A Canberra children’s book author’s insight into the power of stories on young minds
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Canberra author Sarah Wallace has been scribbling down story ideas in notebooks since she was a child. Now, she is bringing her experience in government education policy to writing children’s books that inspire.
Publishing her first book Emma’s Freckles in 2023, her second picture book Learning You by Heart was released this May; capturing the love and connection found in those simple moments of childhood.
We spoke to Sarah about her journey to becoming an author, her sources of inspiration and the importance of stories to children’s development.
Why children’s books? What do you love about writing this category of books?
I was always writing stories as a child and scribbling story ideas in notebooks. I then went on to do an arts degree majoring in literature. Stories create experiences for kids to learn, grow, develop, face new things, and create a bond with a parent or caregiver. As I started reading with my kids, I began wanting to create and share those experiences with them safely and enjoyably.
Learning You by Heart is your newest children’s book – how did this specific story come about?
Learning You by Heart began as a poem. It came into my head a little bit each night as I was tucking my youngest child into bed. I wanted to express that love and awe we feel as parents. It’s a very personal book.
The opening lines are:
‘I love everything about you,
and I’ve loved you from the start.
I want you always to be with me,
so I’m learning you by heart.’
The book is written in a poetic, rhyming form about those shared moments you have with your child that make you smile. I really wanted to create a book that would become a bedtime favourite that you read over and over again each night – that comfort book that makes children feel safe, happy and loved.
Did you have a favourite book as a child or one that you love reading to your children?
I love reading Time for Bed by Mem Fox to my kids – it’s a lovely rhyming story about saying goodnight to different animals. My childhood favourite was the Magic Faraway Tree series because it created a sense of wonder and magic. That feeling of wonder is what creates a spark of excitement in reading.
Emma’s Freckles is inspired by Gaelic mythology – where else do you draw inspiration from?
Myths and fairytales are the origins of stories, and oral storytelling is where it all began – it held important meaning for people. Fairytales imparted information, warnings and hope. I really love learning about myths and fairy tales from other cultures.
That’s where Emma’s Freckles came from – a Gaelic fairy tale about how people got their freckles. The myth goes that in Ireland, because of the cloudy and misty weather, the gods were worried that people would forget the stars. So, they drew maps of the stars on people’s faces, and when everyone gathered, their freckles would create a map of the whole universe.
Emma is teased and doesn’t like her freckles until her grandma explains to her how she got them. This book provides that sense of wonder that sparked the love of story in me.
Is there a favourite trope or message you look for in a children’s book?
I don’t necessarily have a core message; I centre the book around an emotional hook. Characters will go through something and come out of it with a sense of hope. Children’s books are a great way to enable kids to engage with something that’s uncomfortable and come out the other side of that feeling like anything’s possible.
What is your favourite part of the writing process?
Getting a new shiny idea and thinking of all the possibilities in your head is always fun. I love using poetic lyrical language to create visual imagery, emotion and feeling. It can be challenging with children’s books because you have to keep descriptive imagery to a minimum, as it’s the illustrator’s job to take your language and create the visuals themselves.
What is it like being an author in Canberra – do you find there is a community of authors and children’s authors?
The community in Canberra is small, but strong, and the children’s author community is very supportive and understanding. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is based in Sydney but has local committees – I used to be the ACT coordinator. They host casual events like park meetings to write and illustrate or talks from authors and publishers who visit Canberra. The Children’s Book Council of Australia has an ACT chapter to promote children’s literature in schools. Their annual Children’s Book Awards are always important for raising the profile of children’s authors.
What is your favourite genre and what are you reading at the moment?
I enjoy literary fiction and very much enjoy some light fantasy books. Currently, I am reading Kate Forsyth’s Long-lost Fairy Tales – a collection of lost fairy tales hidden in old books that can be enjoyed by adults or children.
What’s next or coming up for you – do you have any other stories in the works?
I put writing on hold while studying my Master of Education, but am getting back into writing now. I am working on some different manuscripts and some non-fiction children’s books. My experience in education has allowed me to consider how children learn and how books and stories can be better utilised in classrooms to help explore different emotions, perspectives and views on the world.
Images supplied.
