Diggers Rest author Chiz Dee has just published her first children’s book, titled ‘I Imagine . . . Safari’. Oscar Parry talks to Chiz about her connection to Diggers Rest and her new book.
What is your connection to Diggers Rest?
I moved to Australia 10 years ago with my now wife. We moved to the Diggers Rest area six years ago due to its country family feel. We now have many friends in the area and are proud to call it home. Our daughter has lived here since birth and she will be starting [at] Diggers Rest Primary in the New Year.
What do you like about where you live?
We love it here, everyone is so friendly. We regularly attend the bowls club throughout the summer and watch the Burras play during the winter. The events the town put on for the community are great, such as the town garage sale, CFA Santa visit, the memorials at the cenotaph, [and] Halloween. The community feel is second to none.
What, if anything, would you change about where you live?
Honestly, there really isn’t much I would change. It’s quiet but we have what we need. We are lucky that Sunbury is just a short drive away.
Tell us a bit about your new children’s book
‘I Imagine . . . Safari’ takes you on a journey through the African Savannah and lets your imagination run wild. The Big Five are a wonder, so why not imagine what it would be like to be them? Ever thought what being a Giraffe would be like, or maybe a Lion? Children have such creative imaginations and this is what I had in mind when I wrote it.
How did the idea come about for this story?
The idea came about as I was reading a story to my daughter. I thought to myself that the story didn’t allow for much imagination and made me think ‘I could do that.’ Maybe I could put pen to paper and come up with something that could help children learn about something [while] at the same time having fun. I started with the African Big 5 as most children love to visit the zoo and love those animals – it seemed like a good place to start.
What do you enjoy about writing children’s literature?
The thing I enjoy most about writing for children is knowing that you are making a difference. Children learn in so many different ways and whether a child can read yet or not, they can make their own story through the pictures. A children’s book can last for such a long time, from it being read to a child, to a child storytelling from a picture, to a child learning to read.
I love to do rhyme and repetition as this helps with children’s understanding of words and grammar, and ‘I Imagine . . Safari’ follows this style.
