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WEBSITE: www.janegodwin.com.au
CITY: Melbourne
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COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 386
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1964; married Michael Wagner (a writer); children: Wil, Lizzie.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Penguin Books Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, marketing associate, beginning 1985, became editor and publisher. Also worked in Australian television industry. Presenter at schools, libraries, writers’ centers, and festivals; writing workshop instructor.
AVOCATIONS:Reading, walking, spending time with friends and family, doing crosswords, playing games, cooking, learning foreign languages, knitting and sewing.
AWARDS:Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards Best Children’s Book, 2000, for The Family Tree; additional commendations include the Aurealis Award and the Animal Welfare Award, and shortlistings in the CBC Book of the Year Awards, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) the YABBA Awards, the Speech Pathology Awards, The Family Award for Children’s Books, and the Australian Book Industry Awards.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jane Godwin is an Australian children’s and picture book writer and writing workshop instructor. Her publications have won numerous awards, ranging from the Queensland Premier’s Award for Children’s Books and the Aurealis Award to the Animal Welfare Award. Before turning her attention to writing books, she had worked with Penguin Books Australia as a children’s book publisher. Godwin has collaborated with illustrator Anna Walker on numerous picture books, including Little Cat and the Big Red Bus and Starting School. With coauthor Davina Bell, she created the “Our Australian Girl” series of historical fiction novels for middle-grade readers.
Godwin spoke with Stephanie Eslake in an interview on the TasWriters website about her connection to children through creating books for them. Godwin confessed: “I’ve always felt a strong connection to and interest in the world of the child and I also have a vivid kind of ‘feeling memory’ of the emotions of my own childhood. I suppose spending so much time thinking about characters who are children has kept me exploring their hopes, dreams and values—although as with adults, these concepts vary depending on the individual child.”
In Falling from Grace, twelve-year-old Grace and her older sister, Annie, are playing a tracking game on an Australian beach when they get lost. Worried about the rising tide and lack of sunlight, Annie suggests a shortcut up a cliff. Annie disappears when the cliff collapses during her attempted climb. Fourteen-year-old Kip, who had seen the two earlier in the day, finds Grace’s backpack in the water and returns it to her father. For several days a search ensues, and Kip is treated as the primary suspect in Grace’s disappearance. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that the story is “laced with insights about” Annie and Kip’s “own journey from innocence to experience.”
Bear Make Den, which Godwin wrote with her husband, Michael Wagner, uses “caveman-like” English to show how Bear constructs his den. Ambitiously, Bear keeps expanding the simple den until he is ready to finally sleep. A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented that illustrator Andrew Joyner’s “ink drawings with digital color are appealing in their humorous depictions of the industrious, jovial protagonist bear.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly mentioned that “Bear is a great role model, proving—without preaching—that industriousness, grit, and ingenuity offer manifold rewards.”
In the picture book Baby Day, a baby and many of its baby friends come together to celebrate a birthday. They eat cake and ice cream before having bath time and pre-naptime snuggles. Each baby is paired with a mood descriptor related to something they have just done. In a review in Horn Book, Martha V. Parravano reasoned that the book is “a sweet but realistic portrayal of a first-birthday celebration.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor described the volume as being “a refreshing first-birthday book, with subtleties for adult readers and details for little ones.”
Another picture book, Sadie and the Silver Shoes, features adventurous Sadie, who doesn’t mind wearing her older brother’s hand-me-down clothing because she always gets to pick out her own new shoes. When she finds the perfect pair, she gets them a little too big for her feet so she can wear them for even longer before outgrowing them. However, while rock-hopping in a stream with her brother, one of her shoes flies off and goes into the water. Since she can’t find it, she decides to wear that single silver shoe with another shoe that does not match. When new girl Ellie admits to finding a single silver shoe one day, she and Sadie agree to take turns wearing it. Writing in Horn Book, Parravano called it “a satisfying celebration of individuality, friendship, and footwear fidelity.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor admitted that “Sadie is terrific.”
In Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse, rhyming text accompanies readers on a tour of a little mouse’s neighborhood. In a review in Horn Book, Parravano called the volume “a cheerful there-and-back-again adventure … perfectly aimed at the very youngest.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor labeled the picture book as being both “delightful and engaging.”
In the picture book Arno and His Horse, young Arno can’t find his wooden toy horse. His friends and family help him look and ask him to think back to the last time he had it. They go all over town retracing his steps. But when his father asks him to simply play with something else, readers learn that his grandfather carved it for him, and they share a special bond. A Kirkus Reviews contributor opined that “the book’s emphasis on the relationship between the older man and the young boy is comforting, but the narrative gaps tantalize.” Booklist contributor Carolyn Phelan wrote that it would make for “an appealing addition to picture-book collections.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, October 1, 2007, Frances Bradburn, review of Falling from Grace, p. 44; January 1, 2019, Carolyn Phelan, review of Baby Day, p. 91; February 1, 2021, Carolyn Phelan, review of Arno and His Horse, p. 54.
Horn Book, March 1, 2019, Martha V. Parravano, reviews of Sadie and the Silver Shoes and Baby Day, both p. 59; November 1, 2019, Martha V. Parravano, review of Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse, p. 68.
Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2007, review of Falling from Grace; June 15, 2017, review of Bear Make Den; November 15, 2018, review of Baby Day; February 15, 2019, review of Sadie and the Silver Shoes; July 15, 2019, review of Red House, Tree House, Little Bitty Brown Mouse; February 15, 2021, review of Arno and His Horse.
Publishers Weekly, June 5, 2017, review of Bear Make Den, p. 50; January 7, 2019, review of Baby Day, p. 55.
School Library Journal, November 1, 2007, D. Maria LaRocco, review of Falling from Grace, p. 124; July 1, 2017, Catherine Callegari, review of Bear Make Den, p. 60; February 1, 2019, Rachel Zuffa, review of Baby Day, p. 46; April 1, 2019, Mary Elam, review of Sadie and the Silver Shoes, p. 58.
ONLINE
Boomerang Books, https://blog.boomerangbooks.com.au/ (June 14, 2018), Joy Lawn, interview with Godwin and Michael Wagner.
Jane Godwin website, http://www.janegodwin.com.au (May 1, 2022).
Kids’ Book Review, http://www.kids-bookreview.com/ (June 21, 2011), author interview.
Reading Time, https://readingtime.com.au/ (December 16, 2019), author interview.
TasWriters website, https://www.taswriters.org/ (August 12, 2016), Stephanie Eslake, author interview.*
Jane Godwin is the highly acclaimed author of over forty books for children and young people, across all styles and ages. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations.
Jane's most recent upper middle-grade novels are When Rain Turns to Snow and A Walk in the Dark (Hachette), and recently acclaimed picture books include Sing Me the Summer (Affirm Press), illustrated by Alison Lester, A Life Song (Penguin Random House) illustrated by Anna Walker, Families (Hardie Grant), illustrated by Yael Frankel, and Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? (Hardie Grant), illustrated by Terry Denton.
Jane was the Children's Publisher at Penguin Books Australia for many years and produced books for a wide range of readers, from very young children through to YA titles.
Jane is dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people. She lives in Melbourne, Australia.
Here’s the official word:
Jane Godwin is a highly acclaimed author of over forty books for children, across all styles and ages. Her work is published internationally and she has received many commendations, including the Queensland Premier's Award (Children's Books), the Aurealis Award and the Animal Welfare Award, and shortlistings in the CBC Book of the Year Awards, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, the New South Wales State Literary Award (Patricia Wrightson Prize) the YABBA Awards, the Speech Pathology Awards, The Family Award for Children’s Books, and the Australian Book Industry Awards.
For many years, Jane worked as the Children’s Publisher at Penguin Books Australia.
Jane's most recent novel is Look Me in the Eye, published by Hachette in September 2022. It’s for the same age group as Falling from Grace, As Happy as Here, When Rain Turns to Snow and A Walk in the Dark.
Jane’s most recent picture books are Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?, illustrated by Terry Denton (Hardie Grant) and shortlisted in the 2024 CBCA Book of the Year Awards - Early Childhood category, and A Life Song, illustrated by Anna Walker (Penguin Random House) and shortlisted in the ABIA Awards - Picture Book category. You can find out more about Jane’s books by clicking on BOOKS at the top of this page.
And two new junior novels are here as well! Jane has created a new junior fiction series, The Isabelle Stories, illustrated by Robin Cowcher. There are two books - Izzy and Belle, and Hurry Up, Harry! Both are published by Hachette.
Anna Walker and Jane have created nine children's picture books together – Little Cat and the Big Red Bus, All Through the Year, Today We Have No Plans, Starting School, What Do You Wish For?, Go Go and the Silver Shoes, Tilly, Don’t Forget and A Life Song.
Jane writes her own books but much of her time is spent in encouraging and supporting authors with whom she works. Along with her friend Davina Bell, Jane is the creator of Our Australian Girl, a highly successful series of quality historical fiction for middle readers.
Jane spends as much time as she can working with young people in schools and communities, running various literature and writing programs, making books and encouraging students in their own creative ventures.
Jane lives in Melbourne with her family. Most of her waking hours are dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, whether it’s as a writer, a publisher or a speaker/facilitator in schools.
And here are 11 things you probably didn't know about me:
1. I was often mistaken for a boy when I was young.
2. Two of my favourite picture books when I was little were Big Sister, Little Sister by Charlotte Zolotow and Swimmy by Lio Lionni. They are still two of my favourite picture books.
3. When I was eight I stole a biscuit and accidentally ran through a glass door to go outside and eat it.
4. During secondary school I wanted to be a child psychologist or a photographer, not an author.
5. I love making things (books, scones, friends) and playing games (boggle, volleyball, five hundred).
6. I always write down my dreams (as in sleeping dreams, not aspirations).
7. It took me three years to write my first book. And it was a picture book!
8. My middle name is Kristina.
9. My great-great grandfather came from Sweden to Ballarat during the Gold Rush.
10. I'm in a poetry club of three people. Two friends and I send each other a poem a couple of times a month. They are not written by us - they are just poems that we want to share.
11. I take one photo every day of my life. (You can see them on my instagram account.)
If you'd like to know more, click on NEWS (at the top of this page) and you can read my digital diary and see some more photos.
If you'd like to learn more about an individual book, click on BOOKS (at the top of this page) and then the cover of the one you're interested in.
Blog, For Educators, For Readers, Q&A 4 years ago
#LOveOzYA Author Q&A With Jane Godwin
Jane Godwin is the highly acclaimed and internationally published author of many books for children and young people, across all styles and ages. Children’s Publisher at Penguin Books Australia for many years, Jane was the co-creator with Davina Bell of the Our Australian Girl series of quality historical fiction for middle readers. Jane’s books include her novels Falling From Grace and As Happy as Here (a CBCA Notable Book), and picture books Go Go and the Silver Shoes (illustrated by Anna Walker), The Silver Sea (with Alison Lester and patients at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne) and Watch This! (with designer Beci Orpin and photographer Hilary Walker). Jane is dedicated to pursuing quality and enriching reading and writing experiences for young people, and spends as much time as she can working with them in schools and communities and running literature and writing programs.
Jane’s latest novel When Rain Turns to Snow is out this month.
Welcome to the LoveOzYA blog, we’re so happy to have you here!
Thank you for having me!
Let’s go back to the beginning…have you been telling stories since you were a kid or was writing something you fell in love with as an adult?
I’ve always been a keen reader, and I’ve always been interested in stories, but no, I didn’t write, or tell a lot of stories when I was a child. I read a lot, and I think I had stories in my head, and daydreams, so I was telling stories to myself, but I didn’t really think to write them down! Then after I finished uni I got a job in a publishing house (Penguin) and I kind of fell into writing. I’m very glad I did.
Tell us about your new book.
My new book is called When Rain Turns to Snow. It’s for the same age group as my book published last year, As Happy as Here, ie young teen.
It’s a story of a thirteen-year-old boy, Reed, who runs away from home. He has a baby with him (you’ll need to read the book to find out why!). It’s the middle of winter, it’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark, Reed doesn’t really know where he’s going, and he has also never cared for a baby before. Enter Lissa, a fourteen-year-old girl who discovers Reed, and tries to help him. But Lissa has problems of her own. The girls at school are hiding something from her, and there’s stuff happening online, to do with her older brother, Harry. I won’t say anything more about the story or I’ll give too much away!
The title comes from one day last winter I was at my son Wil’s place. He lives near Daylesford, in Central Victoria. His house is in a clearing surrounded by forest. I was standing on his deck and it was raining hard, loud on the tin roof. It was a very cold day, and as I was standing there, the temperature dropped that couple of degrees, and all of a sudden everything was quiet, no more loud rain on the roof, and the rain itself slowed down, became soft and gentle because it had turned to snow. And it was like this magical moment in time, when all that was harsh and loud transformed into something graceful.
When Rain Turns to Snow is about fate, families, friendship, and the perils of social media.
Did you have a favourite OzYA book when you were growing up?
Lol there weren’t really any Australian YA books when I was growing up! Back in the 1970s it kind of went from middle reader to adult books. But there were a few that featured teenage characters. I loved Ivan Southall’s books, but really most of the YA material at that time came from overseas. I loved the American writer Paul Zindel, I loved The Outsiders by SE Hinton (this was probably the first YA book I read, and some say it started the whole genre of YA fiction) and the other books in that series: That was Then, This is Now, and Rumblefish. The Twelfth Day of July by Joan Lingard was another one I loved, and its sequel Across the Barricades. I enjoyed Beverly Cleary’s Fifteen, and Go Ask Alice (that was very risque, and banned in many schools!) and Robert Cormier, too. The Chocolate War was one of my favourites. Interesting that nearly all of these books are still in print, over forty years later! They have stood the test of time.
Did you have anyone that encouraged your love of books, reading and writing when you were younger?
Not really one person in particular. My parents had books in the house, and they read to us when we were little. I do remember teachers in my primary school reading us chapters from books every afternoon for half an hour, and this was my favourite time of the day.
What do you think sets Australian YA stories apart from those set internationally?
Australian YA writers take risks, explore, are original, and are not afraid to tackle challenging topics.
Do you have a favourite bookshop or library?
I have several favourite bookshops! The Little Bookroom, Readings, Squishy Minnie, The Younger Sun, Lorne Beach Books, just to name a few.
What was the last book you read and enjoyed?
Recently I’ve read Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, which I loved. Also a brilliant and intense memoir called Heavy, by Kiese Laymon. That book really taps into a lot of the issues America is facing right now. I set myself the task of reading Anna Karenina (which I had never read) during isolation. I’m about two thirds of the way through. There’s a lot of politics, a lot of agriculture, and some pretty intense relationships. It feels very modern for a book published in 1878. I’m loving it. Next on my list is Davina Bell’s The End of the World is Bigger than Love, which I read (and loved!) in its early manuscript stages about four years ago. Can’t wait to go back into that rich, imaginary world and see where Davina took that story. Also on the pile is Danielle Binks’s The Year the Maps Changed. I’ve heard good things about this one, and I also wrote a book set on the Mornington Peninsula so I’m interested in this setting as well.
Aside from writing, what else do you like to do to explore your creativity?
I read a lot, I walk in the forest or on the beach, I do cryptic crosswords, I knit (badly), and sometimes I play the piano (also badly). I also cook and since coronavirus I’ve become one of those annoying people who is obsessed with making sourdough bread.
What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you’ve received?
I have received so much advice – lots of it good and some of it bad (although sometimes bad advice makes you think, and can clarify aspects of writing for you – so maybe it’s not that bad after all.) It’s hard to decide on one of each! Okay, one of the worst pieces of writing advice I think is: Write what you know. I understand what this advice is trying to say, but I think it should be Write what you’re interested in. Explore, find out why something interests or fascinates you by writing about it. Take yourself on that journey of discovery. Okay, to the good advice now! Well a few years ago I received some advice from a book that said something like, When you get stuck with a plot, you need to go back to the point in your story where the character stopped acting authentically, to where you were forcing the story on them. Go back to where you lost sight of what your character would have inevitably done. The more I think about writing, the more I believe that you have to build the action out of character. If you’re stuck with a plot, it’s often because you don’t know your character well enough, so you simply don’t know what they would have done next. The more you know your characters, really deeply know them and see them as real people, the more everything else will come together.
Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree? By Jane Godwin. Illus. by Terry Denton. Mar. 2024. 32p. Bright Light, $18.99 (9781761213380). PreS-Gr. 3.
Evidently inspired by an old saying (sometimes wrongly attributed to Einstein) related to teaching a fish to climb a tree, the first section of this Australian picture book poses a series of short questions that ask whether a certain animal can perform a task that it's actually ill-equipped to do. Kids will quickly learn that each question leads to the same answer: "No." However, the second section of the book revisits each animal and, in contrast, mentions something that it can do. For example, maybe penguins can't "be taught to sing opera," but they can huddle together to "keep each other warm in the coldest place on Earth." Godwin's succinct, well-worded text lends itself well to reading aloud during classroom and library storytimes. Children will enjoy shouting out "No!" repeatedly in the book's first half, figuring out each animal's special ability in the second section, and answering the final question, "What do YOU like to do?" at length. Denton's colorful, playful illustrations brighten every page with multiple characters and intriguing details. An imaginative picture book.--Carolyn Phelan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Phelan, Carolyn. "Can You Teach a Fish to Climb a Tree?" Booklist, vol. 120, no. 9-10, 1 Jan. 2024, p. 74. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A780973552/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=73464c99. Accessed 3 May 2024.
Godwin, Jane DON'T FORGET Kane Miller (Children's None) $14.99 8, 1 ISBN: 978-1-68464-436-0
Children have so many things to remember about how to live their lives.
A diverse group of children are reminded by an omniscient voice to not forget their responsibilities. "Don't forget / to make your bed, / and wear socks / that fit your feet." They are told to consider others. "Don't forget / to smile, / and to lend a hand / when you can." But they are also told to enjoy: "Don't forget to try new things, / to smell the flowers, // watch the ocean, / and listen to the music / of the trees." The narration also encourages them to express emotion by crying, hugging, hoping, imagining, and dreaming. Most of all, they are told to remember that "somebody loves you," that they are not alone in this long life, and that "you belong." Lovely artwork depicts scenes of children relaxing, creating both alone and with others, frolicking, working, and playing, indoors and outdoors. The line "Don't forget to wonder" accompanies an image of a brown-skinned child lying in a bubble bath, contemplating. A reminder to be brave and to share is paired with an illustration of a group of tan-skinned kids climbing a tree and sharing a snack. Kids will easily relate to the numerous illustrated examples, the wise words offered, and the overall uplifting message. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tableau of realistic advice on the importance of a positive attitude. (Picture book. 4-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Godwin, Jane: DON'T FORGET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A708486937/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c9b95214. Accessed 3 May 2024.
Godwin, Jane WATCH THIS! Scribble (Children's Fiction) $16.99 3, 4 ISBN: 978-1-947534-99-5
This Australian concept book involves the whole body.
Twelve children bend, twist, and join limbs to form various shapes, all photographed against large, patterned pops of color. Readers are introduced to each child by name on the title-page spread. The kids start simply, with circles and triangles. Some shapes are accomplished alone (a circle with one's arms overhead or a "little" triangle with one's fingers). But most shapes are a collaborative effort. (Whenever one child's toes nearly touch another's face, the apprehensive looks are priceless.) Walker expertly photographs from various angles, though the overhead shots are by far the most clever and amusing. The shapes start to get more complicated (a star, a diamond) until interpretations become a bit looser and more creative. Children standing side by side holding hands are a wavy line, and two others hiding behind Ari with arms straight out becomes a six-armed "Ari-tangle." Orpin's backgrounds and frames often echo the shapes in case extra reinforcement is needed. The children are racially diverse with names hinting at ethnic diversity as well, and playful touches (tongues out, gleeful smiles) expertly capture childlike exuberance.
A treat for all learners, kinesthetic or otherwise. (Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Godwin, Jane: WATCH THIS!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A608364555/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=bc5d6e1c. Accessed 3 May 2024.
GODWIN, Jane & Bed Orpin. Watch This!: A Book About Making Shapes. photos by Hilary Walker. 32p. Scribe. Mar. 2020. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781947534995.
PreS-Gr 2--In this inviting concept book, children use their bodies to make different shapes. Brilliantly clear, eye-catching photographs showcase gross motor skills in action: "Luisa can make a circle with her arms." The performance portraits pop against bold colors like orange, green, and yellow, and the featured shape is highlighted in painted background patterns. Some shapes can be made individually ("Jasmine can make a little triangle with her fingers"), and others take teamwork (a rectangle is made with four friends lying down, positioned head to toe). Different camera angles and perspectives are artfully used to great effect, like the aerial shot of five kids sitting with straight legs out to make a star shape. The cheery, conversational text encourages children not only to recognize shapes in tlreir world but also to make connections between themselves and others, and playfully prompts more abstract thinking ("I know, let's make up some new shapes of our own"). The personalities of the 12 diverse participants shine through, and their portraits and names are introduced in the front matter. VERDICT A kinetic celebration of body and mind.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ont.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Ludke, Linda. "GODWIN, Jane & Bed Orpin. Watch This!: A Book About Making Shapes." School Library Journal, vol. 66, no. 3, Mar. 2020, p. 91. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A616314176/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=359665d1. Accessed 3 May 2024.