Millicent
Binding: Paperback
Imprint: Walker Books Australia
A reissue of the classic Australian picture book by Jeannie Baker about an old lady who feeds the pigeons in Hyde Park.
Millicent is a gentle story about an old lady’s daily wanderings through Hyde Park to feed the pigeons. She never stops to speak to anyone except the birds, who fly towards her when she arrives. Along the way, we hear Millicent’s thoughts and feelings towards the pigeons that she so dearly loves and cares for. Her dream is to find enough feathers on the ground to make a coat, hat, bag and shoes so she will be warm and cosy, ‘just like a pigeon.’ Millicent features Jeannie Baker’s intricately detailed collages which capture a particular Australian atmosphere and place in time.
Creators
Jeannie Baker was born in England, but now lives in Sydney, Australia. Her work often has an environmental focus and has won numerous awards, including the Friends of the Earth Earthworm Award for Where the Forest Meets the Sea and the 2005 Australian Wilderness Society Award and 2005 Australian Picture Book of the Year Honour Book for Belonging.
Reviews
Very simple at first glance – Baker’s idea of what might be going through the head of the lady she sees daily feeding the pigeons in Hyde Park, Sydney. However, it leaves you with the message of needing to feel wanted. I love that she has included so many of the people she sees in the park, especially the regulars
goodreads
Jeannie Baker masterfully brings to life the world of Hyde Park, Sydney (or any public park, for that matter). Her collage people are so realistic that you feel you could step in amongst them to live their reality, Millicent the pigeon lady especially. Gorgeous!
goodreads