Can you answer these quiz questions about Australia?

Who sits in the old gum tree? What kind of sport do the Wallabies play? When were Anzac biscuits first sent to the troops?

Don’t worry – there are three answers to choose from, for each vividly illustrated question. If you get the answer right, good on you! If not, don’t worry – you’ll find the right answer plus a quick fun fact, just a few pages away.

I try to write books that can appeal to anybody, anywhere, but sometimes they get a little more specific, like the book about the English Lake District. You can see my nostalgic love of the UK countryside showing through the poetry book illustrations (I grew up in the north of England, though I’m a New Zealander by birth).

However, I’ve been living in Perth, Western Australia, for most of my adult life. When I talk to people about what I do, I have to admit that only a few books in my collection are about Australia: Australian Birds, Illustrated Australian Poetry and of course A Garden in Gooseberry Hill is set in WA, though it’s about the universal experience of gardening. Now here’s a fourth…

Another dementia-friendly book for Australian readers

I wanted to create another book for Aussie readers, but one that could also appeal to anyone who has lived in Australia, visited Australia, or thinks they know a lot about Australia… and here it is: It’s Australia: Picture Quiz with Fun Facts.

Some interior pages for you to get the idea…

Where can you find it? You could ask your local library if they have a dementia-friendly collection, or find it on Amazon worldwide.(Here in Australia, you can also order it through a language bookshop or library supplier.)

Let me know if you have other suggestions for dementia-friendly reading books, whether Australian or ‘international’! I need to be able to source photos from my photo library (which is why I won’t be writing ‘Famous Aussie movie stars’), but otherwise always open to new ideas! (Contact me here: info AT thebooknextdoor.com)