Tania McCartney, Dorrie, HarperCollins Publishers, February 2023, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781460760109
Angus & Robertson first published the Blinky Bill series in 1933. They were written and illustrated by Dorothy Wall, a New Zealand-born journalist who migrated to Sydney in 1914 as a little girl. The iconic koala was a mischievous character much-loved by generations of children, both here and overseas. The books – now an animated television series and a film – have never been out of print.
Award-winning creator Tania McCartney describes Dorrie’s talent for music, painting and craft, and her favourite companion, a toy koala. When she moves to Sydney, she encounters a real koala whom she names Blinky and who becomes the inspiration for the stories that she writes and illustrates, and which later become the famous Blinky Bill series.
Tania McCartney’s illustrations show what an imaginative child Dorrie was, dressing up as she plays the piano, sings and dances, paints and creates her craft works. Each double-page spread is full of engrossing detail with a small amount of text.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Douglas
