By Kyra Gillespie
Creativity and imagination through drawing and writing was the theme when 2016-2017 Australian Children’s Laureate Leigh Hobbs visited Berwick Lodge Primary School.
The best-selling author of more than 20 books, including the iconic Old Tom, Mr Chicken Goes to Paris and Horrible Harriet, held a workshop with students as part of Literacy and Numeracy Week recently.
“The students at Berwick Lodge loved drawing Old Tom, Mr Chicken and their characters inspired by Leigh’s illustrations and insights,” Berwick Lodge Literacy Coordinator, Leading Teacher and children’s author Mark Carthew said.
Hobbs has recently returned from overseas where he has been in high demand for his vibrant author and illustrator school talks.
The theme for Hobbs’s two-year term as Australian Children’s Laureate is ‘to champion creative opportunities for children, and to highlight the essential role libraries play in nurturing our creative lives’.
“Libraries have played an enormous role in my life,” Hobbs said.
“Reading and exploring history and art is something I have been able to do because of libraries.
“I’m passionately interested in histories and cultures and I hope that through my work I can encourage children to explore and experience these things, too.”
