John Dickson (text) and Claudia Frittitta (illustrator), Craig Shanahan: Cooking up a storm, Vision Australia, June 2023, 40 pp., RRP $25.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780645558418
This inspiring true story is the next book in the new Big Visions series about “significant Australians living with blindness or low vision” following on from Matt Formston: Surfing in the dark. It has been written by children’s author John Dickson, illustrated by Claudia Frittitta and produced in conjunction with Berbay Publishing.
Craig Shanahan lost one eye to cancer by the time he was five. He went right through school with only his right eye, completing an apprenticeship as a chef and working in restaurants and with celebrity chefs. Unfortunately, he developed a tumour in the brain and after its removal, he was legally blind. After building up his strength and regaining his health, Craig decided to open his own café called The Blind Chef Café and Dessert Bar in Penrith, Sydney. It is sad to note that on May 28, 2023, the café will close due to Craig requiring further surgery (“Penrith’s Blind Chef Café to close after two years in operation”, The Western Weekender). Claudia Frittitta’s colourful illustrations include endpapers of food.
This engaging biography is engagingly written and innovatively published with both standard written format and the text in Braille. This includes both on the cover and on each page throughout the book. This makes the book accessible to other young blind people wanting to read about others like themselves and provides inspiration and encouragement to all readers.
Reviewed by Lynne Babbage
