Kate Simpson
Children's author & podcaster
A funny story about gravity that explains why apples fall from trees, from an exciting new partnership in picture books.
Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he got hit on the head by an apple.People might tell you this is the moment gravity was first discovered, but the truth is people had been discovering gravity long before Isaac.
You might have even discovered it yourself ... Ouch!
Have you ever wondered how gravity works? Or what life would be like without gravity? Find out in this fun introduction to the idea that what goes up must come down!
Priase for Ouch!:
Ouch: Tales of Gravity does a great job of breaking down something sophisticated into smaller, digestible ideas that are well described and illustrated … A good school resource, it would be equally suitable on the shelf at home, where it will hold its own against narrative fiction.
-Anica Boulanger-Mashberg, Books+Publishing
A picture book about the special relationship between a boy and his grandfather who stay close even when they are separated by distance.
Grandpa, did you know that if you rub a needle with a magnet, one end will point to the north and the other end to the south? In the south there's an apartment building 160 metres tall. From the balcony, you can see the entire city. There are cinemas and ice cream shops ... and me!
As Henry measures the distance between his new apartment and Grandpa's wooden house under the mango tree, Grandpa works out how close they really are. A moving story that celebrates the bond between a boy and his grandfather.
Dear Grandpa was a CBCA Notable Book in 2020.
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Praise for Dear Grandpa:
This delightful picture book celebrates the powerful bond between a child and their grandparent, as chronicled through the long-distance exchange of letters between the imaginative young Henry and his equally inventive Grandpa. Highly recommended for kids aged 4+ and perfect for reading with any grandparent.
--Athina Clarke, Readings Books, 22nd July 2019
The true story of Anzac girl Sister Alice Ross-King, who sailed to war in December 1914 and became the most decorated woman in Australia.
It was 1914 when Sister Alice Ross-King left Australia for the war. Nursing was her passion - all she had ever wanted to do. But Alice couldn't have imagined what she would see. She served four long years and was brave, humble and endlessly compassionate.
Using extracts from Alice's actual diaries kept in the Australian War Memorial, this story captures the danger, the heartache and the history of the young nurse who would one day become the most decorated woman in Australia.
Praise for Anzac Girl:
A wonderful portrayal of an incredibly brave young nurse, dealing with the horros and heartache of WW1. 5 stars.
- Jan Kershaw, Glam Adelaide
Every two seconds, someone in the world suffers a stroke. In Finding Granny, that someone is Edie’s beloved grandmother. When Edie comes to the hospital, she is confronted by the physical changes in her grandmother: muddled words, a crooked face, a woman confined to bed. This isn’t the ‘playtime, bedtime, story-time pantomime Granny’ that Edie knows. But when her mother takes Edie to watch one of Granny’s art therapy sessions, Edie starts to understand that the Granny she loves is still there.
Finding Granny is a heart-warming story of changing relationships and the bond between children and grandparents. It’s also a sensitive exploration of coping with illness and disability that will offer children much-needed comfort.
Finding Granny was shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards in 2019.
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Praise for Finding Granny: