Books
Inspiring the hero in all of us By Danielle Galvin
message, anyone can save the day.
REUBEN Cullen certainly goes against the grain when it comes to children’s authors.
It also talks about the values Reuben was seeking in his own life: to be ambitious, healthy, reliable, selfless, caring, honest, confident, determined and happy.
He’s probably an unlikely character to write for young children, being a tradie and openly talking about his former battles with addiction, but that’s part of the magic of his story, and his new book, A Hero Born. It’s a self-published book he wrote to help him believe in himself again. “One day I just had an idea of writing a story, and being your own hero. “And I thought it was best targeted to kids given that they are really into superheroes. “Being your own hero is probably pretty important and it was what I was struggling with at the time, a bit of self-belief.” The book follows the story of a caped hero and an everyday hero, with the
His book is a message of self-love and awareness, simply, he wants children to be their own heroes. “I have had some people say to me (after writing A Hero Born) you have always had a way with words. “I didn’t really use poetry as a way to express myself until my early 20s and probably my mid-teens, more so when I had my battles with drug addiction I used it as a way to express myself.” Coming up with the story came naturally to him, once he’d established the message and the characters. The book is also dedicated to Kasey, the daughter of a woman he was in a long-term relationship with. It’s a deeply personal book, in that sense.
Street artist Michael Glenda, a father of three, illustrated the book.
“The message is that definitely no one is too old to know they can be their own hero. “I wrote it with the intentions of wanting to believe in myself and like myself again. “Kasey was a big reason I wanted to write the book. “I wanted to one day have something to show her and hopefully read to her. I just hope kids can learn to be the best person for themselves from reading the book - if I can just help one child not go through what I did then I’ll be happy.” And while the book is suited for children of any age, he said the message starts to ring true between that 4-9 age bracket. “When I’m writing, I’m not afraid to express myself and say how I am feeling. “Giving people the power to be self-aware is good, to learn to know yourself is really important I believe.”
A Hero Born is Reuben’s first children’s book.
There’s a mirror in the book at the end, with a powerful thought to end on. “I remember (Kasey) used to love looking at herself in the mirror. “It’s got a mirror on the last page, so the last page reads ‘when I look in the mirror what I want to see the best version of myself, so my hero is really me’.” To find out more and order the book, visit https://reubencullenkids.com/
Children’s books...
My Dad’s A Tradie Missy and Beefy Illustrated by Ogilvie The perfect book for a child with a father who is a tradie! It follows the adventures of Australian bull terrier Missy and her little brother Beefy, an Australian bulldog. Their dad is a tradie. It’s also Beefy’s dream to be a tradie. The pair visit worksites with their dad. Beefy is constantly asking ‘Are you a tradie like my dad?’ They meet all sorts of tradies including a tiler, electrician, foreman, plumber and painter. While Missy is pretty well behaved on worksites, Beefy tends to find himself in trouble! The characters are based on two real life dogs who live north of Sydney. A fun read for young kids. New Holland Publishers, RRP $19.99
22 SUMMER 2020
Have You Seen A Tree for Me?
Powman: Find The Courage Within
Sarah Eccleston,
Dave Pow Tabain and Nadia Worland, illustrated by Shane Ogilvie
Illustrated by Jenni Goodman A beautiful children’s book that highlights the modern dangers koalas are facing in the wild. It’s a timely title given Australia’s koala population has drastically declined following the devastating 2019/20 bushfire season. Author Sarah Eccleston has been a koala specialist at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on the Gold Coast for nearly 22 years. The book is inspired by her special bond with a three-yearold koala named Enzo, who resides at the sanctuary. A great way for kids to learn about the dangers koalas face in the wild, from loss of habitat to domestic animals. New Holland Publishers, RRP $19.99
Motivational speaker Dave Pow Tabain has teamed up with special needs consultant Nadia Worland for this empowering children’s book. The book helps equip young children to cope with their anxiety. It also encourages them not to be fearful of seeing a school counsellor. A young boy suffering anxiety around an upcoming maths test in the central character in this inspiring read. With the counsellor’s help, the boy comes up with the perfect POW plan to control his anxiety and ace his maths test. The book also features a helpful list of tips for kids to deal with anxiety. New Holland Publishers, RRP $14.99
We Are All Kind P Crumble and Jonathon Bentley A follow up to the bestselling children’s book We Are All Equal, this cute title explores the many simple ways we can show kindness. The text is beautiful. One passage reads: “We are all kind. You walk lonely miles. Life is much better when somebody smiles.” The text is accompanied by illustrations by award-winning illustrator Jonathan Bentley. This beautiful book teaches children the importance of being kind to others. It shows how they can offer a hand, make amends, solve a problem, heal hurt, love and share a laugh. A lovely read for children aged 4+. Scholastic Australia, RRP $19.99
The Bad Guys Episode 12: The One?! Aaron Blabey The Bad Guys are back for another enthralling instalment. For those unfamiliar, The Bad Guys are a crew of animals who sound, look and smell like bad guys but are on a mission to do good. The book is in a format similar to a comic book, with black and white illustrations and fun text. In Episode 12, something is up with Snake. He has terrifying powers and evil allies. Meanwhile, Agent Fox has suddenly become very mysterious. A great read for children aged 7+ transitioning from picture books to chapter books. A movie-adaption of the series is due for release in 2021. Scholastic Australia, RRP $15.99
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