About the Book
The gloriously creative indulgence of simply sitting and day dreaming has given rise to the greatest creations in human history. We have to give ourselves permission to do so, and to imagine what will be. Of course, sometimes, 'what will be' may be very silly indeed!
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Imagine was written by international award-winning author Emma Mactaggart and illustrated by Ester De Boer. It follows children as they happily daydream and their imaginations take over. Set in the zoo, the children and the animals have fanciful and whimsical interaction.
Children in preschool and year one have responded wonderfully to the book, which has sparked much conversation as they let their imaginations 'explode'! 'The book 'imagine' was the best book that we have ever heard! (Emily, age 7) 'we liked the colourful drawings very much,' (Caitlin, age 6) and 'I liked the book 'imagine', especially imagine if an elephant was a car and a car was an elephant! (riley, age 6)
Author
Illustrator
EMMA MACTAGGART
The Child Writes titles fly with Jetstar as a regular in their inflight entertainment offering. Boogie Books is the largest publisher of children’s books by children in the world, with the titles all available via Amazon. Additionally, Emma ensures the authors donate copies of their books to places where children are in crisis – and to date, books have landed with Ronald McDonald House, children’s wards in hospitals in the authors home towns and in the capital cities, as well as the National Library of Australia, and state libraries in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
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Believing everyone has the right to see their words in print has become a slight obsession for Emma. This has inspired her latest publishing project - the 'how to' guide for inspiring writers. Child Writes: Creating a Children's Picture book is Child's Play, was published in May 2012 and it won a GOLD Best Non-Fiction Adult eBook at the 2012 IPPY Awards. Emma was a finalist in the 2014 Condamine Alliance Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Cultural Heritage and a Finalist in the 2012 QRRRWN Strong Leadership Awards.
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Her latest children's picture book, Imagine, illustrated by Ester De Boer has just won a GOLD Best Children's Illustrated eBook at the 2015 IPPY Awards in New York, USA and one of the illustrations 'Lyrebird' was selected for exhibition in the Book Illustrated Gallery, for the Asian Festival for Children's Content in Singapore.
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She is a regular on ABC South East Queensland, with a monthly book review with Belinda Sanders and often, happily, fulfills the role as guest judge for painting competitions and book week festivals – whatever she is asked to do!
Illustrator
ESTER DE BOER
Since early childhood Ester has been an obsessive doodler. She still has her old school reports with angry comments such as “it is impossible to read Ester's work as it is covered in scribbles!”
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Growing up in Townsville, North Queensland, her imagination went wild with Enid Blyton's “The Magic Faraway Tree” and she is happily obsessed over the details of the illustrations in the comic books “Tintin” and “Asterix and Obelix”, as well as the dark, elegant line work of Victorian illustrators such as Arthur Rackham. Now, as a primary school teacher, she is not sure who is more excited during story time, the kids or herself!
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Ester completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts (drawing and printmaking) at the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba in 2008, where she passed with distinction and recently did a short course at the Centre for Adult Education in Melbourne in Children's Book Illustration. She has exhibited drawings in various shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Toowoomba, and have won a number of awards, including finalist in the Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing (2010), 2nd place in the Scots PGC Art Prize (2011) and finalist in Works on Paper at Brunswick Street Gallery 2009.
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Whilst the award winning Imagine is her first published book, Ester has illustrated for a number of private commissions, including Filthy Fox by Matthew Yarsley for Blurb, and a series of comical cartoons for workplace training manuals 'Diversity in the Workplace and Solving People Problems' (eBook) for Advance Books.