A gentle retelling of a true story about a hospital experience. A digital version of the original collage composition created from the artist's own collection using colour photographs, old maps and birthday cards as well as the cardboard cover of her favourite ice-cream. The old maps used as the base for the collage represent the difficulties in finding a pathway through the medical system. The old maps also symbolise the journey that confronted Melanie as she navigated this forced diverge...

Explore Discover Imagine Count - a chook collage for counting from 1 - 10.A digital version of the original composition using colour photographs from the artist’s own collection, this structured collage provides the opportunity for children to imagine their own narrative as they explore Barossa Nanna’s garden, discovering chooks among the flowers while counting their way from one to ten.Collage is about reinventing and recycling and repurposing. It’s a magical process which...

Explore Discover Imagine Count A flying bugs collage for counting from 1 - 10. A digital version of the original composition using colour photographs from the artist's own collection, this structured collage provides the opportunity for children to imagine their own narrative as they explore the garden, finding flying bugs among the flowers while counting their way from one to ten. Collage is about reinventing and recycling and repurposing. It's a magical process which invites and encourag...

Heather Gordon (aka Barossa Nanna) has brought together a community of artists, scientists and bighearted contributors to create a counting book for children based on life around a waterhole in the Australian bush.Using recycled, repurposed and a few purchased resources, along with the generous crockery and tile contributions of friends, Heather has created a bushland mosaic on the back wall of her house in Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley, South Australia.This counting book encourages chil...

Andamooka Bill and the Lights on the Hill describes men's relationships to each other in an Australian outback opal town. The banter, the grit, the gossip, the toughness and underneath it all, the informal supports that enable the men to front up each morning for an iced coffee and a chat about the weather and the news. Their camaraderie belies their rough appearance and speech.With a range of stressors influencing depression and anxiety, the incidence rate among men in rural a...

Australian magpies forage for food on the ground.They are often seen foraging on roadside verges.Sometimes, people give magpies 'treats'.The 'treats' people give magpies might harm them.Two magpie families learn about which foods to feed their babies.Adnyamathanha and Kaurna words provide the foundation to this story about Hungry Magpies.Magpies were observed on the roadside verge at Barossa Nanna's house. Conversations between Urrakurli (Adn...

Urrakurli is the Adnyamathanha word for Magpie.A gang of male magpies is standing on the untidy road verge outside Barossa Nanna's house, bragging about their best efforts at swooping people, especially cyclists.Two older male Urrakurli swoop down and land next to the gang.Hey, Spike! Hey, Sniper! Hey, Simon!Uh! Oh! Are Spike, Sniper and Simon in trouble?This richly illustrated text shows the elder Urrakurli (magpies) teach...

Set during the excitement of the Easter season, this book is a simple counting tool for children and centres on themes of wildlife protection and reusing resources, as well as emphasising the importance of conservation versus consumerism.As envelopes full of foils from friends arrive in the letterbox, this book shows the importance of community and friendship. Alongside facts about bilbies, Australia's native equivalent to the Easter bunny, this books takes the reader through a jou...

A counting collage for young children including additional text about domestic and wild turkeys in Australia for older children and their carers to read and discuss.A digital version of the original concertina collage composition created for Lily using colour photographs from Heather Gordon's own collection.Jason Bromley (aka JayBee) is an educator, activist and researcher.Heather Gordon (aka Barossa Nanna) is an artist, author and children's book creator.Ba...

Tui Cavoodle is an excitable dog with an interest in everything that's going on.Tui Cavoodle might be in trouble again.'Tui Cavoodle goes to the Resort' is another in the Tui Cavoodle series about a clever dog, full of personality, who has a range of adventures. These adventures offer continuing conversations with children about the situations Tui Cavoodle experiences.A digital version of the original concertina collage composition created using gouache overlay base...

Andamooka Anna is the snarky sister of Andamooka Nanna and Barossa Nanna. All three are fictional figures based in South Australia.Andamooka Anna's creative collages centre on women's lives and experiences. Essentially, 'herstory'.Andamooka Anna creates collages that question how to go about changing organisations, not women, to deliver structural reform that ensures equity for all women.A perspective on a range of topics including Societal Misogyny, The Environment...

An informational text for educators in early childhood settings.Generously illustrated using photographs of collage art depicting labels with negative connotations alongside alternative words in flowing script.'Labels fixed to people about their behaviour are a type of shorthand and are often unhelpful. We can look at behaviour and try to understand it, to allow people to find a sense of belonging, to be more authentic.' Heather Gordon 1 August 2022