I like it when Papa tells stories about the olden days. There were no radios or TVs, instead families would sing around pianos. Rather than cars, everybody rode horses. The townspeople even had to make their own bread and bricks because the nearest city was far away. Although it was long ago, Papa still remembers those days with a smile.

Creators

Ian Edwards has written or spoken thousands of stories for children, often for his own children, but now that they have all grown-up, more usually for his four grandchildren. Some of these tales (not always for children) have been published in magazines, newspapers and books all over the world. His first book, Peanuts and Tigers and Other Short Stories, was originally published in Singapore. Ian has worked with Rachel Tonkin on several books: The Money Eaters, Little Chickens Big Trouble, Mad Bad Goose and Papa and the Olden Days. Papa was Honour Book in the Book of the Year: Younger Readers category of the 1990 Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards and is his first title with Walker Books Australia. The rest of Ian’s stories are still floating around the world, waiting to land.

Rachel Tonkin is an award-winning author-illustrator who has contributed to more than 100 fiction, non-fiction and picture book titles. She has been published within Australia and overseas. Her work Papa and the Olden Days, written by Ian Edwards, was Honour Book in the Book of the Year: Younger Readers category of the 1990 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards. When I Was A Kid was short-listed for the 1998 Children’s History Prize, part of the NSW Premier’s History Awards. In addition to this, several of her books have been short-listed for the CBCA Eve Pownall Award for Information Books: What Was the War Like, Grandma? in 1996, Grandpa’s Stories in 1997 and Leaf Litter in 2007. Rachel currently lives in rural Victoria with her husband.

Reviews

The illustrations project a visual history while complementing the text perfectly … This series of historical books are a valuable resource for libraries, schools, and home bookshelves.

Buzzwords Magazine

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