Books for Little Bookaburras ambassador & local WA author Renae Haywarth brings stories to Geraldton kindies

02-06-2025

Young Geraldton students have been treated to a new reading initiative that delivers important storytelling, children's books and joy to regional kindergarteners.
As part of the regional celebration of the Fremantle Press 2025 Books for Little Bookaburras program, Bookaburras ambassador and WA author Renae Hayward will visit three kindies across regional WA, starting with Beachlands Kindilink which she visited on Wednesday.
Mini libraries — sets of books especially curated for young readers — are given to each child, before an interactive storytime session is held by Hayward for the excited students.
The Little Bookaburras initiative, supported by a growing number of sponsors and creatives, will reach more than 4500 children across WA, ensuring access to books no matter where they live.
Hayward said: 'Books are so important for children aged 0-3 years. Books expose kids to new words and concepts, and can even help build empathy.
'I'm so thrilled to be an ambassador for the Bookaburras program, which puts books by WA creators into the hands of kids who might not have that many books of their own, if any.
'It was such a joy to hand out the Bookaburras book packs at Beachlands Primary School KindiLinks. The kids immediately started reading their new books with their grown-ups, which is what we love to see.'
Fremantle Press CEO Alex Allan said the initiative was having a real impact on young regional WA readers.
'Last year over a third of our participants were based in regional areas,' he said.
'Some 200 of the total number of children had no other access to books, and others didn't have homes to take them to at all.
'The program is providing a much-needed permanent resource for families — a set of books for the kids to treasure and a valuable resource for carers to use to build literacy and a life-long love of stories.'
The program's mini-libraries feature stories by local authors and First Nations storytellers, with titles that reflect the richness of Australian voices.
Each child recieves books such as Say Hello or Say Goodbye by Hayward and fellow author Rebecca Mills, along with Indigenous stories like Crow and the Water Hole by Ambelin Kwaymullina or In Your Dreams by Sally Morgan and Bronwyn Bancroft.
In a touching show of support, all creators of the 2025 books have donated their royalties back to the program, helping it grow and reach even more children.

Hashtags

Entertainment

#BooksforLittleBookaburras

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Comedian coming to Perth reveals most signed body part

Perth Now

6 hours ago

Perth Now

Comedian coming to Perth reveals most signed body part

There's only one conversation where boobs and Adam Sandler get mentioned — an interview with comedian Urzila Carlson. The Australian and New Zealand comedy star has been touring the country and on August 29 will bring her You Don't Say show to Perth's HPC across two days. Carlson, who grew up in South Africa, said Perth fans can expect an hour and a half of 'solid laughs'. 'You're not going to learn anything or cry, but I just talk about stuff that has happened in the year, and, yeah, it's a funny show, and people seem to love it, and I love it. I think it's my favourite show that I've done so far,' she said. The 49-year-old said one major standout for her this tour was the number of bosoms she has signed. 'I must say, this year, so far, I've signed more boobs than any other year in my entire career, maybe even accumulatively, I've never signed as many boobs,' she said. 'But yeah, one of the shows, because normally people just pull a blouse down and go, 'Can you sign my boob?' And then I sign the boob. But then this woman took her entire t*t out, and it was quite a sight.' While signing body parts may or may not be on the cards for Carlson's Perth visit, she has fond memories of WA that include a trip to the island paradise that is Rottnest Island. Comedian Urzila Carlson. Credit: TheWest 'I rode the bike all around, and a quokka came up to me, and I didn't touch it like a Hemsworth. I just laid in the grass, and it came up, and it put its little nose against my nose. But I never touched it. It touched me, for the record,' she said. 'I just love Perth and I've even been on the outskirts of Perth, you know, when you're still in WA but you're like a 20 hours drive away, that kind of thing.' Another favourite adventure of the regular Have You Been Paying Attention? guest was the time she starred in Netflix film Kinda Pregnant alongside Amy Shumer which was produced by Adam Sandler. Carlson said she was 'star-struck' after meeting Sandler who she said gave her the ultimate compliment. 'He's really cool. He's kind of quiet but he just came up to me and goes, 'You're really funny, buddy. You're very funny.' I don't often feel starstruck, but yeah, meeting him and meeting him was the highlight for me during the whole thing. 'I don't need anyone else to tell me nothing else. I've got Adam Sandler in the pocket, and he says I'm funny. 'I've blocked all reviewers from coming to my show.' Carlson said filming her first movie was 'so much fun' especially getting to work with fellow comedians who she still texts and sends 'video notes' daily. 'We would just sit in the green room and crack each other up. Hardly anyone sat in their trailers,' she said. 'I said to them, you've ruined this experience because if I get to make another movie and those people aren't as amazing as these people are, I'm going to be furious.' Kinda Pregnant was viewed 25.1 million times in its first week, making it the most-watched title on Netflix from February 3 to February 10 and the number one movie globally. With her first film done and dusted, Carlson is set to tick off another bucket list item — performing at the Sydney Opera House for an encore show on December 13. She is the first comedian to have performed at the iconic venue during the last 10 years. Adam Sandler. Credit: BANG - Entertainment News 'Growing up in South Africa I knew very little about the outside world except for the basics, Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and the Opera House in Sydney,' she said. 'The fact that I get to perform at one of those is one of the most iconic unreal feelings. 'But I think the worry that I have is, you know what Australia is like in summer and I'm going to be outside with bright lights on me, so you bet I'm going to have some bugs fly straight into my face at night. 'So I'm thinking I should get one of those hats with the corks on it. I've never actually worn one, you know. But I think if ever there was a time, it would be during that show.' Elsewhere, Carlson is working on two different, Australian produced TV projects that plan to be out early next year. She also plans to continue touring and appear on her usual TV shows unless 'I get a call from Adam Sandler or someone, then of course, I'll go.' Tickets to the You Don't Say Perth shows on August 29 and August 30 are still available here.

Wildlands festival drops huge Perth line-up including Dom Dolla, Addison Rae and Kid Cudi

West Australian

9 hours ago

West Australian

Wildlands festival drops huge Perth line-up including Dom Dolla, Addison Rae and Kid Cudi

Wildlands festival has announced a huge line-up of Australian and international acts including US popstar and cultural phenomenon Addison Rae. The single-day event is coming to Brisbane on New Year's Day and Perth's Arena Joondalup on January 3 where world-class performances are set to bring the summer energy. Headlining the festival are global dance music powerhouse Dom Dolla, American singer Addison Rae and hip-hop star Kid Cudi. The line-up is also set to include Chris Stussy, KETTAMA, Luude, 070 Shake, Balu Brigada, Cassian, Channel Tres, Fcukers, Miss Kaninna, NOTION and sim0ne. Dom Dolla joins the line-up following a record-breaking year that has seen him headline two sold-out Madison Square Garden shows. He is set to play hit tracks like Dreamin featuring Daya, Forever with Kid Cudi, and maybe even his cinematic debut, No Room For A Saint from the F1: The Movie soundtrack. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Rae is fresh off the release of her debut album, Addison, which includes viral hits like Diet Pepsi, Headphones On, Aquamarine, and Fame Is A Gun. The rising pop princess who started out dancing on TikTok has amassed more than 88 million followers on the platform and has positioned herself as one of the defining voices and faces of her generation. Rae will be Down Under before Wildlands gets underway, where she will be performing two concerts each in Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Rounding out the headliners is Kid Cudi, with his Wildlands appearance his first Aussie show in more than 10 years. From his breakout hit Day 'n' Nite to the genre-defining Man on the Moon trilogy, Cudi's raw, introspective storytelling has inspired millions of fans. Both Perth and Brisbane events will feature reimagined stage designs, including an all-new 360 degrees 'in the round' stage with a four-point sound system and raised dance floors, plus updated site layouts for an even more immersive experience. Fans can elevate their day with the Casamigos House Of Friends VIP Pass or take advantage of flexible payment plans and ticket request options. Presale goes on sale Tuesday, August 26 at 6pm.

Huge US pop star to headline Perth music festival