Blossom Possum

Author : Gina Newton

Illustrator : Kilmeny Niland

Format : Paperback

Condition : New

Dimensions : 23.5cm x 24.5cm x 0.5cm

About Blossom Possum

Early one morning, Blossom Possum gets a fright - she thinks the sky is falling down! She has to tell someone, so she sets off with her news. On the way she meets her bush mates. But she also runs into trouble. This re-telling of a favourtite fold tale has a delightful Aussie twist.

About Gina Newton

I live in Canberra with my husband and two kids (Oskar 11 and Jazmin, nearly 9), two dogs, two cats and a variety of fish. I am a marine scientist by training with many years working in research and policy. My background focused on marine and estuarine ecology (for my PhD I researched zooplankton), deep-sea and other marine fisheries resources, national State of the Environment reporting, science communication, and more recently climate change science and adaptation. I am especially passionate about marine science and the marine environment and am currently the Immediate Past President of the Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA).

While working with the fishing industry for many years I recognised a need for more effective communication between the fishers, scientists and the managers of fisheries — in particular a need to ‘translate' the science. This led me to become interested in science communication and I have now completed a Masters in Science Communication from the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University . My thesis focused on communicating science through children's literature and included a book about Australia 's first marine fish to be listed as endangered, the spotted handfish (it's called Hang on Handstand). I believe children's books are an excellent means of helping achieve a more science literate community and for raising awareness of the world around us.

Since my childhood I have written stories and poems, and sketched characters. I am happy that at last I have found that I can blend my love of science and nature, and my creative writing side. I also enjoy kids' books that are just for fun, and that's what my first published book Blossom Possum is meant to be — a fun read while learning about Australia 's wonderfully unique animals! I really enjoyed writing Blossom Possum and my own two children were my first testing ground.

About Kilmeny Niland

Kilmeny Niland is a versatile artist in illustration and the fine arts, including portraiture.

After showing an aptitude for drawing chickens and giraffes at an early age,
she was encouraged to develop those skills by studying at the Julian Ashton
Art School for two years before travel and informal study in Britain and Europe.

Kilmeny achieved her first published book when still in her teens. She has wide experience in illustration, having been involved with over thirty books, and card design (including a 1995 Christmas card chosen for UNICEF and a boxed set of Christmas cards based on artwork from A Bellbird in a Flame Tree).

For over twenty-five years Kilmeny has been involved with all kinds of art, but
illustration is one of her favourites. From humorous line work such as that
in Clancy of the Overflow and A Bellbird in a Flame Tree to the
realistically painted wildlife in Feathers, Fur and Frills,, she has tackled many subjects in a variety of styles and media.

Kilmeny says, ‘To me, creating picture books is an exciting art form that has to engage the imagination of the artist initially but is only really successful when it ignites the imagination of the reader as well. It is always a challenge to create images that complement the text so that words and pictures are interdependent.'

Kilmeny's work has won first prizes in National and International Miniature Art. She has had three sell-out shows at the Barry Stern Gallery in Sydney and has had portraits hung in the Portia Geach Portrait exhibition and the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Blossom Possum