The write stuff

Generation communication: Hazel Edwards reads to her grandson.

Monash University seems to have a knack of producing successful children's authors -- who all agree that writing a children's book is not child's play

Report: Allison Harding
Photography: Greg Ford and Melissa Di Ciero

Hazel Edwards is annoyed. The author of 150 books, including the children's classic There's a Hippopotamus on My Roof Eating Cake, finds it exasperating that many people think writing for youngsters is just a bit of fun.

"Some assume that children's book authors have IQs equal to the ages of their readers," Ms Edwards says. "But writing children's books requires a great deal of skill. Children's authors also need to be courageous -- after all, being self-employed in a creative field is a gutsy move."

And it is a move that an impressive number of Monash alumni have made over the years: the much-loved Paul Jennings (BEd 1978), who has sold millions of books worldwide; Andy Griffiths (BA(Hons) 1985), best known for The Day My Bum Went Psycho series; artist and author Leigh Hobbs (DipArt and Design 1974), famed for his Old Tom and Horrible Harriet characters; and young adult author Jen McVeity (BA 1975).

Mr Jennings firmly believes stories that work for children are those written by a writer or an artist who remembers what it was like to be a child.

"Children should not be pressured about reading -- they should be free to dabble, pretend and imagine -- and that's exactly what happens until school," he says. "It's only when they enter school that failure has the chance to rear its ugly head -- there is a subject called reading. The majority of reluctant readers become reluctant because of adult pressures and anxieties that result in children coming to view themselves as poor readers. Those children then regard books as objects of pain rather than pleasure."

The child within: Paul Jennings believes those who write the best children's stories are the ones who remember what it was like to be a child.

Mr Jennings does not share current concerns about the literacy levels of Australian children. "Australian children are finally reading mainly Australian authors, so I think we're doing really well in that regard," he says. "Certainly, some boys don't like to read, and we've got some work to do there, but the general standard of literacy is very good and I think all the fuss is a beat-up.

"It's far more important to ensure children have good books to read in their school libraries than design literacy tests that are arbitrary benchmarks and which, in my view, are a waste of money."

Writing was always the ambition of Andy Griffiths, whose Bum and Just books have won numerous Australian children's choice awards and topped bestseller lists.

Mr Griffiths says he drifted into a Bachelor of Arts degree and became heavily involved with the student radio station, edited the radio magazine and spent hours in the listening library.

"I lived at home with my family so was cushioned from the tough reality of life for many students, and I really feel for students today," he says. "I remember my days at Monash as being immersed in books and the radio station and being able to pursue things for pleasure and interest -- I was really lucky."

Mr Griffiths' latest book, Fast Food and No Play Make Jack a Fat Boy, is something of a departure from his other works.

Aimed more at parents, the book addresses the issue of obesity in the young through the main character, Jack, who plays computer games, watches television, eats take-away food and is seriously overweight.

With a personal trainer and nutritionist as co-authors, Mr Griffiths describes Jack and his family struggling with and, in most cases, overcoming obstacles to health and fitness as they change their lifestyle. "A healthy imagination can only be supported by a healthy body," he says. "And I love that my books can kickstart children's imagination."

Animal magic: Leigh Hobbs and Toby, together with Old Tom at right and Horrible Harriet.

Melbourne artist Leigh Hobbs graduated with a Diploma of Art and Design from the Caulfield Institute of Technology, which merged with Monash in 1990.

"My dilemma has been that my talents and interests have never fitted into a neat pigeonhole," he says. "Back then, there wasn't really a course that fitted somebody like me."

Mr Hobbs is best known for his children's books Fiona the Pig, Horrible Harriet and Old Tom, the last of which was turned into a highly successful animated television series. "Kids' books are a perfect vehicle for my work -- I don't sit down and think, right, I'll write for kids," he says. "I just sit down and write or draw or design, and it turns out that it is just ideal for kids."

As international chair of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, alumna Jen McVeity is the glue that holds together many Australian writers.

She is an author in her own right -- her books for young adults include the internationally successful Dreamcatcher and Shadow Seeker.

"Authors tend to be isolated creatures because of the nature of their work," she says. "We don't tend to compare notes and often don't have strong business brains.

"Potential book-publishing runs in Australia are so small that it's very important we maximise our opportunities through international rights."

For the kids

Paul Jennings (BEd 1978) has written more than 40 books, including Unreal, Unbelievable, Unmentionable, The Gizmo, Round The Twist, Wicked, Grandad's Gifts, Duck for Cover and Teacher Eater.

Hazel Edwards (BA 1971, BEd 1974, MEd 1980) has written more than 150 books for children, young adults and adults, including her There's a Hippopotamus on My Roof Eating Cake series, and books on writing family histories and on travels to Antarctica.

Andy Griffiths (BA(Hons) 1985) is best known for The Day My Bum Went Psycho and Zombie Bums from Uranus, as well as the popular Just series: Just Tricking, Just Annoying, Just Stupid, Just Crazy and Just Disgusting. His books have won numerous Australian children's choice awards and are popular internationally.

Leigh Hobbs (DipArt and Design 1974) works in a range of media and is a critically acclaimed author and illustrator. His books include the Old Tom and Horrible Harriet series.

Jen McVeity (BA 1975) has published 23 books, is international chair of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in Australia and distributes marketing, contract and writing information to professional creators around the country.

Andrew Daddo (BA 1988) is a television celebrity and the author of books including Sprung, Sprung Again, You're Dropped, Writing in Wet Cement and Creepy Cool.

Dr John Long (BSc(Hons) 1981, PhD 1984), head of Science at Museum Victoria , has published a number of books for children on dinosaurs and fossils, the latest of which is The Big Picture Book.