Flight

2016 CBCA PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Tonight is the night. The family has to flee. They've been tipped off that the authorities are after their blood.

Set in biblical times, a small family sets off across a desert in search of refuge from persecution in their own country, and an ancient story becomes a fable for our times. Their journey is beset by heat and thirst, threatening tanks and the loss of their donkey, but eventually they reach a refugee camp where they can wait in safety for asylum in another country.

In this first-time collaboration between multi-award-winning author, Nadia Wheatley, and internationally-renowned illustrator, Armin Greder, words and images blend seamlessly to take readers on a journey they will never forget.

AUTHOR: Nadia Wheatley lives in Sydney. In a literary career spanning three decades, she has written numerous award-winning picture books, novels, and works of history for children and adults. These include the classic picture book My Place, illustrated by Donna Rawlins and adapted to television, and the historical novel The House that was Eureka. The Papunya School Book of Country and History was the result of a five-year collaboration with Aboriginal students and staff at Papunya School (Northern Territory). In 2013 Nadia was nominated by IBBY Australia for the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing. Website: nadiawheatley.com

ILLUSTRATOR: Armin Greder was born in Switzerland. In 1971 he migrated to Australia where he worked as a graphic designer and later taught design and illustration at a tertiary art institution. Picture books he has illustrated include The Great Bear, An Ordinary Day and I Am Thomas; and he has written and illustrated The Island and The City. He is the recipient of a number of international recognitions such as the Bologna Ragazzi Award, and he has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. He now lives in Lima, Peru.

SELLING POINTS:

• Leading, multi-award-winning author and illustrator
• Very topical parable about the universal plight of refugees from biblical times to the present—suitable for mid to upper primary use in schools
• Strikingly beautiful artwork and design and a classic, simple, poetic text