Smart is not just ticks and crosses,
smart is building boats from boxes.
Painting patterns, wheeling wagons,
being mermaids, riding dragons …
As adults, we hear talk of book smarts and street smarts; we sometimes discuss not just IQ but spatial, emotional or other kinds of intelligence. Now, there’s a book to do the same for young readers, and to help foster both their self-esteem and their appreciation of each other. Plus, it’s filled with drawings that crackle with joy and humour!
All the Ways to be Smart is a warm-hearted children’s book that celebrates our distinctive (and sometimes abstract) talents. It’s the latest from the award-winning collaboration of author Davina Bell and illustrator Allison Colpoys – whose earlier picture books include The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade and Under the Love Umbrella.
In a special event aimed at kids aged three to seven, Davina and Allison will read from All the Ways to be Smart before involving participants in an interactive, hands-on storytelling workshop.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian while participating in Wheeler Kids events.
Davina Bell
Davina Bell is a writer from Western Australia. She is the author of the award-winning picture book The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade, which won the 2016 Australian Book Industry Award for Best Children’s Book from a Small Publisher, and Under the Love Umbrella, which was shortlisted for the same award in 2018 (both illustrated by Allison Colpoys). She is also author of the ‘Alice' books in the best-selling Our Australian Girl series.
Allison Colpoys
Allison Colpoys is an award-winning designer and illustrator, and the Associate Art Director at Scribe Publications. Her picture books include The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade, Under the Love Umbrella, If All the World Were... and All the Ways To Be Smart. As well as receiving numerous Australian Book Design Awards for her illustration and cover design, she has won the CBCA Crichton Award for Best New Talent and an Australian Book Industry Award. As a freelancer, Allison is represented by the Jacky Winter Group.
