‘Delightful’: Author delivers special surprise for Toowoomba students

The two best mates have received a special gift from an author, after they dressed as characters from her book for Book Week.

Cooper Spies (left) and Louis Ramia have fun with Bookweek activities, Toowoomba Grammar Junior School. Picture: Nev Madsen.

An award-winning children’s book author was so impressed with the recent Book Week costumes of two Toowoomba students, that she organised a special surprise for them.

When Bondi-based author Victoria Mackinlay saw Toowoomba Grammar School students Louis Ramia, 8, and Cooper Spies, 8, dressed up as characters from her book Ribbit Rabbit Robot, she was blown away.

The boys who are best mates, recently shared their insights on the book’s meaning with The Chronicle during Book Week celebrations.

Children's book author Victoria Mackinlay.

And when the award-winning author saw the story, she knew she had to reach out to them.

“The image popped up first and seeing Louis and Cooper in their amazing costumes with their big smiles brought me so much joy,” Ms Mackinlay said.

“I was blown away by the attention to detail and clever use of materials to bring the robot character to life … they totally nailed it.”

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PISp97OJ6p_zE48zvOEZshPZ7iMVBFbw/view?usp=sharing

Arranging a special surprise with the school, Ms Mackinlay arranged a special video message for the boys and sent them each signed copies of her two new books The Bark Book and The Lion Who Came To Stay.

“The school has been brilliant – you can tell how much the staff value reading … they’re so enthusiastic (and) the boys’ teacher said they were thrilled with the video and the books are now in the post,” Ms Mackinlay said.

“Ribbit Rabbit Robot is a story of friendship, with a gentle lesson about always reading the small print … the boys summarised the story so well which, as an author, was delightful to read.”

Cooper Spies (left) and Louis Ramia have fun with Bookweek activities, Toowoomba Grammar Junior School. Picture: Nev Madsen.

The author said she plans to visit Toowoomba and read her books to Louis, Cooper and their classmates, once lockdown lifts.

Ribbit Rabbit Robot was short-listed in this year’s CBCA Book of the Year Awards and short-listed for the Speech Pathology Awards.

It was illustrated by Sofya Karmazina and published by Scholastic.