Synopsis
Creating Cuddlepie is a story about the wonderful May Gibbs.
From her early childhood in England, through her journey to Australia and the family’s search for a new home. It describes her many creative achievements along the way that culminated in the creation of the gumnut babies: Cuddlepot, Snugglepie and a host of other enchanting bush characters.
It details her early days as a young artist, achieving acclaim for her botanical artwork, and her ventures into pictorial journalism, political cartoons, fashion, and feminist causes.
With the advent of World War I, she created postcards and other illustrated ephemera that would bring great comfort to the troops at war and connect them to their loved ones at home.
More than 100 years since the birth of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, May Gibbs remains one of the greatest Australian illustrators and story-tellers of all time and an Inspirational Australian Woman.
Author Inspiration
I am writing a series of books on Inspirational Australian Women.
I write them for numerous reasons.
I write them as a source of alternate, wonderful role models for today’s youth. Role models that inspire beyond the family, social and traditional media environments that saturate our youth’s lives.
I write them for my 3 boys, that will one day be men. In order to create a society of equality and respect, we must teach and guide both boys and girls, by providing them with appropriate female messaging. The values that we teach them today will form the basis of their future selves. So, I write my books to introduce women who lived lives following their hearts and passions. Women who were determined to find expression of their true selves and would accept nothing less.
I also write them for my 2 step daughters, who are looking for role models to inspire and emulate. To understand what it is to be a strong, independent, passionate and courageous woman.
I write these books to inspire our youth to trust and believe in themselves.
Creating Cuddlepie is a story about freedom of expression and perspective, it is about creating identity – both of oneself and of our community. Like all my books it is also about courage, determination and ways of being in the world, curiosity, community, encouraging others and also about beauty.
Educational Themes
The Creation of the Commonwealth of Australia
The Changing Role of Women in Society
Inspirational Characteristics.
History
Discussion Topics
Courage
What is Courage?
When and how did May Gibbs express Courage?
Give examples of other types of Courage and Courageous people.
Identity
What does Identity mean to you?
Can you have more than one Identity?
List all of the various types of Identities you think you have;
Family, religious, social/peer group, passions/interests, country/community, work/career.
How do people create new Identities?
Native Peoples
Investigate the Treatment of the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia since the arrival of European Settlers.
Discuss Native Title and what that means.
Discuss ‘ownership’ of a country, a story, a perspective, an identity.
Women
Discuss the changing roles of women in society over the last 100 years. Include a discussion about the Suffragette movement.
Discuss equal pay and the fact that in many industries we still don’t have equal pay for equal work.
Discuss how the class sees each other and when/how they use gender as difference. What does that mean to them?
Activities
Make a postcard to send to someone living overseas to remind them of Australia and of home.
Write a short cartoon using an Australian animal as it’s central character – either illustrate it yourself or use ‘found’ images.
Create a children’s book as a class.
May lived in Nutcote, from where she could look on as the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being built. Find different examples of built structures from around the world that have come to define a city or a country.
Creating Cuddlepie is a story about the wonderful May Gibbs.
From her early childhood in England, through her journey to Australia and the family’s search for a new home. It describes her many creative achievements along the way that culminated in the creation of the gumnut babies: Cuddlepot, Snugglepie and a host of other enchanting bush characters.
It details her early days as a young artist, achieving acclaim for her botanical artwork, and her ventures into pictorial journalism, political cartoons, fashion, and feminist causes.
With the advent of World War I, she created postcards and other illustrated ephemera that would bring great comfort to the troops at war and connect them to their loved ones at home.
More than 100 years since the birth of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, May Gibbs remains one of the greatest Australian illustrators and story-tellers of all time and an Inspirational Australian Woman.
Author Inspiration
I am writing a series of books on Inspirational Australian Women.
I write them for numerous reasons.
I write them as a source of alternate, wonderful role models for today’s youth. Role models that inspire beyond the family, social and traditional media environments that saturate our youth’s lives.
I write them for my 3 boys, that will one day be men. In order to create a society of equality and respect, we must teach and guide both boys and girls, by providing them with appropriate female messaging. The values that we teach them today will form the basis of their future selves. So, I write my books to introduce women who lived lives following their hearts and passions. Women who were determined to find expression of their true selves and would accept nothing less.
I also write them for my 2 step daughters, who are looking for role models to inspire and emulate. To understand what it is to be a strong, independent, passionate and courageous woman.
I write these books to inspire our youth to trust and believe in themselves.
Creating Cuddlepie is a story about freedom of expression and perspective, it is about creating identity – both of oneself and of our community. Like all my books it is also about courage, determination and ways of being in the world, curiosity, community, encouraging others and also about beauty.
Educational Themes
The Creation of the Commonwealth of Australia
- When was the Commonwealth of Australia established?
- What is the Australian Constitution?
- What is a Monarchy and what is a Republic?
The Changing Role of Women in Society
- The Changing Role of Women during the 20th century.
- The Roles of Women in Today’s Society.
- Women as a Force for Change.
- Women as Creators of Identity in Society.
Inspirational Characteristics.
- Ability to be a voice for a National identity.
- Courage.
- Belief in Self.
- Determination.
- Independence.
- Passion.
- Curiosity and Imagination.
History
- History as being the Perspective of the Narrator.
- History of Settlor vs Settled.
- History as ‘Truth’.
Discussion Topics
Courage
What is Courage?
When and how did May Gibbs express Courage?
Give examples of other types of Courage and Courageous people.
Identity
What does Identity mean to you?
Can you have more than one Identity?
List all of the various types of Identities you think you have;
Family, religious, social/peer group, passions/interests, country/community, work/career.
How do people create new Identities?
Native Peoples
Investigate the Treatment of the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia since the arrival of European Settlers.
Discuss Native Title and what that means.
Discuss ‘ownership’ of a country, a story, a perspective, an identity.
Women
Discuss the changing roles of women in society over the last 100 years. Include a discussion about the Suffragette movement.
Discuss equal pay and the fact that in many industries we still don’t have equal pay for equal work.
Discuss how the class sees each other and when/how they use gender as difference. What does that mean to them?
Activities
Make a postcard to send to someone living overseas to remind them of Australia and of home.
Write a short cartoon using an Australian animal as it’s central character – either illustrate it yourself or use ‘found’ images.
Create a children’s book as a class.
May lived in Nutcote, from where she could look on as the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being built. Find different examples of built structures from around the world that have come to define a city or a country.
