TEACHER NOTES

Title:The Smallest Bilby and the Easter Tale

Author:Nette Hilton

Illustrator:Bruce Whatley

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Author:Nette Hilton was born in Traralgon, Victoria and completed her teacher-training at the WollongongTeachers' College. She is one of Australia's best loved writers for younger children and has won several awards for her books, which range from early childhood stories to novels for older readers. Her books include the forever popular Proper Little Lady and The Web. Other works include My Silent World, Living Next To Lulah, Sprite Downberry (short list NSW Premier’s Awards, 2008, Queensland Premier’s Awards 2008) The Innocents - Notable Book 2010 Children's Book Council of Australia Award (Young Adult). Nette shares her life with her family, four dogs (all shapes and sizes) and her many friends in northern NSW. She splits her time between her work as a writing mentor and her writing commitments.

Illustrator: Bruce Whatley is the illustrator of many popular and award-winning children's books, including the phenomenally successful Diary of a Wombat - which was an Honour Book in the 2003 CBC Picture Book of the Year Awards. Other titles include, Too Many Pears!Little White Dogs Can’t Jump, Looking for Crabs and Detective Donut, and TheWild Goose Chase, which was short-listed in the 2000 Koala Awards Top 50. Bruce was born in South Australia, but after ten years his family moved to the UK where he studied visual communications and later worked in the advertising industry.

He returned to Australia with his family in the 1980's, and later spent some years working in the US. He now lives with his wife and collaborator, Rosie Smith, in a NSW country town where he works as a full time writer and illustrator.

SYNOPSIS

The smallest bilby has a problem. As the brand new Easter Bilby he is responsible for delivering all the eggs and he is daunted by the enormity of the task. As he sets off he is ably assisted by all the little bilbies who do their best to make sure that everyone gets and egg or two or three when they wake. Real trouble occurs, however, when one of the little bilbies falls into a deep hole and Billy Bilby has to save her. He does this by using the one thing he’d overlooked –his tail. All is well as the eggs are all safely delivered and the Bilbies all safely returned home.

WRITING STYLE

This story is told in third person with the main character, Billy Bilby and his mission quickly introduced. He is to deliver the Easter eggs and is reminded of the importance of his task by the biggest Easter rabbit who has quit his role as deliverer of Easter eggs. Many animals are listed in lyrical language which encourages the reader to use a voice to mimic the busy journey. Only when it is necessary to emphasize a point does Nette minimise her words to increase the impact of their meaning ‘They hid eggs under bushes and high up in trees. They rolled them down burrows and placed them in logs’ and then, against the business and rush of these sentences, she writes ‘Not missing anyone’. In using just a few words, the message is made important and very clear. When Brush, one of the little bilbies, falls language is again used in this way to show Billy’s leadership skills. The little bilbies panic, ‘It’s Brush,’ cried the little Bilbies’, but Billy simply states his truth, ‘Don’t worry, Brush’ said Billy. Eventhough it is not written that Billy directed his team to hold his legs in an attempt to rescue Brush, we have the impression that Billy is in charge by the clever use of language which emphasises Billy and his methods. Dialogue is used extensively to relate the feelings of the Bilbies whether they are scared, proud, happy or confused. It is Billy’s language that show us everyone’s involvement ‘We all helped you know’, - this not only gives us a little more insight into Billy’s generosity and humble nature but it brings home the importance of team work without having to sound dictatorial.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Bruce Whatley has used the illustrating style he used forthe previous two Bilby books.Echoing the feel of classic children's stories likeThe Magic Pudding and Wind in the Willows.The drawings are done with an old-fashioned nib pen with black ink and a wash of coloured inks. Though all the Bilby's look the same they are clothed slightly differently and have subtle differences to help establish their individual character.

The delicate pen and ink wash illustrations on watercolour paper complement the meaning and mood of the text. The delicate pen and ink wash illustrations on watercolour paper complement the meaning and mood of the text. His lovely quick lines move the characters on their quick midnight journey.

The way the illustrations are presented helps to pace the story – several pages showing a tiny vignette opposite a single page illustration framed with a thin ink line, followed by a broad double page spread. These delightful vignettes bring another dimension to the story as we are given time to consider the intricacies of the story line. The echidna with her egg, and the delicious little bilby hands linked in their tug-of-war when Brush is being rescued, all give time to ponder a little – helping pace the story and illuminate special moments outside the text.

Bruce’s use of space and colour used in the illustrations capture the vastness and hues of the Australian desert, by night – the blues, violets, and the brightness of the starlight

DISCUSSION POINTS

  • Nette Hilton says, “I like bilbies. I like their name and I like the way they scuttle around. I like the shape of them.” Find out about bilbies. Use the library, the Internet, talk to a keeper at the zoo. Have children list the many ways that bilbies are an excellent substitute for rabbits (long ears, pink noses etc. etc).
  • One of the reasons for writing these stories was to protect the bilbies and save them from extinction. Think about the ways this might happen – how does making a bilby into the Easter icon help. Compare this to the fact that bilbies used to be kept as pets. Nette Hilton says, ‘Farmers used to encourage bilbies to stay around the farmhouse, under the verandah, because they happily ate bugs and others things the farmers didn’t like’. Would keeping bilbies as pets help save their species? Is it a good idea or one that wouldn’t work? Under what circumstances is it all right to have a native animal as a pet?
  • Bilbies are endangered. Talk about the ways introduced animals have impacted on the bilbies existence. Make reference to rabbits and the lushness of grasses due to climate in countries where they are indigeneous. Compare this to rainfall and grass growth in Australie to demonstrate how rabbits manage to make such an impact.
  • Build a data base of Australian native animals and compare this to introduced animals. Children might like to sort them into carnivorous and herbivorous animals. They will find that there are mostly herbivores in our bush which means these animals have poor protection against introduced carnivores.
  • Nette tried many ways to rescue Brush when she fell down her hole. Have children list other ways Brush might have been saved. In this story Nette had to make sure that Billy’s tail would reach her – what might other rescue attempts need?Read Pamela Allen and her stories about Alexander’s Walk for another idea.
  • Bilbies are soft creatures with very delicate fur. Is there another way to illustrate bilbies so they look soft and gentle? List materials that might work and then list materials that might not be so effective.
  • Use musical instruments to tell the story. Choose some instruments for the starting out music – lovely marching, happy sounds. Find instruments (and here you could could made-up instruments like newspaper rustling, or sand in a plastic bottle) for the quiet times when they must not wake sleeping animals. What instruments would work best for the alarm when Brush falls down the hole? And for the ending – how can you make cheerful, excited music that belongs in the bush. Perhaps someone could find an instrument that sound like bird calls.
  • Make a mini-symphony of your favourite page. Move a ruler from left to right, revealing small sections at a time. Make music for the first section using untuned percussion and home made instruments. If it is a space with only morning sky, for example, perhaps you need the gentle sound of hands rubbing together. If the next section revealed is early rising animals with their eggs, find the instruments to ‘play’ this section – perhaps sharp, clattering sounds like castanets, or fingernails on the blackboard. Play your music for an audience as you slowly move your ruler across the page.
  • Look carefully at Bruce Whatley’s illustrations. Talk about the techniques he has used to create the delightful characters - simple pen and ink lines. Draw pictures of bilbies and other native animals using pen and ink, or fine line markers. Make a mural, or create an information book.
  • Talk about how the illustrator has depicted light and shadow, and the setting. List the different viewpoints he has used to depict the animals. Talk about where Bruce might have been standing if he were photographing the happenings.
  • What is a vignette? Talk about how these small drawings allow the illustrator to add an understanding of the action, the thoughts and feelings portrayed in the story.
  • List all the animals in the story. Nette and her editor, Cathie, had a lot of trouble finding animals who were asleep and awake, and when they were asleep and awake. Bats, for example – when do they sleep? Are they awake all night, or just part of the night? And possums? It was very tricky trying to have them all in the right place.
  • Make up your own story about Billy and his egg deliveries. Nette managed to do thirteen before this story was chosen to be the best one. Don’t forget, Billy has to solve a problem on the way through.