Dorrie by Tania McCartney

The Blinky Bill stories will be familiar to many of the older generation of readers. Dorrie is an ingeniously written and strikingly illustrated picture book by Tania McCartney that will reintroduce Dorothy Wall to a new generation of readers.

The story of Dorothy, or Dorrie as she was known, begins in New Zealand in 1894. Dorrie had an idyllic childhood where she was free to dance, sing, play the piano and create with paint, metal, fabric, paper, and a little bit of stardust. In 1914 Dorrie moved to Australia where she worked as a book cover designer and freelance artist. It was here that she began to write about a mischievous koala she named Blinky Bill.

Tania McCartney has created a beautiful tribute to Dorothy Wall who found her circumstances later in life very challenging. Dorrie is full of gorgeous and engaging illustrations with the text cleverly spread throughout the pages. At the end of the book there is more information about Dorothy Wall which may encourage readers to research further and seek out the Blinky Bill books.

This is a very special book and one to be treasured.

Themes: Dorothy Wall, Blinky Bill, Childhood, Stories.

Kathryn Beilby