What Age Group is a Picture Book Best Suitable For?

The short answer to this question is 3 to 8 yrs, however I like to say from birth to whatever age you are reading with. Picture books are wonderful for whatever age you want to read aloud and share a moment with. There should never be an age limit for good picture books. Editors of traditional publishing houses will categorize picture books into three main sub-sections.

1. Baby books - lullabies, nursery rhymes, finger plays etc
2. Toddler books - Very simple everyday life stories teaching concepts, eg numbers, colours, shapes, etc.
3. Picture books for 4-8 yrs. -These contain simple stories with plots where a main character evokes emotions and the stories often contain a moral or lesson.

However there are two more sub-sections that may also be considered.

4. Early Picture books - Often focused towards the younger age group with less words. The emphasis is more on the illustrations to help convey the meaning of the story.

5. Easy Readers - Still have pictures on nearly every page but are longer in text length for the beginning "independent" reader.

With my combination of launching "Frazzled Freya" in ebook format last week and print format this coming weekend, I was a guest blogger on A.J. Cosmo's Fellow Friday Blog where I spoke about the significance and importance of picture books as conversation starters for children of all ages. I believe my picture books, along with so many other wonderful picture books are a magical way to inspire children to open up and talk about all manner of topics. Whether they initiate discussions on emotions or learning about writing, authors and illustrators, books are an amazing way to open an unknown world to children no matter how old they are.

If you are in Canberra this weekend, Saturday 9th July 2016, come along to The Paperchain Bookstore in Manuka at 2:00 pm. Listen to me read 'Frazzled Freya." Learn a few fun facts about the quirky creatures that are the characters in the story. The kids can make their own paper craft frill neck lizard and even eat a reptilian treat! Everyone is welcome, I would love to meet you and your children.

ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Frazzled-Freya-Sandra-Bennett-ebook/dp/B01H8WPPMU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1466302516&sr=1-1&keywords=Frazzled+Freya#navbar

Below is a copy of my blog from A. J. Cosmo http://ajcosmo.com/blog/index.php/sandra-bennett/#comment-9

Sandra Bennett, Australian Children’s Author- Fellow Friday

Picture Books Are Wonderful Conversation Starters

Have you ever been afraid of the dark?

Frightened of monsters hidden under your bed or in your wardrobe?

Picture books can be a wonderful way to start a conversation with children about ways of facing those fears or sorting through other emotions.

Why not read a picture book and start a discussion today?

I realized the power of picture books and their potential to start a dialogue when I was teaching a year 5 class one day. It was one of those moments when I needed an impromptu lesson, so I grabbed a picture book out of my trusty resource bag and began to read aloud. The initial class response was stunned silence. What was I thinking reading them something with pictures and very few words! It didn’t take them long to sit back, relax and enjoy the experience. After reading the story, the real work began. A lengthy conversation ensued that lead to some amazing writing of their own. I had re-opened the world of picture books to 10 and 11 year old students.

What was this amazing picture book that enlightened and brought so much wonder to our classroom? One of my favourites, “Diary of a Wombat” by Jackie French. Written so simplistically, yet capturing the character of a wombat so magnificently.

Since then I’ve now written two Australian picture books myself. My goal, is to introduce unusual Australian creatures to children around the world while opening opportunities for conversations with parents and teachers. Through my stories children can learn a little about Australia’s environment, the animals that call it home and something about themselves along the way. Each book finishes with a few fun facts about the characters contained in the story.

My newest release is “Frazzled Freya.” A rather timid frill neck lizard so scared of shadows and unknown monsters she is too frightened to join in all the fun and games with her desert friends. Set in the harsh Australian Outback, the vivid yet earthy colours used by my illustrator, Dianna Budd, depict perfectly the heat of the sun Freya is desperate to avoid.

Parents, teachers and children can read along and discover Freya’s journeyto triumph as she conquers her fear with a little help from a few unusual desert friends. The story provides an excellent opportunity to begin talking to your little ones about facing their fears, trying new experiences and stepping outside of their comfort zone.

“Emma the Eager Emu,” tells the tale of a very unusual bird who can’t understand why she is so different from all her friends at flying school. She is desperate to learn to fly and be just like everyone else. An assortment of colourful yet different species of Australian birds come to Emma’s aid. Through her tenacity to never give up, Emma eventually learns the significance of individualism and discovers her own special way of doing things. This is another wonderful conversation starter as children struggle to fit into peer groups at school and learn to understand and embrace their own unique qualities and differences.

Is there a topic you feel you would like to discuss with your child? I’ll bet you can find a picture book to help lead you into the conversation. So, pick up a picture book today, snuggle with your child tonight, share the book and read aloud together. If you’re a teacher, don’t be afraid to use a picture book in a middle grade classroom. You just might be surprised by the conversation it helps start.

Kilts, Clans and Celtic Heroes.

Have you ever been to Scotland? Have you ever dreamed of visiting Scotland but never quite managed the trip?

Then Rhonda Paglia's new book "A Journey Through Scotland: Highlands and Lowland - Fun Facts, Sights, History", has it all for you.

Take a tour of Scotland with Rhonda and her husband and let her show you amazing sights such as Rosslyn Chapel,  tell fascinating tales like the one about the ghost that haunts Edinburgh Castle, and search for the legendary monster along the banks of Loch Ness.

There is so much to see and learn in the beautiful pages of this non-fiction pictorial journey. Rhonda has provided just enough information on each topic to entice the reader to want to explore further into this wonderful country of history and heritage.

For me, it was like a trip down memory lane. Each page I turned evoked special thoughts of our own wonderful experiences visiting many of the same places as we explored our own cultural ancestry. Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, William Wallace Memorial, Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, and so much more, they all came flooding back to life in my mind, producing smiles and laughter.

While I have been lucky enough to have visited Scotland twice, I recognise many people haven't been so fortunate. Rhonda's book is a great place to start. It gives you a glimpse of the people, places, tastes and even language of this magnificent country all mixed with a little touch of humour along the way. If you have always wanted to visit or perhaps just considered a visit to Scotland, once you have immersed yourself in the page of this tour of Scotland, you will be enticed even more!

Kids in middle school would find this book quite helpful for school projects when searching for information on Scotland. While the information is not in depth, it is a fabulous place to start their research. Plenty of gorgeous photographs to demonstrate the character of the country both the cities and countryside. Plus the book includes a map, basic facts about Scotland, an illustration of a man dressed in complete Highland Dress including full labeling as well as a list of Scottish words and sayings to help the wary traveler understand.

I thought it was so good, I wish I had thought of the idea myself!

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Through-Scotland-Highlands-Lowland-ebook/dp/B01FBJHKPW?ie=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0

The Science Behind a Series.

Kids are naturally curious creatures. They want to discover new things, explore new environments and are intrigued by the inner workings of machines. Give them an opportunity to research through hands on experiments and you will have them hooked on learning. Add to the mix a few other key ingredients and they will be hooked on reading too! I learnt this simple idea a long time ago, both as a mother and as a teacher. When my boys were little I was fortunate to be teaching alongside some brilliantly enthusiastic science teachers at the same schools my boys were also attending. The first was an International School in Thailand where the children were all a buzz with excitement from so much inspirational activity. The second was our local neighbourhood school on the Central Coast of NSW where I was fortunate to be introduced to a Primary school teacher that had previously taught high school science. From our experiences at these two schools I arrived at the conclusion that there were several key ingredients to inspiring kids to want to learn to read.

I then set out to write a series of early independent and reluctant reader chapter books to hook boys and girls 6-8 years old into reading.

Ingredients                                                                 

An inquisitive mind

Kitchen science experiments

Classroom science experiments

Imagination

Humour                                                                        

Creativity

Intrigue

Method

Mix all the above ingredients into a series of unimaginable events that have children laughing and guessing all the way to the end.

Book 1. Gingerbread Aliens - Uses kitchen science mixing gingerbread men, bread making and polymers or in layman's terms, 'Goo!" What could possibly go wrong? Add in a snooping next door neighbour,  a fearful School Principal and top it all off with a Scientific Research Team for Asteroids and Meteorites and you have baked together one hilarious tale.

Follow up Activities -

1. Kids get to make and learn all about the properties of slime. 
2. Spend a day in the kitchen cooking gingerbread aliens - yum!
3. Write up the cooking procedure.
4. Research and discover properties of the Solar System, galaxies, universe, planets.
5. Discuss/Write about the possibilities of UFO's and alien life forms.

Book 2. Alien Shenanigans. - Begins with the kids in a year 6 class performing a volcanic eruption experiment that inevitably goes horribly out of control. When I have read the book to classes I have performed the experiment for them. They always applaud with delight. Added also to this in the story are the other science experiments in the classroom science corner, growing crystals, and fungus on bread and oranges, then there is the coke and mentos mint accident! We all know that will not end well. Neither will the accidental spill of washing powder, red food colouring and vinegar. All of these are repeatable outside experiments children can investigate. Top it all off with a mischievous chameleon alien that does not want to be caught and you have a whole lot of shenanigans.

Follow-up Activities

1. Kids love trying out all of the above mentioned science experiments. Write out the procedures.hypothesize what they expect to find. Research. Write up the results.
2.  At some of my readings we have watched videos where the mentos mints and coke experiment is taken to the extreme. It sets their imagination wild! Quite a discussion starter.
3. Model the Solar System or a space ship. This requires a lot of planning, research, drafting.
4.  Solar System Word Search or Crossword.
5.  Creative Writing - Write a story about Outer Space, where did you go/ who did you visit?

Book 3 Alien Milkshakes - Coming Soon.

More kitchen science mixed with classroom science. A backyard rocket ship, crop circles and disgusting looking milkshakes with the most unusual ingredients that no respectable 7 or 8 year old would ever allow pass their lips. Add to this a massive secret that causes more sibling rivalry and Brussels Sprouts muffins before a girl arrives next door to complicate the mischief! What are three brothers (and a little green alien) going to do now?

Follow-up Activities

1. Debate the moral issue of keeping a secret no matter the cost.
2. Write a reflection If you find something, does it mean you can keep it?
3. Try tasting some of the green smoothies in the story or making your own. What makes a healthy and tasty smoothie?
4. Build your own backyard water powered rocket ship. Have a class contest, who can make theirs fly the highest, why?
5. Look at what fuel you need to keep your body working and running efficiently.
6.  Critical and creative thinking - What could have really made crop circles? Design your own.

While I am writing this series I have also embarked on a picture book series incorporating uniquely Australian animals. These books are aimed for 3-8 year old children, although as an advocate of reading from birth aloud even to independent readers, these can be enjoyed no matter the age of the child.

Embodying my belief in using science to teach reading I have included fun facts about each character at the end of each book. Parents and teachers can use these to springboard discussions and other research into these animals if they choose. The books also provide the opportunity to learn a little bit about the environments within Australia.

Emma the Eager Emu teaches a subtle tale of following ones dreams. To have the tenacity try and try again until you find a way to reach your goal. She also shows us that being different is not only OK, but in fact good and that we are all different and special with our own unique qualities. Emma shares her experiences with several other Australian birds, a Rosella, Galah, Cockatoo and Kookaburra.

Frazzled Freya teaches us that we are all a little shy and scared at times and that it is OK to be frightened as long as you are prepared to try to face those fears. Sometime things that frighten us the most are not so frightening after all. Her desert friends that come to her rescue are a pair of twin Velvet Geckos, a Goanna, a Spinifex Hopping Mouse and a Northern Brown Snake.

I invite you to take the science challenge. Read a book today. What scientific fact might you learn or want to research further?

Hold onto your Akubra and take a wild ride around the Top End!

Hold onto your Akubra, (if you don't have one, get one) and take a wild ride around the Top End of the Northern Territory with Annie Seaton in her fantastic adventure/romance novel "Kakadu Sunset." It should come with a warning - Beware of crocodiles and sharks!

There are crocodiles a plenty in the waters around the Wold Heritage listed National Park, but there are also plenty of sharks waiting to bite around the Parliament of Darwin.

If you have ever been to Darwin and Kakadu or ever wanted to explore this wondrous site, Annie Seaton will take you on a wild ride of exploration and discovery to delight,  entice and thrill. She supplies enough suspense, drama, a tinge of romance, complex yet believable characters, as well as a dose of current political viewpoint along with debatable environmental issues. Annie Seaton has obviously researched not only the location thoroughly, but also everything to do with flying helicopters and the disastrous results of mining so close to a world heritage national park.

I found her descriptions of the area took me back with fond memories to my visit of Kakadu and I couldn't help laugh when she even included the phrase "Kakadon't" that I have heard so many times before from people who have visited when it has been far too hot and humid. I also enjoyed her snippets of Darwin after spending two years there myself. It's amazing that a brief mention of a street name or suburb can spark  the flooding of good times shared with new friends in a town that became home for a short while. Yet these descriptions did not distract from the pace of the story telling, for me, they enriched it all the more. The lookout at Ubirr over Arnhem land, Yellow Waters sunset cruises, the Crocodile Hotel and Jabiru, not to mention the suburb of Cullen Bay, Darwin, these are all so familiar to me.

The main character, Ellie Porter, is the local helicopter pilot, raised on a mango plantation next to the national park, but when her father suddenly died, the farm was sold and the family left the Territory, all except Ellie. Her heart belonged to the Territory, she could never leave this pristine area. On a return flight to base after a dramatic rescue, Ellie spots digging near the back of the old property, just near the border to the park. Her curiosity and fear for the possible destruction of her beloved land lead Ellie into all kinds of trouble. Can she learn to trust the new pilot who desperately wants to keep to himself? The romance between the two is an obvious one however the characters are endearing enough to make you want to see them come together. The villains are so nasty you can't wait to see what punishment Annie has in store for them. The inevitable crocodile scene is brilliant! I found myself almost punching the air with delight! "Yes! Got him!" This by no means gives away the ending or what happens to the main antagonist. For that, you will have to read "Kakadu Sunset" yourself.

A compelling story of love, loss, ancient land,  and current political issues. Told among striking scenery and woven around complex characters, "Kakadu Sunset" is a story that will take you on a wild ride through the Australian Outback. If you have ever been to the Northern Territory it will bring back delightful memories. If you have never been, it will only inspire that spark to travel the open road. So hitch up the caravan, put on your hat and shorts, drink a cold beverage and dive into Annie Seaton's "Kakadu Sunset" before the wet season and the storms roll around once more.

http://www.amazon.com.au/Kakadu-Sunset-Annie-Seaton-ebook/dp/B016CQ8DKO

http://www.annieseatonromance.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AnnieSeatonAuthor/

Tea for Two or Maybe More.

Kids love any excuse for a tea party. My neighbour's kids think it's wonderful when I invite them over for High Tea. We go all out using my special china and make lots of tiny sandwiches and cakes. I try to make the tea party a memorable treat as if they were at high tea at an exclusive restaurant, something like High Tea at the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. It's a delight to watch the expressions on the faces of everyone concerned. I don't feel you need a reason to hold a tea party, they are a great idea with kids at any time. However you can use it as a prompt for reading and story writing. There are plenty of children's books on the market that include tea parties in their plots. The most classic one that comes to mind is Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." A Mad Hatter's tea party is the obvious choice.

That being said, this being the month of March where we turn our thoughts towards St Patrick's Day, Leprechauns and all things green, why not read a few Leprechaun tales and hold a "Green" or "Rainbow" tea party.

http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B007KFXGM2/ref=s9_simh_bw_p351_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ANEGB3WVEVKZB&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=0699PZZET7QNHQK14WJ7&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=218163269&pf_rd_i=2496751051

"The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow"  is a perfect choice as a children's picture book to read out loud together at bedtime or in the classroom. Within the pages are plenty of conversation starters for use during your tea party. A few topics for discussion could include being true to yourself, your uniqueness, building self-esteem, feelings and emotions, not to mention all the magnificent colours of the rainbow and where in nature you may find them.

In some ways "The Little Leprechaun Who Loved Yellow" shares a very similar message to my own

picture book "Emma the Eager Emu" who through her tenacity to never give up eventually learns the importance of her very own special and unique qualities.

If you are using the story in the classroom and incorporating it with a tea party, a suggestion is to elicit the help of class buddies. If your school uses the buddy system you know what I mean. An older class of kids are paired with your younger group of kids for various activities. There are two activities I suggest here as ideas towards your classroom resources.

1. After reading the story together, the older group of children can use it as a writing prompt to write a story perhaps that includes inviting a Leprechaun to tea. You might give them a list of words that they must use in their story. eg: Leprechaun, tea party, rainbow, tree, cup cake. The younger group of children can draw a picture that includes the five suggested items above and try to write a one line description/story. Both groups can come together and read aloud to share their stories.
2. Have the buddies help make a tea party invitation for the younger child's mum/dad or significant other. Then you can hold a special morning or afternoon tea party with mums or dads included, I'm sure they would be more than happy to help supply the goodies for the tea party.

Here is the template to make the card. The children can decorate the outside with whatever they like or suggestions from you.  I like to leave this open to allow for creativity and imagination. Inside they can write or you can print "Have a cup of tea on me."  In my class I would then sticky tape a tea bag to the inside cover.

My next book in my 'Bradberrie Brother's Alien Adventure' series will be another great addition to add to your reading list before a tea party. in "Alien Milkshakes" not only are there plenty of laughs to entice the reluctant reader but plenty of interesting edible suggestions and moral dilemmas to discuss over a pot of tea.  "Alien Milkshakes" is coming soon.

Enjoy your tea party, have fun and make lots of memories with your kids.

What book would you read with your kids to encourage a themed tea party?

Big Dreams, Bigger Fears

As children we all had big dreams, and yes most of us admit it, we had even bigger fears. When we are little we are often asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" John Lennon famously replied "Happy." That is the best dream of all, but most children usually answer with familiar and somewhat innocent standards like "a fireman, doctor, teacher, nurse etc." It takes us a lot of our growing years to realise the importance of simply being happy with ourselves for who and what we are. One of our biggest fears is that we may not grow up and reach the full potential of our dreams. Walt Disney was one of the biggest dreamers of us all, but he also had a very big fear. Disneyland was born from his dreams and fears. The dream of building a fantasy world where parents could take their children and escape their everyday life and his fear of never being able to make a second movie as good or better than his original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. While his staff at the studio consistently made animated film after film, Walt Disney fixated on bringing the world his greatest creation, Disneyland. The results speak for themselves, crowds today flock to Disneyland in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Walt Disney is famously quoted as saying :-

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."

My dream, for as long as I can remember, was to write books for children. Books that will make them laugh, learn and find a love of reading. My biggest fear was that I wasn't good enough and that nobody would take me seriously. After years of teaching and writing I finally tested the waters with my first short chapter book for early and reluctant readers. "Gingerbread Aliens" was received with great enthusiasm and gained many favourable reviews. I was on my way. "Alien Shenanigans" followed and book three, "Alien Milkshakes" will be released in a few months.

Children however have much simpler dreams and fears. Shadows and monsters

under the bed, or in the cupboard are rather familiar ones.

This is why I began writing my picture books using uniquely Australian animals as the characters.

"Emma the Eager Emu" dares to dream big. She dreams of being the same as all the other birds at flying school. Emma dreams of one day being able to fly, just like her friends, Rosie Rosella, Kelly Kookaburra, Patsy the Pink Galah and Cathy the Yellow Crested Cockatoo. This is a subtle tale about learning to strive to reach your goals and finding your own unique qualities to fulfill your dreams in your own individual way.

"Frazzled Freya" is my newest release which is coming soon. Freya is a frill neck lizard who with the help of her desert friends learns to face her fears. Freya is too frightened to go out in the heat of the midday sun. She is happy to sit under a rock and watch while all her friends play and have fun. I teamed up once again with my fantastic illustrator Dianna Budd, to produce this gorgeously illustrated Australian picture book to tell a second subtle tale. This time it is about learning that some of our biggest fears once faced proved to be quite small after all and that the biggest fear of all is fear itself. Freya's Cover will be released within the next week or two. She should have her own link on my wesite and be ready for pre-order then also.

What are your biggest dreams and fears? Does your child have dreams or fears? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear what they are and if they have been faced. Perhaps my books can help.

Collaborative Class Journals Produce Oodles of Reading and Writing.

I belong to a wonderful group of writers and authors with a common interest, that is, encouraging kids to learn to read through new and interesting children's literature. This month we have a theme to post suggestions on book making with kids. Mine was all about collaborative class journals that produce oodles of opportunities for kids to both read and write. What more could you want from a making books together? The project encourages reading and writing for all students from the most basic level, that includes those beginning Kindergarten in the earliest pre-writing stage up to independent writers in classrooms in years 2 or 3. As the year progresses, the journal entries develop and intrigue each student who participates, consequently encouraging them to share their stories and adventures. Students are eager to open the pages of the journal each day to read the next anticipated entry.

Kids writing a class journal was a project I worked on several years ago when I was teaching kindergarten, however as mentioned above it can be used in classes ideally from K-2. It encourages both learning to read and write. The premise begins with introducing a new member to the class, (or a class pet), someone that the students have to learn to take care of. The animal in question is a soft stuffed toy that they can cuddle and take anywhere. In our case, our class was given a soft cuddly lion cub which we named Caesar.

To introduce our class pet I wrote a book about his adventures on our property trying to search for kangaroos. The kids loved the story. I made it into a laminated spiral bound book and a power point presentation to read on the smartboard.

I then showed them the cover of the journal with the class pet's photo on the front with plenty of blank pages for each class member to take turns in writing something about the pet that they did with him when it was their turn to take him home. Each night the students wrote in the journal, read the previous entries and read my story. At the beginning the students had help from their parents who would take photos and write a sentence or two as dictated by their son or daughter. The kids loved the part of the day in class when we read each new entry in the journal. As the year progressed they drew pictures and as their confidence in writing grew , they began writing their own entries. To encourage their imagination I took our class pet on other adventures throughout the year and wrote several other books too. Some students wrote about their trips to the snow with him, sharing family meals and celebrations, while others about adventures on their bikes together or simply laying on the floor reading together.

The journal gradually became a much loved piece of writing that even some years later when I taught the same students again, they asked me if I still had Caesar and if I still kept the journal so that they could re-read some of their favourite entries. I have recently had the suggestion made that I should have made copies of the journal at the time to be placed in the school library. This is a wonderful idea especially as the journal was so loved it became very dog-eared from over-use. I would recommend perhaps making a copy for the library once a month rather than waiting for the end of the year. Perhaps laminating the library copy as well.

Collaborative class journals are a brilliant tool for engaging young students with the reading and writing process as the expectation to write may be as simple as one line under a photo or drawing or up to a whole page depending on each individual's ability level. As the entries are all from class members they are all keen to read too. With the new school year due to start next month here in Australia why not consider introducing a class pet and journal in your classroom? I guarantee it will bring oodles of fun and imagination to your students days and they will learn all about sharing, caring and co-operation. It really is a win-win opportunity.

We Drove A Sunburnt Country Part Three

Three days and 2068 km after saying goodbye to Darwin we finally reached Winton, dinosaur capitol of central out back Queensland. It had been three days of dry hot flat desert and I was keen to reach the museum first thing in the morning. Twenty minutes out of town we reached the turn off, an unsealed road not really suitable for our car. Now I admit that when one is travelling in the outback you really should be in a four wheel drive as we had learnt previously with our unexpected flat tyre, but we had come this far, I was not going to let this minor obstacle make me miss out on something I had anticipated for many years. We agreed to continue on, slowly and carefully, four wheel drives overtook us, billowing up great gusts of dust in their wake as they rushed to reach the museum to start work for the day. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum did not disappoint! We booked into both tours. Firstly the tour of the working laboratory which is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Here we were told, believe it or not, that they only go out on digs for three weeks a year. They find and collect so many bones that they now have a backlog collection to clean up and classify that will take at least ten years to work through! They now house the worlds largest collection of dinosaur bones and we were able to walk passed most of them! Throughout the tour the guide gives a wonderful and thorough explanation of how the first bone was discovered, plus the reasons behind why the area is prolific with dinosaur bones and why it was so important to build the working museum on the site. You are even given time to watch them clean debris from bone fragments.

During the second tour we were able to watch a film explaining the topography and changes in geology of the area from the dinosaur era to today. We were shown fragments of bones found in the area of the two main dinosaurs, Banjo and Matilda, that put Winton on the map and made fossil hunting so significant to Australian scientists. Research into these amazing creatures continues to fascinate adults and children to this day and at this facility everyone can come together to share their passion.

The museum stands atop a rocky plateau that overlooks the dry open plains where all the dinosaurs are dug up among the farmers cattle stations. Hard to believe that 65 million years ago this was once a lush rainforest and swampland. The view however, is spectacular.

Next stop was Longreach. A fabulous old country town and one not to be missed. Plenty of character and charm and of course the Stockman's Hall of Fame. An amazing museum in itself, too big to go into great detail here. Suffice to say if you ever want to know anything about the outback way of life, from stockmen, pioneers, shearers, pilots, teachers, miners, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, it's all here. Plan to spend hours meandering through the galleries as there is so much to look at and learn. My favourite part of the exhibition would have to have been the swagman that came to life to tell a bush story of life in the saddle. His facial expressions were magnificent.

While in Longreach you can also visit the School of the Air. Our son assumed I meant a school to learn to fly. I didn't realise I had never taught him about this important place in Australian history. The school of the air teaches school by radio to children all over the outback that are isolated and cannot reach a school classroom. Unique and iconic in its day it is now taught through Skype. There is also the museum for the Queensland And Northern Territory Air Service, yes QANTAS was born here.

The drive from Longreach to Bourke the next day was a long one. Broken by capturing the odd shot of an emu or two that ran along the side of the road at sunset. One last day on the road and we finally drove through meandering country roads that rose through the mountains until we felt like we had reached home. Somewhat green rolling hills and rising eucalypts bent to greet us and present a little cool shade. As we turned off the highway and rolled through our valley kangaroos stopped grazing on the side of the road and stood to gaze in the window of our car. I gave a huge sigh, home at last!

We had driven nearly 4,000 km in 6 days. Seen some amazing sights. My conclusion, Australia really is a harsh dry wide brown land but I love her.

We Drove A Sunburnt Country Part Two

"That's not a Knife, this is a knife!" I am standing in a pub in the middle of no where holding the prop knife that Paul Hogan made famous in the movie Crocodile Dundee. The pub itself is the one used on location as Mick Dundee's "Outback Tours" local watering hole. We had departed Mt Isa at a reasonable hour in the morning and had driven hours across open dry flat country with nothing much to see except for plenty of roadkill. I admit outback Queensland is in terrible drought and it is very sad to see the state of the stock, sheep and cattle are in desperate condition.

It was a well earned reprieve to see the oasis of the tiny town of Kynuna, population - 20 and the famous pub. We wet our whistle, had a chat to the locals while taking in the sights of the bar which was adorned with movie memorabilia and before long were back on the road.

I felt it had been rather special to stumble unexpectedly across this iconic hotel, a small piece of Australian film history, especially after living in Darwin for the last eighteen months and having the opportunity to see and explore parts of the amazing wilderness that is Kakadu National Park. While there we had the awesome experience of climbing the plateau to watch the sunset over Arnhem Land, where in Crocodile Dundee Mick is quoted as saying he "owns the land as far as your eyes can see!" That is some statement, you can see a very long way! That's now two iconic places from the film I have been able to experience.

More dirt, more dead kangaroos, a few rugged outcrops, finally we reached the destination I had been longing to reach, Winton - Dinosaur capitol of the Queensland outback.

We Drove a Sunburnt Country Part One.

For six days, three states and over four thousand kilometers we drove across a sunburnt country from Darwin at the top end of the Northern Territory south/east to outback central Queensland and down through the back of NSW to Canberra and home to our quiet little cosy country estate.. Along the way I couldn't help remember and recite a famous Australian poem that we were all taught at school (and loved) when we were young :- Dorothea Mackellar's "My Country."

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of rugged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror- The wide brown land for me!

We packed up the car and said goodbye to our view of the jewel sea, in this case the Arafura Sea as it enters Darwin Harbour. Within minutes we were in the harsh dry outback of the Northern Territory. Flat sweeping plains as far as the eye can see broken only by the occasional rugged mountains and an abundance of termite mounds so numerous it is impossible to count. First stop, Pine Creek, a tiny old gold mining town with nothing much open on a Sunday morning, so it was non-stop then to Mataranka for a promised legendary Mataranka pie. Another really tiny outback town, it's main claim to fame being the autobiographical novel "We of the Never Never" by Jeannie Gunn and immortalised in the 1982 movie with Angela Punch McGregor in the leading role. Set in Mataranka, the book was written about the authors life and experiences moving to such a harsh and isolated area in 1902 when women, albeit white women, were not seen to be on the land or help their husbands on outback cattle stations. If you spend an afternoon swimming in the local thermal springs you can then partake in a cool ale at the local watering hole while watching the legendary movie. We didn't stop long enough to do this as we had previously experienced the Mataranka hot springs in all their glory on another occasion. Over 1,100 km and and 12 hours after saying goodbye to Darwin we finally pulled in for the evening at Barkly Homestead, and yes, believe it or not, we were still in the Northern Territory! When travelling in air conditioned comfort it is easy to forget just how hot it is outside, (particularly as we approach the summer months in Australia and the "build up" in the NT) that is until you open the car door and step out into the furnace. It was 7:00 pm and yet still 45 degrees C with a formidable burning hot wind.

Day 2 we set of bright and early before the heat set in and began our journey well. We planned to cross the border into Queensland and reach Mt Isa in time for morning tea. Should have known all good plans always go astray. As the sun and heat rose and we cruised through the sweeping plains gazing at the wonder of the far horizon, we came around a sweeping bend in the road and over a "flood" bridge only to find a pot hole in the middle of the road almost the same size as our car. Too fast and too dangerous to swerve we hit the pot hole and hoped for the best. Sure enough we blew out the front right tyre. Not a problem! Just pull on over to the side of the road, unpack the bags from the boot, lift up the flap and look inside to where the spare tyre should be. Were my eyes deceiving me? We have a brand new car and NO spare tyre! Who would have thought? It may have seemed naive of both of us not to check before leaving Darwin but we both assumed a new car would come equiped with a spare tyre! There we found ourselves in the middle of the outback, heat rising every minute, and not a soul in sight for miles. "Not to worry" said hubby, "I'll wave down the next truck driver that comes along and get him to radio for help."

That was real successful! Turns out in the heat of the outback CB radio signals don't reach futher than 10 km at most. The nearest small town was 70 km away and Mt Isa was still 300 km ahead. Not to worry, don't despair, believe it or not, just 200 m further up the road was Avon Downs Police Station! Who would have believed it! In the middle of absolutely nowhere stood a police station! We limped the car up the road and found the local policeman just opening up shop for the day. His response, "So the pot hole has got another one has it?" He helped us organise a tow-truck into Camooweal, 12 km east of the NT border into Queensland, population 300 (on a good day when all the indiginous folk are in town to do a head count) so the tow truck driver told us.

What do you get if you cross a kangaroo with a buffalo? A buffaroo of course!

It stands proudly outside the Camooweal Roadhouse. The story goes that one evening a couple of truckies were having a drink at the local pub and began to discuss who were tougher, Queenslanders or Territorians! The more they drank, the more vocal they became, the Queenslanders insisting their kangaroos were tougher than the territories buffalo. It didn't take long before the idea came to pass that the strongest of all would be a cross between the two. It just so happened an artist was listening to the conversation and drew a sketch on a coaster. Before he left he showed the bartender and asked if they would like one? A few weeks later to the towns surprise a special delivery arrived. The Buffaroo now stands pride of place for all to see as you arrive in the sleepy outback town.

Instead of reaching Mt Isa by the intended morning tea break of 10:00 am we finally arrived at 5:00 pm, just in time to call it a day.