Little Tasmanian

About the Book

Using a message of ‘someone like you did it, and you can do it too’, Little Tasmanian encourages aspiration, confidence, and pride in children and their trusted adults from the very beginning.
Header - About the Book

Someone like you did it, and you can do it too

The Tasmanian story is about people across the state using grit, determination, and creativity to achieve something meaningful. Little Tasmanian tells the story of four people who overcame challenges and adversity to pursue their passions in this special place.

It’s about the opportunity for all little Tasmanians to do it too, with the support of their parents and their community, and to begin their reading journey as early as possible.

Experience 'Little Tasmanian' with Tyler Richardson, lead singer of Tasmanian punk rock band Luca Brasi, and Auslan interpreter Ben Richardson

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Little Tasmanian

About the illustrator

Shiloh Longbottom is a Tasmanian illustrator and designer. She works using Procreate, design software created by a clever team of Hobart-based people.

When Shiloh began working on Little Tasmanian, it was just a children’s book. She has since created a whole world around it.

More about Shiloh
Shiloh

Meet the characters

The four Tasmanians in your book represent the quiet pursuit of the extraordinary. They worked hard, overcoming adversity, to pursue their passion. One of them used art and storytelling to continue an ancient cultural tradition. Another moved here from across the world to practice his craft and to surf on pristine, empty beaches. Two of them did what people said they could never do, in sport and in business. The message is simple and true: someone just like you did it and you can do it too.

Little Tasmanian

Auntie Vicki-Laine Green

Auntie maikutena Vicki-Laine Green is a Tasmanian Aboriginal artist who specialises in traditional shell necklace making. She also works in basket weaving, kelp, and quilting. maikutena learned from her older sister and is passing the family tradition to her niece. She has exhibited her work in Tasmania, Australia, and around the world.

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Little Tasmanian

Masaaki Koyama

Masaaki grew up in a rural village in Japan and learned the art of sushi in Osaka, where he became an acclaimed chef. His life changed when he met a Tasmanian woman who invited him to her home. Now he practices his craft, and surfs, in Geeveston.

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Little Tasmanian

Diane Edgerton

When Diane Edgerton opened a sheet metal workshop in a shed behind her home in Burnie, a lot of people told her she’d never make it in this tough business. Now she owns and operates Direct Edge Manufacturing, one of the top precision manufacturing operations in Australia.

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Little Tasmanian

Jemma Blair

Growing up in Bridport, on the north-east coast of Tasmania, Jemma Blair was always surrounded by sports. She’s driven to continue AFLW to the highest level she can, and wherever life takes her, Jemma knows that Tasmania is where she’ll end up, and Bridport will always be the town she calls home.

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Where can I find the book?

The book is provided for free to parents and carers of new Tasmanian babies born from 1 January 2023. Along with the Little Tasmanian library bag, the book is given to families at their first appointment with the Child Health and Parenting Service (CHaPS), which is the 2-week assessment and often a home visit. Eligible families who do not receive the bag at 2 weeks can receive it at a later visit.

For those slightly bigger Tasmanians who may not qualify for a free bag but would like to experience Little Tasmanian, the book is available to borrow at select Libraries Tasmania locations. You'll also find it in Tasmanian bookstores around the state, and available online in our Tasmanian store.