I am so thrilled to have Magic Fish Dreaming.
You may recall I catalogue library books, so I see hundreds of children’s books every year.
Your book really stands out in quality and appeal.
Congratulations to you and Helene for bringing such a beautiful book into the world!
Best of luck in all your future endeavors.
It is truly beautiful–to read, and to look at
Lea Goward, Library Cataloguer
Magic Fish Dreaming
by June Perkins (Goodreads Author), Helene Magisson
Magic Fish Dreaming is one of those books destined for parents who understand the importance of reading a book to their children, a book that discovers magic in the country and its creatures. The words are joyful and magical. The illustrations are lovable, alive with shape, imagery and spirit.
Poems that feature the power of our environment like Storm Dancers and Lost at Sea gather readers up and ask them to explore the heart of far north Queensland.
This is a book for everyone, to read quietly under a tree or to snuggle on the side of the bed and read aloud to the ones they love. It will certainly enrich the lives of those who read it.
Vacen Taylor
“Thank you for sending your beautiful new children’s book “Magic Fish Dreaming” all the way from Australia, signed by you and the illustrator. She said “oooooh,” which means five star review from her. This book was lovely. The poems and the illustrations were beautiful. She was ooohing at the picture where the children are sitting under the moon and at the Tawny Frogmouth especially.”
*Thanks for permission from this little one’s mum to share this picture.
The whimsical and lusciously evocative poems of Magic Fish Dreaming are subtly imbued with wisdom, and steeped in story.
In playful language, June Perkins takes traditional forms of rhyme and rhythm, twisting and weaving them into inventive new patterns.
Helene Magisson’s delicate illustrations are luminous – the aesthetic interplay between this rich text and these elegant images is a sheer delight.
Robyn Sheahan-Bright, JustifiedText Writing and Publishing Consultancy Services
Magic Fish Dreaming is a quest of the most wondrous kind, entreating young readers and old alike to venture forth into nature and their imaginations. It is an invitation to spend time with the ancients and experience a taste of our country through poem and illustration.
As readers journey through the collection, they unearth secrets and encounter magic. The tropical heart of far north Queensland pulses resolutely throughout this medley of verse and art yet the stories it recites have far-reaching appeal. Odes to the wildlife whose habitats we explore; to those who attempt to make their livelihoods on the same lands and to Mother Nature herself, beat with sublime sincerity.
Look beneath the beautiful camouflage of words and watercolours and you will find an evocative sense of spirit and place, and a plea to respect that from where we came and those that we live amongst.
The lilting rhythms of June’s verse and the creatures and curiosities that swirl throughout each of Helene’s illustrations will entrance and delight children for generations.
Dimity Powell, Children’s Author & Book Reviewer
In secret spots, hidden pools, fields of sugar cane and tangled rainforests, June Perkins and Helene Magisson’s enchantingly illustrated poetic adventure, Magic Fish Dreaming, delves into the delights of the Wet Tropics, where poems are waiting to be caught by children curious enough to notice and question.
Beginning with a hunt for a giggle poem, the sounds and sight of the seashore are collected in a net. As the materials are gathered up we are invited to look, wonder and explore with the senses of a naturalist, reveling in the fun of learning about the world and the spell of pouring it into words.
This effervescent collection of poems is perfect for adults and children to share, in the spirit of its community of people, plants, animals and places. With their insightful stories and dialogues, June’s poems are perfect for reading aloud or performing together.
It is also a book to be relished alone, quietly absorbing the reflective verses that celebrate the wonder in looking into the waters or up to the stars in stillness and silence. Magic Fish Dreaming should be out, open and working its magic in every kindergarten, primary classroom and home—it will certainly stay with me as I set off on my next poetic expedition.
Helen Ramoutsaki, poet, lyricist, performer and educator
Magic Fish Dreaming 