Gentle adventures set in an imagined version of the Australian Bush written by Zanni Louise, illustrated by Judy Watson

Written by Zanni Louise and published by Walker Books Australia
ISBN 9781760657222
Published November 2024
2nd edition now available now in your local bookshop.
(The link takes you to a site where you can locate your local bookshop)

Hazel is nine years old, as long as her bunk bed and as kind as a marshmallow. She and her friends – Odette, a pademelon, Walter the wombat, Tiny, a honey possum and Poky – an echidna who changes colour depending on Hazel’s mood – live together in a treehouse in the bush. Every day brings new adventures, sometimes mistakes… and always, always, imagination and friendship.

Acclaimed author, Zanni Louise and illustrator Judy Watson have created an Australian ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ in this delightful, whimsical celebration of childhood.

Reviews

‘Watson’s illustrations are nothing short of breathtaking, bursting with charm that beautifully complements Louise’s storytelling. Each page is a visual feast, inviting readers to linger and explore every detail of Hazel’s world. The images are so vibrant that they practically leap off the page, making it a joy for both kids and adults to experience together. You’ll find yourself flipping back just to admire Watson’s art!’ BETTERREADING.COM.AU

’Zanni Louise (Cora Seen and Heard) has written over 40 books for children, two of which have received CBCA commendations. Louise has teamed up with equally lauded illustrator Judy Watson (When You’re Older) to share 10 sweet stories about the inhabitants of Hazel’s treehouse. Nine-year-old Hazel lives in a gnarled gumtree with her four animal companions: Poky, an echidna who changes colour according to Hazel’s feelings; Odette, an exuberant pademelon; Walter, a gruff wombat; and Tiny, a super-cute honey possum. Whether trying to escape the heat by going for a beach day or greeting their new neighbour with an elaborate obstacle course, the five friends find joy in everyday moments and revel in the beauty of the Australian bush. When problems arise, the characters model empathy, humility and plucky ingenuity to overcome challenges. The stories are simple but have a warm and pure heart, which means they could easily become family favourites. Watson’s detailed line illustrations brighten almost every page, evoking E H Shepard or May Gibbs and distinguishing this edition as a gorgeous gift. Her native wildflowers, which garland each story, are a particular delight. Hazel’s Treehouse will go over a treat with readers of Winnie-the-Pooh, The Faraway Tree, or Edwina Wyatt’s Magnolia Moon books as a read-aloud or as an independent read for ages 6 and up.‘  ANNIE WATERS for Books+Publishing

‘Every chapter is full of adventures, be it wishing for pancakes on Snuggle Up Sunday, learning what to do on Nothing Day, or how to handle what caused Small Pants Friday. We learn alongside Hazel and her friends with Louise’s charming language and Judy Watson’s adorable imagery. It’s a beautiful addition to any collection and suitable for ages 5+.’ CLAIRE ATHERFOLD, for READINGS

’Everything in this book is charming – it can be read in a sitting, or read over a period of days, revelling in the simple yet powerfully magic language that evokes and sparks the imagination. And it is reassuring and comforting, a book that is like a warm hug on a cold day.’ ASHLEIGH MEIKLE, for THE BOOK MUSE

Book Week costume idea

To dress as Hazel with her friend Tiny in her top pocket, go here for printouts.

About illustrating this Book

This book of warm and intimate stories set in an imaginary version of the Australian bush reflects the childhood imaginings of both Zanni and myself so I brought all my barefoot, messy-haired childhood memories onto the job. It was a great experience to illustrate, because the characters leapt off the page so easily. Working out what they looked like took a little longer. (Below you can see the earliest very loose explorations of Odette’s form and the final character.) But their personalities are so vivid that there was no difficulty imbuing the drawings with life and love.

The stories feature Hazel, a nine year old child living in a Tardis-like treehouse with a capacious interior space with her friends Odette the pademelon, Walter the wombat, Tiny the honey possum and Poky the feelings echidna. Each story represents one day in their lives together as they create and solve problems and have small adventures. The tree itself is a delightful character, that could tell many stories of its own. (More on the tree in an upcoming blog post.)

Hazel’s Treehouse was illustrated with dip pen and ink on paper, then scanned and corrected in PhotoShop. It was my first time using ink lines without the support of a grey tone to create mood and shadow, and so the experiments with hatching techniques were many and varied. I really needed a cross-hatching style that was in keeping with the loose and irregular nature of my drawing style. But when using heavy hatching to create night-time scenes, it needed a degree of regularity to avoid looking like heavy scribble. The aim was to keep the illustration dancing instead of squatting like a troll, if you get my meaning. So some of the darker illustrations were intensely challenging, but I was happy with the results in the campfire scene, which was achieved by progressively adding crosshatching and scanning the illustration several times, in order to have a back-up version if I went too far! 

Hazel’s Treehouse is a perfect read-aloud for children from around four up, and a great one for confident young independent readers wanting something of their very own.