July 2015
Contents About Words from Daddy’s Mouth
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Capturing Moments In Time
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Independent-Publishing:
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In Conversation with Kristine Spurling
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Books Available
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Readers Are Here
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About Words from Daddy’s Mouth By Matthew Burgess Being a full time lawyer I needed a creative outlet, and in 2010, began writing business books for other professional service providers.
However there was still something missing. My wife said she married me because I made her laugh with the crazy stories I told her when we first met and that I should write a book. Many years later we began to raise 1, then 2, then 3 and finally 4, precious girls and I started to share stories of my childhood with them.
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It soon became one of our family's favourite pastimes listening to these stories about my childhood. Often embellished and seldom kept on track the girls would be absorbed. What was fact became blurred in the magic of the stories told. A strong undertone in the stories are various life lessons, while also ensuring a healthy dose of humour and role playing. When my third daughter, Lily, was about four years old, she said �Daddy, please tell me another story from your mouth". From that day on, the stories became known as "Words from Daddy’s mouth". It was therefore a natural progression that Lily Burgess would became the pseudonym for the authoring of my children books to help distinguish them from my other publications. With so many stories, we had to create a list to remember them all (at last count the list was nearing 500). So over time a game developed where the girls would choose a number from the list. Whatever story related to the number chosen would be the story that I would tell. Stories were usually told as the last part of the wind down of an evening, sitting together in a bedroom or on a lounge chair. I hope you enjoy sharing the stories with your children.
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Capturing Moments in Time By Dyan Burgess
With all the hustle and bustle of today's modern age, sometimes it is easy to forget to capture the moments that we enjoy with our loved ones. It seems that with the ability to take digital photos, we take so many that we do not take the time to print, look at, enjoy and retell the stories of those moments. A couple of tricks that we use are as follows: 1. Matthew (Dad) is the key collector of funny quotes from the kids. This involves emailing them to a me with the key words "GIRL'S QUOTE" in the subject . 2. My job is to put together an album of the images and quotes of each in our family members for their birthday. It is very interesting to watch the girls open these albums. There is clearly a mix of emotions when they receive it.
They love to look back on what has been done and also there are many giggles with the quotes that they have come up with and their general observations of the world. It is also great to see them pulling the albums out, time and again, and looking back through them and asking to be retold the stories of the adventures that they have had on the pages in the book. Asking details like, "What happened to that dress? Why don't I have it anymore?" Or trying to work out who is who in some of the photos, seeing our four girls look very similar. How do you collect and share and take the time to enjoy these moments?
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Independent-Publishing: Keep One Step Ahead of Yourself
See Nigel Grey's thoughts here.) but the business of independent publication can land you in all sorts of interesting places. Fortunately, I've been there and done that, and can offer a few words about how to avoid some major pitfalls (if only I had paid more attention to Emma MacTaggart's, Child Writes IPPY Gold Medal book earlier in my career).
Independent-publishing is a little like parenting. You do all you can before the baby comes along to be prepared for all possible scenarios, to be wise to all pitfalls, and to ensure you are well-equipped to do all the right things in the right order. But sometimes, no matter how widely you read no matter how much you think you know nothing can prepare you for the challenges ahead. The trick is to remain inquisitive, responsive, and open to change.
“Independently publishing children's books is an especially tricky task.�
It is crucial when independently publishing a children's book to stay one step ahead of yourself - particularly when it comes to Independently publishing children's books is an especially tricky task. Not only is writing the layout and design. I learnt the hard way, it is better to chose how the interior layout will book challenging (despite what many who look for your book before you have your have only read and never tried to write a illustrator start on the pictures. picture book think! This strategy is fundamental in guiding both yourself and your illustrator with respect to how pages needs to be broken up and how and where on the page the text needs to be arranged. One of the most important and educational aspects of children's book is the visual literacy involved - you want to select a page where the text and the illustrations work together to tell the story. Being clear on the layout of your children's book means that there will be certain opportunities for your illustrator and similarly, limitations. Imagine having a series of wonderful pictures only to realise in the final stages of design that the selected layout for your book cuts off the tips of ears, tails, or heads of your most loved characters!
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There are many other factors you must take into account when publishing a picture book independently which include copyright and lending rights. While this paperwork is relatively straightforward, it's important to be informed about these aspects since protecting your royalties is paramount. Publishing a children's book independently can be an immensely satisfying process, and although the independent-publication of your book will be an experience personal to you, it can always help to hear some tips and tricks from those who have been there before.
Layout can also affect the way your story reads and you may need to refine some of your sentences and paragraphs to suit the design of the page. There is no point in getting to the end of the process and realising you still need one more image or sentence to round the book off. In the same vein, budgeting is always a key consideration when putting together a children's book and being across the layout at the early stages means you won't waste crucial funds on pictures you may not end up using. In the words of Stephen Covey it is a win-win scenario when you organised with you layout and design.
“Publishing a children's book independently can be an immensely satisfying process …”
Something else you should consider when you're submitting your cataloguing in publication details: make sure this isn't done too early or too late. If you get to this prematurely and there are some minor amendments, you'll find yourself needing to submit variations. On the other hand, if you do it too late in the process, then this will mean that you don't have details for your imprint page (that is publishing speak for "where all the technical information appears").
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In Conversation with Kristine Spurling
The second project involved the re-writing of the first four WFDM stories as Classroom Readers. Dyan: Let's begin with the Classroom Readers. How did you go about writing them?
Dyan: Kristine, you are currently involved in two projects for the Words from Daddy's Mouth (WFDM) Studio. Can you describe them?
Kristine: Having first familiarised myself with the original WFDM stories, I extracted the Kristine: Yes. The first project is a picture book basic story line. I then re-wrote the stories, for children in the 4-7 years age bracket. using simple sentence structures, and choosing a vocabulary that maximised the It is entitled 'Paco, the pacuna', and is about repetition of the first 100 of Dr Fry's 'Out and acceptance of individual differences and About Sight Words' (Queensland belonging. The tale involves a pacuna (an Government version). Of course, each story alpaca/vicu単a cross) who discovers a also included a number of context words. stranded baby vicu単a and facilitates its Some of these words, such as 'dad', 'little', rescue. 'play' and 'game', occur in several stories, while others, such as 'bike' and 'weekend',
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are specific to a single story.
Kristine: During a visit to Peru in 2013, my husband and I spent a night at an eco-resort Dyan: What educational experiences did you on Suasi Island, Lake Titicaca. In the late draw upon to write these stories? afternoon, we took a guided walk to the island's summit to watch the sunset. It wasn't Kristine: My teaching experience spans some far, but given the region's high altitude, it was twenty years. I have taught all year levels quite challenging. On the way, our guide from pre-school through to lower secondary, stopped to shepherd the island's alpacas into and have taught both mainstream and in the their corral. But one of the herd, an alpaca/ specialist areas of English as a Second vicuña cross (or pacuna) ran away. The Language and Learning Assistance. I have guide explained he was becoming always been particularly interested in increasing alienated from the alpaca herd. language acquisition and development. On our return to Australia, the plight of this lonely pacuna was a recurring memory. Dyan: How do you envision these Readers Gradually, the story of how he might become could be used in the classroom? reconciled to his maternal family of alpacas, and also his paternal family – the island's wild Kristine: There is no set way of using these vicuñas, evolved. Readers in the classroom. It is anticipated that teachers will adapt their introductory Dyan: Can you explain the underlying activities to suit the needs of their students. themes? The teaching notes provide various suggestions for ways of introducing the Kristine: The themes include accepting Readers and using the support materials. The differences, showing care and concern, Readers are suited to both whole class understanding and respecting different instruction, and small group learning. While cultures and interpreting body language. they are primarily intended for early childhood classrooms, the Readers are also Dyan: Can we now talk about the suitable for use with older students in Learning illustrations? Assistance programs. Kristine: Of course! No picture book is Dyan: Apart from the teaching notes, what complete without illustrations. The WFDM other support materials are available? Studio has been particularly fortunate in engaging the Hungarian artist, Zoltan Nemes Kristine: Each story has an associated Word who has created some amazing art work. He Search, Crossword, Word Study and has produced authentic pictures of the Lake Comprehension sheet. For those teachers Titicaca region, including its scenery, flora wanting to monitor their students' progress, and fauna, and the regional costumes of the Reading Behaviours Recording sheets will also local inhabitants. Considerable research has be available. It is anticipated that audio been necessary to ensure the animals are versions and apps will enhance the learning depicted accurately – not just their physical experience. attributes, but also their body language. We have discovered that camelids (alpacas, Dyan: Now, let's talk about your picture book, vicuñas, pacunas, llamas, guanacos ...) are 'Paco, the pacuna'. What inspired this story?
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very expressive animals, and convey their emotions through a variety of tail, head, ear and neck positions.
find a balance between your professional and private life?
Kristine: Every spare moment is a moment to The illustrations also feature two other write. I don't have a set time of day, but species, not specifically mentioned in the when life is particularly hectic, I have to make story itself, but used by the artist to mirror the time. For me, that means getting up an hour action. Somewhere on each page the earlier. This gives me an uninterrupted hour of reader can find a hummingbird and a small magic. It is also the time when my ideas are group of viscachas (a delightful, rabbit-like freshest. Perhaps my sub-conscious works creature with a long tail, endemic to this part while I'm asleep, but I often find that in the of the world). early morning I can make connections that I hadn't seen the day before. Dyan: What follow up activities are included? Finding a balance between my personal life Kristine: While primarily intended as story for and professional life is about setting priorities. enjoyment, the completed package will I make a list and put the important things first. include detailed teaching notes plus two Then everything else will hopefully fall into Word Searches and a Crossword. place. A list also gives a sense of achievement. At the end of the day, I can Dyan: Do you anticipate further projects? see all the things that have been crossed off and think, 'Wow, I have done all that!" Kristine: I understand the next WFDM Studio project is to re-write the first two stories in the Dyan: Finally, can you tell us something second series. These stories will be at a more surprising yourself? Something that perhaps advanced level, with more complex defines who you are? sentence structures, and will incorporate the first 200 of Dr Fry's 'Out and About Sight Kristine: I think perhaps I surprise people by Words'. doing the unexpected. I have a tendency to see and do that things that are little Dyan: Can we now discuss the writing unconventional. Perhaps this comes from process. Where does your inspiration come being left-handed? from? Dyan: Can you give us some examples? Kristine: If I were to wait for inspiration, I would still be waiting. I have to just sit down, and Kristine: Well, some years ago, while staying start. It might at the keyboard, but when at Waitomo, New Zealand, my husband and I away from the computer I revert to the trusty went TumuTumu Toobing, which could be technology of pen and paper. Once I make loosely described as underground white that initial commitment, the words start. But, water rafting. Then last year, while in Kirkenes, like many writers, it is that first step that is the Norway, we drove a quad bike to the Russian most difficult. border. Both exhilarating, but slightly unusual activities for an otherwise staid couple. Dyan: And now for the logistics. How do you organise your day? Do you have a particular time set aside for writing, and how do you
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Books Available Book One - The Big Rusty Nail
Book Two - The Terrible Red Racer
The Big Rusty Nail is an entertaining journey of a day in the life of a primary school sports room monitor, shared between a dad and his young children.
What happens when Dad swaps his yellow BMX bike for his friend’s red racer? Find out in the latest “Words from Daddy’s Mouth”— The Terrible Red Racer. The story also provides a modern take on “Murphy’s Law.” That is, what can go wrong, will go wrong.
The story also provides a modern take on the proverb 'A Stitch in Time Saves Nine'. That is, stopping something before it happens is often better than having to fix things up after the event. Book Three - The Weekend Cash Call
Book Four - The Brandings Game
Find out about some of the things that dad has won from radio competitions in the latest book from the 'Words from Daddy's mouth' series - 'The Weekend Cash Call'. The story provides a modern take on the proverb that 'Fortune favours the brave'.
For Dad, there was something even worse than The Terrible Red Racer, and this was The Brandings Game—the latest book in the Words From Daddy’s Mouth series. The story also provides a modern take on the proverb ‘Look Before You Leap’.
Book Set - The Complete Guide to Books 1 to 4 from the 'Words from Daddy's Mouth' series The team at Words from Daddy's Mouth have developed a book that serves as a complete kit for teachers, parents and tutors to assist with giving young readers a head start. The book contains numerous practical tips, games and insights to learning techniques. Enjoy easy access to the comprehensive and tailored reading collateral, with material for all of the first 4 books in the series conveniently consolidated in one place in the new book titled - 'The Complete Guide to books 1 to 4 from the 'Words from Daddy's Mouth’ series’.
Book Five - The Most Amazing Golf Shot Ever Golf was just another sport that Dad was really good at; or was he? Find out in the latest 'Words from Daddy's Mouth' release - "The Most Amazing Golf Shot Ever'. The Story provides a modern take on 'Practice makes perfect'.
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Readers Are Here Over the last few months, we have been working on, what we call, the Reader Project. The project involved the conversion of the first four books in our series (each approximately 3000 words) to less than 300 words. This was a real challenge. The rewrites also incorporated the first 100 sight words to align the Readers with the Out and About App created by the Department of Education, Training and Employment. We are thrilled to announce that these are now available on Amazon.
Readers were tested with Prep students and the feedback was universally positive from who, we believe, are our toughest critics. Coincidentally, one of the children in the class had recently broken an arm, so this provided a great touch point for the Broken Bones Reader (based on The Terrible Red Racer) and The Ball Game Reader (based on The Brandings Game). Please click here to read the Teaching Notes that were written to guide teachers and parents in assisting students to become confident readers.
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