School Visits in the Pilbara with Marjory Gardner for Children’s Charity Network – Week 1

Last Sunday, illustrator and friend Marjory Gardner and I travelled to Perth, then on to Port Hedland to visit local and remote schools in the Pilbara area of Western Australia. We are here representing the Children’s Charity Network, a wonderful organisation which encourages literacy and creativity with the Young Australian Art & Writers’ Awards.  On this trip we are being sponsored by Fortescue Metals and some other mining companies. www.ozkids.com.au

So far we have driven hundreds of kilometres over the Pilbara region, viewing wonderful sights and enjoying some laughs along the way . . . but nothing can match the sheer joy on the children’s faces when they sit still and silent, listening to a story or creating their own colourful masterpiece.

My personal message has been ‘if you love books you will never be lonely’ so I hope we are somehow making a droplet of difference. www.marjorygardner.com Marjory is a great traveling companion who, even after 500 kilometres of driving and 3, sometimes 4 presentations a day, she is still smiling. Quite a few years ago we did an educational book together, One Day at a Time, see below.

Here are some photos, the last one is a gift to me from the most precious little boy who I fell in love with. The heart drawing was his own idea and the three figures below are, his gorgeous teacher, me and himself. Something to treasure for always.