Thanks to everyone who has shown their love and support for this book. Charlie and I are delighted with all the kindness and interest shown to us after winning the Australian Picture Book Category of the Forevability Awards. These awards celebrate positive portrayals of disability, mental illness and chronic illness in children’s books. You can read more here in local publisher Region Riverina or watch this Seven News story here.
Would you like to book me for a Book Week visit, author story time, special event speaker, writing workshop or a preschool visit? I am now taking bookings. Please get in touch via the Contact page on this website.
‘My kids love Gemma Gets the Jitters… and so do I. It teaches children it’s ok to be afraid, and highlights what courage looks like.’
Dr Justin Coulson, Parenting expert & Author of 9 Ways to a Resilient Child
‘Katrina Roe wowed audiences at the Snowy Mountains Readers & Writers festival. Her writing journey was inspirational to kids and adults alike.’
Jack Heath, Children’s and YA Author
‘Our students loved meeting Katrina Roe and enjoyed learning about her writing and storytelling. The children especially loved her book Lily’s Balloon as it had the beautiful message that your own loss could be someone else’s gain. There will be a little waitlist for her books as we have already had quite a number of students asking to borrow her books from the Library!’
Maren de Rijk, Junior School Librarian, Arden Anglican School
‘Katrina’s ability to captivate and engage a class of preschoolers for over an hour is amazing.’
Helen Besestri, Snowy Moutains Readers & Writers Festival.
‘Our students thoroughly enjoyed Katrina’s presentation and even our youngest students were engaged the whole time. Katrina involved the girls by asking them questions and developed their understanding of issues presented in her books.’
Gwyn Bromhead, Junior School – Teacher Librarian, Tara Anglican School for Girls
‘You were amazing! The students were engaged and captivated by your fabulous stories. All the teachers present agreed it was a fabulous morning! Thank you and come again.’
Emma Cutmore, Kindergarten Teacher, Loquat Valley Anglican School
| Sat Feb 2 | 10 am – 1pm | Prepare ELC | Prepare ELC Open Day |
| Sat Mar 23 | 9am – 1pm | Beecroft Uniting Church | State Election Market Day |
| Sat Mar 30 | 2pm | SMBC | Sydney Children’s Omega Writer’s Gathering |
| Sat Jun 15 | 9am-1pm | Newington Marketplace | Pop-up Markets |
| Wed Aug 21 | 10am | St Stephen’s Preschool, Normanhurst | Book Week Author visit |
| Wed Aug 21 | 1pm-3pm | Christ Church Preschool, Gladesville | Book Week Author visit |
| Thu Aug 22 | 10am | Creative Learning Preschool | Book Week Author visit |
| Thu Aug 22 | 1pm-3pm | Christ Church Preschool, Gladesville | Book Week Author visit |
| Fri Aug 23 | All day | Southern Highlands Christian School | Book Week Guest Author |
| Wed Sept 11 | 8.30am | Arden Anglican School | Guest author |
| Sat Sept 14 | 9am – 1pm | Beecroft Uniting Church | Spring Market Day |
| Sat Sept 14 | 3pm – 8pm | Eastwood Heights Public School | Fireworks Fundraiser |
| Sept 28-29 | All day | Brisbane | Wombat Books Professional Development Conference |
| Oct 12-13 | All day | Edmund Rice Retreat and Conference Centre, Mulgoa | Omega Writer’s Conference& Caleb Awards |
| Nov 16 | 10am | Melrose Park Public School | Melrose Park PS Market Day & Fete |
| Nov 27 | 5.30pm | The Governor Hotel, NorthRyde | Ryde District Mums Twilight Market |
| Dec 15 | 6pm | Thornleigh | Thornleigh Carols & Markets |
It’s always a nerve wracking wait after you release a new book. What will the reviews be like? My worst fear is not getting bad reviews, but getting no reviews at all. With so many books being released every month, it’s hard to get your book noticed at all.
It’s been a few months since Lily’s Balloon was officially released and finally some reviews have been emerging.
Nat Amoore’s review of Lily’s Balloon filled my heart with joy. Here are just some of the lovely things she said about my book.
“Lily’s Balloon would be my idea of the perfect bedtime story. It’s gentle and calming and has this melodic feel to it. The illustrations are poignant, but subtle with a light touch. It almost feels like a dream as you read through it and the way it ends I feel like the kid could go to sleep dreaming of where the balloon might go next.”
“I just want to hug every character in this book!”
“I really enjoyed this book because it’s concise and gentle and I can really imagine parents being happy to read this one over and over to their kids at bedtime. It feels like a snuggle up with your kid and doona kinda book.”
To listen to the full review and the rest of the One More Page Podcast, follow the link below.
https://www.onemorepagepodcast.com/episode-19
2. Author and reviewer, Dimity Powell included Lily’s Balloon in a selection of Stories for the Soul: Picture Books that Tug at the Heart Strings on the Boomerang Books Blog.
“This is a touching story of hope, disappointment, and learning how to let go, exquisitely illustrated by Helene Magisson. Magisson’s elegant drawings pulse with colour and form. Each page is a landscape of solid textures, interesting shapes and gentle movement. Mellow hues and generous white space allow the eyes to wander and discover more detail, like tiny ants crawling along a bending reed.
Lily’s Balloon is a lovely marriage of imagery and words that demonstrates how lives and situations may be inextricably connected and suggests to children that they are not alone when it comes to facing life’s many disappointments.”
You can read the full review on the Boomerang Books blog.
3. The Children’s Book Council publication Reading Time was one of the first to review Lily’s Balloon.
“We share in a wave of Lily’s emotions, from excitement, disappointment, happiness and loss. Amongst it all, the reader delicately experiences anticipation and wonder on a balloon’s journey of interconnectedness woven throughout the story.
The illustrations so beautifully and gently invite readers to connect beyond the diverse and unique characters; encompassing other living creatures and nature’s world around us. It’s a powerful message for children and adults alike, with subtle yet strong illustrations that Helene Magisson has so perfectly presented.”
Read Sonia Bestulic’s full review here.
4. Lucinda Gifford from Children’s Literature website Buzz Words Books had this to say about Lily’s Balloon.
“This is a gentle, philosophical book which guides us towards looking beyond ourselves to see the bigger picture. Lily loses her balloon, but her spirits soar as she watches it drift out towards the clouds, ‘dancing on the wind’. The balloon’s journey raises the spirits of two other children, each unaware of the balloon’s overall ‘story’, of who it will encounter and what its future will be.
This is a perfect book for talking about how we are all connected, the deeper meaning of objects, and how our actions, and our journey, affect others.”
Here’s the link to the Buzz Words review.
It lifts my heart to read and hear how warmly Lily’s Balloon is being received by readers big and small.
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