Jackie French, author of the newly released children’s picture book aptly named Flood, says the work was a personal record of the devastation left behind by the Queensland floods.
In one of many incidents, Brisbane-born Ms French recalled in a press release talking to her father by telephone while he watched the waters rise around his house.
Ms French said her brother provided shelter to other families whose homes were under water, and though the power might have been off, the BBQ gas bottles were full and her niece “cooked and cooked. My family kept cooking for the clean-up, linking with others to keep the volunteers fed.
“My father and brother joined thousands of others with mops, spades and hoses. I felt proud to be their family and proud to be Australian.”
The book weaves a pictorial story of how Australians relied upon and helped each other get through the Queensland floods that left behind massive wreckage and death throughout the early months of this year.
Right-handed Bruce Whatley illustrated the artwork with his left hand after discovering he could create “emotionally-charged images by painting with my other hand,” he said.
“I painted vertically using water-based acrylics on an easel to get the paint running to enhance the idea of wetness.”
Mr. Whatley has donated his artwork for sale to raise further funds and awareness for Queensland State Premier’s Flood Disaster Relief Fund. A piece of original art will be donated to the library.
The book was commissioned by Scholastic Australia, which will donate 6,000 copies to primary school libraries nation-wide.
Queensland State Premier Anna Bligh welcomed the book.
“It is as much a story about the strength of the spirit of Queenslanders,” she said.
“Good things spring from bad, that’s Flood’s story, and my message to the readers of this beautiful book.
“I urge all Australian families to buy a copy of Flood to help flood-affected Queenslanders and to celebrate the people who make Australia strong.”
Publisher Scholastic Australia has so far provided $100,000 worth of books to classroom libraries affected by floods, cyclone and fire-damage across the country.
AMP chief economist Shane Oliver told ABC News he estimated the costs of the floods across Australia to top $30 billion.
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