with Elephant Have Wings & Parrot Palace
Australia is characterized by significant cultural diversity, with over 29% of the population born overseas. More than 1 in 5 Australians speak a language other than English at home. 75% of Australians identify with an ancestry within Australian culture. 2% are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
As a specialist in child growth and development and a children's author, our kids and their families NEED to be passionate about ways towards peace.
It's another year of conflict. Story, discussion at home, school on the road to festival can change that. Susanne will be speaking at the International Festival of Understanding in Cowra for Harmony Day. She says, 'Let's do it!'
Her trip to Outback Australia to speak about Harmony with Elephants Have Wings was powerful as families and kids shared their Dreamtime stories with her.
I was simply swept off my feet by the quality of the work. Elephants Have Wings apart from being a wonderful book for children in its own right militates against many stereotypes around the discourse of children's literature. It proves once and for all that children's literature need not be childish. Great ideas and complex thoughts need not adopt complex mode of polarisation and a grave bearing. The book demonstrates with great power that we can teach our children profound truths and timeless values.
Professor D.R. Pattanaik
Department of English, Faculty of Arts, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
On the wings of a mystical white elephant two children embark on the extraordinary journey to discover pathway to peace and the humanity in all of us.
Collaboration, cultural acceptance, and fun are championed by the three 11-year-old heroes in the new Australian children's novel to be released for Harmony Week by Australian publisher Big Little Sky.
"It's important that we value our multiculturalism, that we celebrate it and that we cherish it, because it is a part of what is modern Australia,"* Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister, 2019 –
"The entrepreneurial spirit and resilience of our multicultural communities are at the heart of Australia's success - challenges are turned into opportunities and build a stronger, more unified nation…every story … adds to the cultural richness and shared
prosperity of our great country." ** Peter Dutton, Leader of the Opposition, 2022 –
"At a time of growing global tensions and rising uncertainty, Australia remains a steadfast example of a harmonious, egalitarian and enterprising nation, embracing its diversity. Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister 2015-2018
Written by educational consultant and multi-award winning author Susanne Gervay OAM, with Pooja Mathur and illustrations by Sarah Tabassum, Parrot Palace is 'a must read' for kids," says Professor Menakshi Bharat, Literature University of Delhi. It is "an open invitation from the heart to step into an inclusive world, where difference is celebrated."
Author Susanne Gervay, who has won international literature and humanitarian awards for her advocacy on behalf of our young Australians, says that the book is light-hearted and serious at the same time, interweaving cultures and customs with the fears and delights of a young people finding acceptance without question.
Creators of Parrot Palace
Susanne Gervay OAM
Susanne Gervay is a celebrated Australian children's author who received the Lifetime
Social Justice Literature Award for Children's Literature. She has an Order of Australia, and was nominated for Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. You'll find Susanne trekking to where her heart goes. Speaking to the fire ravaged communities of Lithgow, trekking to remote indigenous schools in the Kimberly, addressing the Youth Braille Writing Awards, addressing the World Burn Congress in New York, Susanne brings the message of courage to especially to young people.
Susanne wrote 'Elephants Have Wings' as a picture book after her numerous journeys to India. Now she has worked with Sarah Tabassum and Pooja Mathur to create the story of diverse children and their families including Hari and his Indian family, his half Hungarian-Chinese friend Lily-Rosa and his new mate Mikey. She values the story of inclusion.
Pooja Mathur
Pooja is a teacher librarian and the winner of ASLA (Australian School Library Association) Early Career Teacher Librarian Award 2023. Pooja is an active, loud, and proud promoter of reading for pleasure, Australian multicultural literature, and the importance of school libraries. Over the years, she has been involved in academic research and publication of various articles, as well as presenting at several Australian and international professional development events.
Pooja migrated from India to Australia in 2004, and lives in Sydney in a multi-generational family including her husband- Anurag, children- Antra and Ansh, and in-laws. Pooja's parents visit often. Hari and Nani's relationship in Parrot Palace replicates the close bond between Pooja's children and their grandmothers- Sushma and Rashmi.
Sarah Tabassum
Parrot Palace illustrator Sarah loves to explore the vibrant intersection of digital and traditional media. Born in the bustling city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, a beautiful country in the Indian subcontinent, subregion of Asia, of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Deeply influenced by the colours around her, she has always been captivated by the vibrant hues and patterns that define her surroundings. Today, she calls Sydney, Australia, her home, where she continues to draw inspiration from the diverse culture around her.
For review copies and interviews,
Sharon Evans
Marketing Director, Big Sky Publishing
