by Nicole Godwinand illustrated by Susannah Crispe is the story of why magpies swoop people during Spring. ‘Wonderful Wasps’ written by Katrina Germein and illustrated by Suzanne Houghton, explores the beauty of our Australian wasps and the significance they play in our environment.

Swoop by Nicole Godwin and Susannah Crispe

Wonderful Wasps By Katrina Germain and Suzanne Houghton

Middle School Readers

Kids by the age of 8 - 12years are becoming confident independent readers but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy reading aloud with them. See my post last month 5 Great Reasons to Read Aloud with Your Tweens

They may still enjoy a good picture book, graphic novel or non-fiction picture book.

‘Camp Canberra’ by Krys Saclier, illustrated by Cathy Wilcox is a fabulous example of a picture book suitable for this age group. It tells the story of things and places to see in and around Canberra through the eyes of a fictional group of school children visiting Canberra on a class trip just like so many kids around Australia do every day.

Camp Canberra by Krys Saclier and Cathy Cox

There are also an abundance of junior fiction books out there with lots of black and white illustrations to help your reader along the way. The ‘Aussie Kids Collection,’ published by Penguin Random House Australia, are great early readers and ESL resources. Each book in the series tells the story of a child in one of the States of Australia and is written and illustrated by people who live in that area. For example, ‘Meet Matilda At the Festival,’ is set here in Canberra and written by Canberra author Jacqueline de rose-Ahernand illustrated by fellow Canberran Tania McCartney. But if you really want to expand their reading level, chapter books like my own Adamson Adventures without illustrations, will help extend their confidence to try lengthier, thicker middle-grade novels.

Aussie Kids, great early readers.

Novels such as ‘The Riddle of Tanglewood Manor,’ by Tracey Hawkins, is a wonderful time-slip adventure (just like Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3), but in this story the children are taken only as far back as country NSW in 1920.

The Riddle of Tanglewood Manor by Tracey Hawkins

Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3

Young Adult

By the time your children reach their teen years they are looking to explore many different genres. From Contemporary to Science Fiction, and Dystopian. Reading aloud with your teen allows you the opportunity to introduce a genre they may not have considered or a topic you might like to open for discussion.

One book I very much enjoyed was ‘Emergency Rescue Angel,; by Cate Whittle. It deals with the complications of life for a teenager after facing the tragedy of the sudden loss of his father who died trying to save the life of a local kid who was drowning in the surf. This book handles the topic gently and insightfully with a little help from a not so typical angel.

Emergency Rescue Angel by Cate Whittle

Above and Beyond YA.

Books can be shared and read aloud no matter the age. Whether in paper back or e-book format, fiction or non-fiction. You may even want to read aloud current affairs, history, science or even geography. The list is endless. You may even like to read to an elderly member of the family who has lost their sight or to someone in a nursing home.

Whatever you decide, I hope this list has been helpful and encourages you to take an hour sometime on the 9th March to read aloud with someone special in your life. There are also events happening around Australia that you may like to join. Check out the events in your local area at book shops, schools and libraries.

Here in the ACT there is Toddler Reading Time in Green Square Kingston, hosted by The Book Cow. Toddler Reading Time

If you prefer something online, ‘The Magic of Storytelling’ is being streamed live from the Sydney Opera House from 11:00 am. The Magic of Storytelling

What and who will you be reading with for an hour?

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Book Fairs and Market Stalls, Are they worthwhile?

The short answer : Absolutely.

The long answer : That depends on your goals and what you hope to achieve.

Let’s look at the Pros and Cons.

Pros.

1. You sell books.

2. More people are able to read your books.

3. You gain exposure as an author.

4. More photos to post on your socials.

5. You get to catch up in person with other author friends.

6. You make new author friends.

7. You make connections within the industry.

8. You can learn from how other authors promote themselves.

9. It’s great to meet and chat with book lovers about your books.

10. Lots of books for you to purchase too.

Sharing a stall with a friend helps reduce costs and gives you fabulous company to share the experience with. I shared my stall with the amazing Jacqueline De Rose-Ahern .

The Book Fair meant a great opportunity to have dinner and catch-up with wonderful author friends.

Cons.

1. The cost of your stall can vary for the type of event, from next to nothing to quite expensive.

2. You have to weigh up in your mind whether the cost is worth it.

3. You may not sell enough books to cover your costs.

4. If the event is not in your home town, you have added costs of travel and accommodation.

5. It’s hard to know how many books to take. Not enough and you may sell out before the end of the event. Too many and you may bring most of them back home.

6. Books are heavy to transport.

This weekend I attended the inaugural Book Fair Australia in Sydney at Sydney Olympic Park. I don’t live in Sydney, so this meant travel and two nights accommodation. Did I find it worthwhile? Yes. While I sold enough books to cover the price of my stall, I certainly didn’t cover the cost of accommodation. Did that matter? No. It was a great weekend away and a wonderful experience. I enjoyed a great girls weekend away catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in years because of Covid. Spending time with your tribe is so important to your mental health. I enjoyed talking to people as they wandered passed our stall and selling books was an added bonus. Meeting other authors and publishers was a fantastic networking opportunity and seeing the quality of printed books first hand is always helpful for future reference.

I had the opportunity to read a segment of Fossil Frenzy to kids in the children’s corner. It was a small group, but that meant I was able to engage with them personally. Connecting with kids is what being a children’s author is all about.

On Sunday afternoon I even joined the panel discussion on Engaging Curious Minds in Kidlit. I was both surprised and delighted when I read I had been selected to join the panel. I admit I was also somewhat nervous about the idea. But that didn’t last long once the discussion began, I relaxed into it and actually can say I enjoyed it. It was another marvellous opportunity to engage with my reading audience and their gatekeepers, their parents and carers.

Will I return next year? I haven’t decided yet. I would like to, but I need to consider my options. Perhaps market stalls closer to home where I don’t have travel and accommodation costs are better. However, as James Bond once said, ‘never say never.’

Our Panel Presenter was most excited to learn that I had written a middle grade adventure set in Indonesia that incorporated some Bahasa Indonesia for kids to learn.

Our Panel Presenter asked some thought-provoking questions on Engaging Curious Minds in Kidlit.

Have you ever appeared at a Book Fair or done market stalls?

Did you find it worthwhile?

Would you do it again?

Please let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear your opinion.

In Celebration of Dinosaurs

June 1st was International Dinosaur Day! Woohoo!

So in honour of dinosaurs and lovers of dinosaurs, let’s talk about those roarsome curious creatures.

Kids of all ages love dinosaurs. We all have our favourites from our childhood. Which one was yours? Here are a few to jog your memory. Have I missed anyone?

1. Dorothy the Dinosaur from the Wiggles

2. Barney from Barney and Friends

3. Little-foot from The Land Before Time

4. Rex frim We’re Back a Dinosaur Story

5. Rex from Toy Story

6. Earl Sinclair from Dinosaurs series

From an early age kids are naturally drawn to dinosaurs . By the time they are learning to talk they can name all the different types. By three years old they can even pronounce some of the trickiest ones that as an adult we stumble over. My three year old grandson can name most dinosaurs. Although I admit I have taught him to say ‘longneckasaurus,’ instead of Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus or Apatosaurus. I figured there are so many different sauropods, it was easier to lump them all together in one group at this stage. He can learn each of the different names as he grows.

Brontosaurus

Brachiosaurus

Apatosaurus

Both my grandsons even have dinosaur pyjamas, and that gorgeous three year old mentioned above, even has a ‘dinosaur bed.’ His sheets and doona are covered in dinosaurs.

Many children continue to be intrigued by dinosaurs well into their childhood. Just this last month I did a book reading at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum located in the University Western Australia, for kids from the Children’s University WA aged 7-10 years. One keen young reader said his favourite dinosaur was a Mosasaurus, an aquatic dinosaur. He was so excited when the curator of the museum, palaeontologist Dr Kailah Thorn subsequently produced a fossil fragment of a Mosasaurus for him to see and touch.

Reading and chatting about dinosaurs with Dr Kailah Thorn at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum UWA

Having fun reading to the kids from the Children’s University at the Clarke Earth Sciences Museum UWA.

By now you probably know that I still have a fascination with dinosaurs, which is why I wrote Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3. I not only wanted to write another fun adventure, I wanted to take kids on a journey back in time and help them learn about the dino-mite creatures that have been discovered here in Australia.

Fossils can tell us a lot about dinosaurs, but they don’t tell us everything. That is a writer’s dream, as it leaves many options open for interpretation and the development of our imagination.

One of my favourite dinosaurs is the Demon Duck of Doom, also known as the Thunderbird or Bullockornis Planei. It is a flightless bird like the emu or cassowary and belongs to the Dromornithids family, sharing its ancestry with ducks and geese. To find out more about this dino-rrific dinosaur see my previous post

https://sandrabennettauthor.com/blog/2020/9/30/a-couple-of-curious-creatures

Knowing the fabulous vibrant colours on the head and neck of a cassowary, I decided I wanted to make my Demon Duck of Doom in Fossil Frenzy covered in bright feathers too.

The Cassowary is a flightless bird found in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Imagine a Demon Duck of Doom with these coloured feathers all over his body.

Fossils usually can’t tell us the colouring of the feathers on a dinosaur, even if a few feather fossils are found, they usually lack any pigmentation. Here is how I imagined and describe the Demon Duck of Doom when Zac, Clare and Luke first encounter it. -

“There were mottled hues of green that camouflaged into the rainforest all over the back., yet the head and front feathers were red and orange. The underbelly and legs were a deep purple combined with shades of blue. The beak and feet were yellow. It was quite a rainbow of colours.“ - Extract from Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3.

I have also added a short video clip of me reading an extract from Fossil Frenzy when Zac, Clare and Luke encounter the Demon Duck of Doom for the second time. Have a listen and tell me whether you think I made my Demon Duck of Doom a friend or foe?

Thanks for coming along on this journey back in time.

Now it’s your turn.

Don’t forget to let me know your favourite dinosaur in the comments below. It’s always fun to see.

A Couple of Curious Creatures

‘Did you know that the giant monotremes, the echidna and platypus, were the first of the mega-fauna to appear?’ I whispered.

‘What, even before the giant wombat, diprodowhatsit? Luke giggled.

‘Yes, even before the mighty diprotodon,’ I corrected.

- an exert from Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3.

The Children’s Book Council of Australia theme for Book Week this year is Curious Creatures, Wild Minds, so in this month’s post I am talking about a few of the curious creatures in Fossil Frenzy , The Adamson Adventures 3 (release date 31st October 2020,) that will inspire the imagination of wild minds.

I love wombats, so when I thought of the idea for Fossil Frenzy, the first animal that came to mind was the giant wombat, diprotodon. Like the wombat of today, it had a pouch that faced backwards but it was similar in size to rhino, (Pretty big huh!) although unlike the rhino it did not have a horn. I really wanted this amazing creature to have a starring role in my story, however as I dived deep into the research of the time-line I was looking to use, I soon discovered it was too early for this mighty wombat.

Replica of the Diprotodon, taken by me at the Daintree Discovery Centre, Far North Queensland.

The information board in front of the replica of Diprotodon at the Daintree Discovery Centre.

I did discover, much to my delight that the giant monotremes were the first of the mega-fauna to appear. What’s a monotreme? I hear you ask. It’s an egg laying mammal, and there are only two in the whole world. My story was not going to work with a giant platypus, I needed a land based animal, so I introduced ‘Spike’ the giant echidna. Echdnas are also cute little creatures, so to have a character that is a giant echidna in my story is awesome. The giant echidna is also know as Zaglossus hacketti. They had much longer legs compared to the echidna of today and stood almost as tall as a sheep. Their snout was longer and more curved too. As I said, Monotremes are egg-laying mammals, and Zaglossis hacketti was no exception. In Fossil Frenzy I have given Spike, many of the same characteristics as I have seen an echidna of today portray. Spike too, would roll into a ball and hide his head making all his spikes stand up straight and tall whenever he felt threatened. However, as the story develops, Spike becomes a hero in his own not so small, way.

Zaglossis hacketti, the giant echidna, photo taken by me at the Daintree Discovery Centre, Far North Queensland.

Sign in front of the giant echidna at the Daintree Discovery Centre

Another creature that has a major role in Fossil Frenzy is the not so well known Demon Duck of Doom. Also known as Thunderbird or Bullockornis Planei. This was a flightless bird similar to an emu, however it had an enormous, frightening looking beak. There is controversy over whether this bird was in fact a herbivore or carnivore, or whether it was a scavenger or a hunter. When comparing its beak to other typical carnivorous birds, the Demon Duck of Doom did not have a curved sharp point at the tip. What do you think he might have been? The fun thing about fossils and not being able to determine a creature’s habits is that as a fiction writer for children, I can play with the possibilities. I can use my imagination. If you want to know what I decided to make the Demon Duck of Doom, meat or plant eater, you’ll have to read the story, there’ll be no spoilers here.

Demon Duck of Doom, Bullockornis Planei, photo take by me at the Daintree Discovery Centre, Far North Queensland.

The information board in front of replica of Demon Duck of Doom, Daintree Discover Centre.

As for the colours of the feathers, what would you make them? Would the giant bird camouflage into his environment or would he be a multi-coloured stand-out? Below is the illustration I did to reach my decision.

My impression of a Demon Duck of Doom

There are a number of other Australian dinosaurs roaming within the pages of Fossil Frenzy, but you will need to read my next blog or the book, to discover exactly which creatures they are.

Zac, Clare and Luke have an amazing adventure with Spike, the Demon Duck of Doom and a few other characters along the way. If you could have a creature as a pet from long ago, which would you choose? Why

Fossil Frenzy, the Adamson Adventures 3, is open for pre-orders now. https://sandrabennettauthor.com/product/fossil-frenzy

Release date 31st October 2020.

Fossil Frenzy the Adamson Adventures 3 available for pre-order now.

Planning a Trip to Bali with Kids? You Need This!

Are you planning a holiday in Bali?

Do you have kids?

Whether you are going during school holidays or school term, I have found the ideal way to keep the kids entertained and occupied.

Let’s face it, kids get bored easily. From the minute you are on the plane, the ‘Are we there yet?’ questions begin. You don’t want them to spend the entire holiday on their mobile devices but what else can you do?

I have found the perfect solution. - ‘My Awesome Bali Adventure - A Travel Journal For Kids, written by Eliza McCann and Phillip Gwynne. It has everything you are searching for to keep the kids busy and have a memento of their awesome holiday.

From the minute you step onto the plane until you return home, this journal has it all.

There are questions to complete about their flight and information about Bali to get the kids excited. One of the things I love about this journal is that it is suitable for all the family.. Kids will enjoy the word searches, crosswords and puzzles, younger kids have the opportunity to colour and play spot the difference, While there are also plenty of pages for the older kids to write about their experiences.

Bahasa Indonesia is of cause the main language spoken in Bali, and throughout the journal there are plenty of fun ways to learn a little Bahasa by completing fun activities.

In fact there is so much information packed into this journal, I can’t believe someone hasn’t thought of it before. Your kids will treasure this book for years to come. There are even spaces for all sorts of cool stuff that the kids have collected. They can glue in boarding passes from the plane trips, entry tickets to places they have been to in Bali or perhaps even that menu from a favourite restaurant. I was lucky to receive a couple of postcards with mine, maybe you will too.

As a former Indonesian teacher and a parent, I can see that this is packed full of value. Worried the kids are missing out on all that learning at school? Worry no more, they will learn so much language, culture, geography, even a little natural science from completing this journal and take home amazing life experiences that they can never learn in the classroom. Best of all they will have had an Awesome Bali Adventure.

To purchase a copy of this fantastic journal head on over to Eliza’s website -

https://www.myawesomeadventure.com/

Connect with Eliza and check out more on this awesome idea -

https://www.facebook.com/MyAwesomeAdventure/

https://twitter.com/@kidstravelbook

https://www.instagram.com/awesomeadventurejournals/

https://www.pinterest.com.au/myawesomebaliad/

Looking for an awesome Bali Adventure to read with the kids while on holiday too?

Don’t forget to check out my own chapter book for kids aged 7-12, ‘Secrets Hidden Below.’ Join the Adamson family in an adventure of secrets, mystery and intrigue. There is pirate treasure to be found, but beware the guardian snake, lots of rotten-egg gas and a volcano spirit you don’t dare to anger.

To learn more about ‘Secrets Hidden Below,’ you can find it right here on my website. Simply click on the link at the top of the page to my books.

If you arrive in Bali and still haven’t purchased a copy of these awesome adventures, don’t fret. ‘My Awesome Bali Adventure’ is available in all Periplus bookstores throughout Bali.

‘Secrets Hidden Below’ is available at Ganesha in Ubud, Biku in Seminyak and will soon be arriving on the shelves at Spellbound in Seminyak.

Are you planning a holiday in Bali? What are you looking forward to most of all? Please leave a comment below.

Out of My Comfort Zone

January has been a month of massive learning.

I set myself quite a long ‘to do’ list for the year, which including great chunks of writing, I planned to learn more about marketing. This means taking myself right out of my comfort zone. I consider myself a typical crab who is happy to hide inside her shell. As a published author who needs to spread the word, this isn’t good or effective.

From day one, I took the plunge and signed up for a 30 Day Social Media Challenge. The idea being to learn how to engage better with my followers on my Author Face Book Page.

I have found it to be much more of a learning curve than I expected. Although I knew the final challenge at the end would be my most difficult.

During the month I have learnt to engage with my audience in an open and at times deeply honest manner than I ever anticipated. I began sharing thoughts and moments of my life that I would not have shared in a public domain before. Part of the learning was to realise that people want to know the story behind the stories. I will endeavour to give more of that from now on.

One particular post that I found extremely difficult was where I had to ask people to describe me in one word. This could have been quite confronting I didn’t know what to expect, however the response was awesome. Surprisingly this post had the highest engagement and the most comments from all my posts of the month. I was deeply honoured and humbled that people took the time to leave lovely comments using wonderful descriptive words like : achiever, focused, talented, resilient, inspiring and genuine. For the full amazing response the link is here -

Interestingly another post that had a lot of attention was my one about the inspiration behind the writing of my chapter book, ‘Secrets Hidden Below.’ I really appreciate the interest this was given and will continue to write small bits of information about the book’s journey to eventual publication.

As I have already mentioned the final task was without a doubt the hardest. It was spread over two posts to ease us into it. The first one took me so far out of my comfort zone I couldn’t believe I did it. Being asked to put myself on camera in a photo is hard enough, but to expose myself on a video, I didn’t think I could do that. I found it to be one of the most nerve wracking experiences, but I pushed myself to do it. I decided there was no point taking on a challenge if I wasn’t going to see it through to the end.

So what did I learn from this challenge? Other than discovering I could dig deeper and be more determined than I ever thought possible? I realised that like my Picture Book character ‘Frazzled Freya,’ it is ok to come out into the midday sun and shine. I can leave my comfort zone, sometimes you just have to take a deep breath and give it a go.

Frazzled Freya had to learn to overcome her fears, as did I.

I also learnt how to schedule posts. Before the challenge I had no idea how to do this. I was surprised how simple and easy it actually was. Before the challenge I didn’t even see the need for scheduling posts. I would add something to my page whenever the idea arose. It was random or ad hoc. Now I know the optimal time to post to my page to reach the highest number of my followers and the type of subject matter that will help produce the most engagement with likes and comments. I now know the type of posts you want to see from me and will endeavour to continue to post items that you, my readers, want to read or see. Even if this does include me producing more embarrassing videos.

Not quite so surprising my first video didn’t fair quite as well as I had hoped even though it did include a kangaroo hopping through the middle of it. Possibly had I mentioned that in my introduction, more people may have had a look. I believe it was partly due to the timing of the post. Part of this particular challenge was for us all to post at the same time of day, This time didn’t seem to suit my followers and the video was lost in the confusion of the ether. Not that I’m complaining, it wasn’t very good, although for my first attempt I did my nervous best. You can see it for yourself if you like. I am posting it again here to demonstrate how far out of my comfort zone this took me.

Overall, it has been a huge learning curve and I promise to continue along my journey this year and strive to give my followers more of the type of content they want. Watch this space, the videos can only improve, (they can’t get any worse!).

Thanks so much to all of you who followed along throughout the month of January. I hope you too, have learnt a little something of interest along the way. Thanks for engaging with all the likes, comments and shares. The more you engage, the more I know what sort of information you are looking for from me.

Thank you to those of you who are new to my Facebook author page. I am so happy you have decided to join me. This month I have almost reached the 400 followers mark. Let’s see if we can reach that magic number by the end of February.

A big huge thanks to Michelle Worthington of ‘Share Your Story’ for organising this awesome challenge. I will strive to grow in confidence. Thanks for all your support and the support of all the other authors who came along on this learning journey with me.

Now it’s your turn. What have you learnt this month? Have you challenged yourself in any way?

Please leave a comment in the section below. Let’s share our learning journey together.

If you enjoyed reading this post, you might also like to read my January post.

Spring is in the Air, Join us at the Fair.

Spring is in the air...... well almost! We had a glimpse of hope, then in true Canberra form, winter came back with a vengeance as snow has fallen twice within the first week of September. Don't let that keep you indoors this weekend, the weather promises to improve and no matter what else it will be a great Saturday at the fair.

Looking for something fun to do with the family? Why not take a short drive into the country and join us to enjoy a day at the Googong Field Day.This Saturday September 9, 2017 being held at St Paul's Church, 1290 Old Cooma Rd, Googong.

It promises to be a day full of fun,

with plenty to see and do for everyone.

While the kids pat the animals at the petting zoo,

Dad can view an exhibit of an historic engine or two.

There will be wheel barrow races, and tyre rolling competitions,

As well as sheep shearing and fencing demonstrations.

Listen to the Victoria Street Band play,

then wonder through the stalls, stop by and say G'day.

I will be there with my children's books,

come on over and take a look.

I'm sure you will find much, much more,

a day packed with entertainment to be sure.

Stalls are open from 9:30 to 2;30 so don't be late,

mark it in your diary, this Saturday, 9th Sep, save the date.

I look forward to seeing you there.