Avast ye pirate rats! Library events mark release of local children's book

From the rain-making “Drizzles”, to monsters who like dressing up, pirate rats and gulls, and a clever little pig who saves her brothers and sisters from a wolf, Once Upon a Harbour was inspired by a series of drawings David made during Covid-19, based on local characters and places and arranged like chapters around his beloved West Harbour home.

Published in mid-September, Once Upon a Harbour will be celebrated in two free public events at the Dunedin City Library, with the assistance of UNESCO Dunedin City of Literature.

The book’s creators will give an illustrated talk for adults at 5.30pm on Thursday 1 October.

Then on Saturday 3 October, there will be a workshop in the Dunedin City Library, where David and Fiona will help children write poems and draw illustrations about Ōtepoti Dunedin places they know and love.

Following the workshop, the poems and artworks will be displayed in the Children’s section of the Dunedin City Library – a string and map-pin will link their work to a spot on a map of Dunedin. There will be flyers in the children’s section of the City Library prior to the event, priming them to come up with ideas for the workshop.

The events are part of a much wider Dunedin Public Libraries school holiday programme. Find out more here

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