Launch of children’s book: One Step at a Time

This first Launch of ‘One Step at a Time’ was by award-winning children’s author Phil Cummings as an Adelaide Fringe Festival free event on 21st February. On a 40° day the large Burnside Community Centre Hall was ‘comfortably crowded’. The publisher Anna Solding has reported that 250 people attended the Launch and 165 books were sold. The SafeGround table and display was in line with the book sales tables, so we attracted some degree of ‘passing interest’ from the people who were in the queue, which gave us the chance to chat about SafeGround and our display about the current Pacific Project.

The Book Launch was introduced by Liesl, who nearly two years before had introduced author Jane and illustrator Sally, and then joined the quest to find a publisher. SafeGround received very favourable mentions in speeches from author Jane and publisher Anna, and I hope a lot more people are now aware of our organisation.

The activities for children included lino-print rubbings, elephant hand-painting, paper elephant faces and masks. South Australia members  assisted with catering, serving tea, coffee, water and cordial and the elephant-shape biscuits that we had baked in abundance for the occasion. Members of SafeGround SA were very pleased to be part of this highly successful outcome of nearly 3 years of involvement with Jane and her book.

Jane and Sally will soon be keynote speakers at the Humanities & Social Science (HASS) Teachers’ Conference in Adelaide, which will be opened by the SA Governor Hieu Van Le AO, who will launch the book for the second time!

A third Launch will occur at ‘The Venny’ Kensington Adventure Playground at JJ Holland Park in Melbourne on Friday 20th March.

With its selection for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in April, we predict that this book will go far! Note that Jane has promised 50% of her Author Royalties to SafeGround funds.

by Helen Stanger, SafeGround SA Coordinator