|
 2008/09 Season
-
Children's Book Council of Australia"Younger Readers Book of the Year" Short Listed Book 2008
- 2008 Children's Book Council of Australia"Younger Readers Book of the Year" Honour Book
"Amelia Dee & the peacock lamp" From the book of the same name by Odo Hirsch, Published by Allen & Unwin.
Adapted and Directed by Tony Appleby B.Ed for Tony Bones Entertainment
Music by Tony Appleby B.Ed, Luke Hunter Dip.Ed & Tim Smith Dip.Ed
Cost $ 7.70 per student (incl. GST) Minimum show fee $ 770.00
Primary (Grade 3 - Grade 6) & Secondary (Year 7 to Year 8) - Duration 50 minutes + Q&A Time
Key Themes & Topics: Philosophy, Ethics, Individuality, Honesty, Creative Writing.
Key Learning Areas: Drama, Dance, Music, English, SOSE.
More about this book
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Season dates: For Term 1 & 2, 2009 this show is available on request. Just give us a call on 1300 308 311 & let us know what date you're after.
Back to Top (Click Here!)
About the play:
In the tradition of the sell-out shows "Being Bee", "To The Light”, “Billy Mack's War", "Captain Mack", "Something's Fishy, Hazel Green!", “A Different Sort of Real”, "Tom Jones Saves The World” and "Stella By The Sea", Tony Bones Entertainment perform this highly entertaining younger reader's book as a new play in a variety of dramatic genre including naturalism, musical, narrative, and drama. The huge diversity of styles keeps the audience enthralled for the full 50 minutes and makes it appropriate to all students from Grade 3 right through to Year 8. This must see production is booking fast so be quick to secure your school a date with "Amelia Dee and the peacock lamp ".
The show is a fully staged musical. It is 50 minutes long with a cast of 2 - 1 male & 1 female. It includes:
-
a low portable stage;
-
full sound system with state-of-the-art "Soundcraft Spirit" sound desk, "Shure" radio headset wireless microphones, "Bose" speakers, etc, appropriate for audiences of unlimited numbers (recommended maximum of around 400 students per session);
-
stage lighting;
-
free standing back drop curtain & set;
-
2 songs - Music Theatre, Rock.
-
Puppetry;
-
Different costume & masked characters - Amelia Dee (the lead girl), Mr Vishwanath the yoga master (mask), Princess Parvin Kha Dhouri (mask), Eugenie Edelstein (mask), Asha the servant, Armand Dee the Dad.
-
Different drama genre throughout the show - Narrative, Contemporary Theatre, Music Theatre, Puppetry, Slow Motion Scene.
This must see production is booking fast so be quick to secure a date for your school with "Amelia Dee and The Peacock Lamp".
Back to Top (Click Here!)
About the book:
“Amelia Dee lives in the green house on Marburg Street, where a rare bronze lamp hangs outside her bedroom door. No one knows where it came from or how it got there. Only she, Amelia thinks, knows the secret that the lamp contains. But she's wrong.
When Mr Vishwanath introduces Amelia to the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri, the puzzle of the lamp becomes even deeper. Where has the princess seen it before? Why is she so bitter and angry? And most importantly, what should Amelia do about it?
In solving the mystery, Amelia risks revealing a secret of her own."
Odo Hirsch is at his enchanting best in this funny, poignant story full of memorable characters and resonant ideas. Fans of Antonio S and Hazel Green will love Amelia Dee.
Back to Top (Click Here!)
TESTIMONIALS FOR THE SHOW "Amelia Dee & the Peacock Lamp"
Wattle Park Primary School, Burwood, Vic
"Most enjoyable; great characters; simple and effective props... We all thoroughly enjoyed it - (as we have in the past!). I viewed both shows today. They were both fantastic and enjoyed by us all. Both books brought to life by two very talented presenters! They were very entertaining - we are already looking forward to next year! I love that we can hear the author's voice through the characters. The masks and great use of props (such as rubbish bins) was inspiring in creating our own mini productions. The follow up discussion added extra insight... We all loved it!"
Watsonia Heights Primary School, Vic
"I thoroughly enjoyed the show, as did the students. It was very funny and we loved the individual characters. The masks and mannerisms were very entertaining as well as the singing. Great Show! This was a fantastic performance. The delivery was spot-on and the character traits were incredibly funny! So refreshing to see that all age groups (young and old) were catered for. A sensational show. I thoroughly enjoyed the change of characters and the simple set. Andrew, you have a tremendous voice, and are a real talent. I enjoyed Emma's performance too. I appreciated the humour that was woven into the show."
Donvale Primary School, Vic
"Enjoyable, entertaining, good variation in production techniques demonstrated. Children's response was positive....positive experience. Thank you. Fantastic adaptation, thought it was great to incorporate humour to maintain student interest. The characters were well developed and the props assisted fantastically in understanding a characters history. The students gave great feedback and seemed to understand the main concepts. Thanks...Thank you, I thought the show was very entertaining. My class haven't read the book yet, but it was very easy to follow. The kids could relate to the humour used and all enjoyed the performance. Excellent show We really enjoyed the show, even though we hadn't read the book. The students now want to read it! Both actors were very clever.".
Nulkaba Public School, NSW
"Absolutely Fabulous! Very entertaining! To have year 5 boys stop me in the playground after seeing "Amelia Dee" wanting to know if Tony Bones is coming next year with looks of great anticipation and remarks of "That was awesome!" says it all!! It was fantastic! The kids thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very amusing, the kids were involved as part of the performance. A great way to involve the children in the book!! Students engaged and thoroughly enjoyed show. I received very positive feedback from my students. They appreciated the humour and quality of performance."
St John Vianney's School, Vic
"I only saw a small part of the performance but stayed longer than I had to because I was enjoying the performance so much. I was very impressed by the way you set up and packed up and the way you went about your job with little or no assistance. A very professional approach!
St Michael's Lutheran School, Hahndorf, SA
"The response from teachers and students was very positive. Production was very professional. Comments were made on the excellent singing voices of the actors! Most enjoyable."
Maribyrnong College, VIC
"Students enjoyed the play. They laughed & were engaged. The story was well acted and the play followed the storyline of the book closely".
Trinity Catholic Primary School, Kemps Creek, NSW
"I liked that it was true to the story and used many of the same words and Odo Hirsch's style. Stage, lighting, music was very good. Children like the puppets. Children enjoyed - elevator, singing, music, Star Wars, accent, sound effects, acted convincingly, made them laugh!"
Maranatha Christian College, Endeavour Hills, Vic
"Excellent show. The acting was outstanding. Followed the book very closely with attention to details. Held the students' attention the whole time. Humour was great; I laughed as much as the children. Accents were very clever too. This was my first "Tony Bones" experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were portrayed with humour, the props were simple yet effective, the children's attention was held throughout. My students particularly enjoyed it when the characters involved the audience. The props used above the curtain were a hit (the Rulers and Star Wars characters). The accents were mimicked for the next day by many Grade 4's! Great show, fantastic acting. Movement backstage, amazing. Loved the way you used the space - top, left, right! Students enjoyed the teacher and one of their own incorporated in the dialogue as well as using the bell and announcements - Fantastic ad lib."
More about this author
All titles by this author
Odo Hirsch 's profile
For teachers
CMIS Evaluation
Outside Amelia's bedroom door, just within reach if you stand on top of the balustrade hangs the Peacock lamp. The lamp had been there ever since Amelia was a little girl and she believes no-one else knows the secrets the lamp's creator has hidden within the intricate details of the metalwork. Through Mr Vishwanath, the enigmatic yoga teacher who lives downstairs Amelia is introduced to Princess Parvin Kha-Douri who shares Amelia's fascination for the lamp. In solving the mystery of the origin and history of the lamp and its importance in the life of Princess Parvin Kha-Douri Amelia discovers a great deal about herself, her family, and her friends. Amelia Dee and the peacock lamp combines an interesting plot and memorable characters with the opportunity to explore philosophical and ethical questions and ideas. Thoughtful readers will find many topics to discuss and reflect upon. Although the central character is female, the issues explored will interest both boys and girls.
Useful for: philosophy, ethics, creative writing, honesty, individuality.
Target audience - 2008 Primary Fiction EA
Topical Subject - Lamps - Fiction.
Topical Subject - Princes and Princesses - Fiction.
Topical Subject - Yoga - Fiction.
CMIS Topic - 2008 CBCA Notable : Younger Readers
CMIS Topic - Values - Fiction
CMIS Topic - Thinking
Phase of Development - Early Adolescence
Learning Area - English
Outcomes - Contextual Understandings [English]
Outcomes - Reading [English]
Back to Top (Click Here!)
About the author:
Odo Hirsch was born in Australia where he studied medicine and worked as a doctor. He is now based in London. His books for children are favourites with young and old and have been translated into several languages.
His first novel for children, Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman was published in 1997 and was an Honour Book in The Book of The Year Awards, Younger Readers category. Since then he has had four more books published and has become recognised as an imaginative and original writer for children. Bartlett and the Ice Voyage was a JLG selection in America and won the Blue Peter Award.
His books are filled with wonderful, memorable, characters, interesting plots and lyrical prose to stretch the imagination and the literacy skills of his audience. Hirsch finds it difficult to pinpoint his sources of inspiration: 'you might be reading, or watching a movie, or riding on the Tube or going for a walk beside a canal. Suddenly you see or hear something that makes you start thinking. It’s interesting! It seizes your attention! When an idea is good it takes control of your imagination and makes it run and dance, like a squirrel running along a fence.'
Odo Hirsch's books have been translated into several languages.
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed by Sally Murphy for Aussiereviews.com
"A whimsical tale. Amelia had been fascinated by the lamp at the top of the stairs from the moment she had been old enough to be fascinated by anything. From the bottom of the stairwell, four storeys below, the lamp didn’t look so big, and it was only when you were at the top that you realised how large it really was. ..The metalwork flowed with intricate patterns and there were hundreds of tiny spaces out of which the light filtered in a wonderful, stippled, hazy glow.
Amelia lives in an unusual house, standing four stories high and filled with her mother’s artworks and her father’s inventions. For Amelia, though, the most special part of the house is the beautiful lamp that hangs outside her bedroom. Amelia thinks that she is the only one who knows the secret of the lamp, but then she meets the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri and realises there are some things she doesn’t know about the lamp – and about people in general.
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is a whimsical tale with an enchanting cast and intriguing setting. While the characters, setting and events are all fantastical, the message is very real. Author Odo Hirsch has a knack of creating a world which is at once beyond belief yet resonant and absorbing. You want the people to be real, and you want to see the places they can see.
Likely to appeal to readers aged 9 and up."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed by readings.com.au
"Amelia Dee sometimes imagined she was the only person in the whole world who knew the secrets of the Peacock Lamp.' Amelia Dee lives in a house on Marburg Street, with a rare Peacock Lamp outside her bedroom door. Her father is an inventor, her mother is a sculptor, and the enigmatic LK Vishwanath practises yoga in her garden. Amelia herself has a lively curiosity and a talent for writing. Intrigued by Mr Vishwanath and his one-and-only student, Amelia stumbles into the secret life of Princess Parvin Kha-Douri. Why does Mr Vishwanath bother to teach such an unpleasant woman? And why does this tragic princess share Amelia's fascination for the Peacock Lamp? In solving the mystery, Amelia discovers more than she ever imagined about history, philosophy, creativity, pride and - above all - the power of stories. Odo Hirsch at his most accomplished, writing in the tradition of Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman and Hazel Green, offers a funny, touching new novel peopled with memorable characters and charged with ideas."
The book reviewed by booksdirect.com
"A funny, touching, thought-provoking novel, peopled with memorable characters and pulsing with ideas, from the inimitable author of Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman and Hazel Green."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed by Sue Bursztynski for januarymagazine.com
"More Green Than Bartlett. Odo Hirsch’s books range from the Bartlett adventures, set in a sort of 18th century Europe, with imaginary countries, to the Hazel Green novels, centered around a block of flats in an imaginary city in an unnamed country, and the children who live there.
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is closer to Hazel Green than Bartlett, but is different again. The Hazel Green tales usually have a bit of adventure and a bit of mystery and a moral. This novel is fairly strong on the moral, with some mystery and no actual adventure.
Amelia Dee lives with her eccentric parents in a green house on a street originally intended to be the city’s fashionable district, which never quite worked out. They are well off enough to have a daily housekeeper because Amelia’s inventor father once invented something that was actually useful, though he has never again come up with anything saleable. He doesn’t mind, particularly, because he is absorbed in working in his invention shed. Her mother is an artist who never actually sells or even shows her work, except in the garden, where all her sculpture goes when the mother starts a new “phase.” Mr. Vishwanath lives downstairs. He’s a yoga master who doesn’t seem to have many students, but refuses to advertise for more, because of his philosophy.
A lamp hangs in the high-ceilinged hallway which wasn’t a part of the original house. It is beautifully decorated, with animals and faces and peacocks. Amelia has a secret: her fascination with the lamp is so great that once she risked her life to lean over and grab hold of it to see closer. After this, she began to write stories, most about the lamp and what its background might have been. She has never shown them to anyone or even told her parents or friends that she writes, out of embarrassment.
Every few days, an elderly lady in a fur coat rides up to Mr Vishwanath’s door, driven by a chauffeur, and enters. Is she his sole student? Do they just talk? Amelia’s curiosity leads her to peer through the door one day. When she learns that the old lady is the last survivor of a royal family thrown out by a revolution in their country many years ago, when the princess was only a little girl like herself, she finds out more than she had expected. The peacock lamp is a part of the tragic story.
By the end of the novel, Amelia has had the courage to show her writing and the story she has written has given the elderly princess the courage she needed.
Like Hirsch’s other novels, this one is peopled with eccentric adults with their own hopes and dreams. It also seems to be set in an imaginary country. Amelia’s two friends, Eugenie and Kevin, don’t seem to play much of a role in the storyline, unlike Hazel Green’s group of friends. Eugenie, the comic relief character, does have her own personality and strong opinions about how one behaves towards a princess. She also imagines long conversations between herself and the princess, though the others know that nothing happened. She has a tendency to make the boring choice at the ice cream and juice shops when the three friends are discussing what’s happening.
Mostly, though, the two of them are just there to help Amelia think about what is happening. It would have been more interesting if they had done something, but this seems to be Amelia’s story.
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is a gentle story with some positive messages. If there’s no laugh-out-loud comedy, there are still smiles to be had from Mr. and Mrs. Dee and Eugenie. It’s about making the most of the life you have and giving happiness to others, leaving bitterness behind. | March 2008"
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed by Pat Pledger for readplus.com.au
"A beautiful bronze peacock lamp hangs above Amelia Dee's staircase and if she stands on the banister she can see the intricate carved animals and a secret opening. When her yoga Master Master L K Vishwanath, introduces her to his pupil, the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri, Amelia discovers that she is not the only person to know about the secrets of the lamp.
Hirsch has described a set of engaging character and eccentric characters who live in suburbia. Her father is an inventor and her mother makes sculptures. Amelia Dee writes stories that no one ever reads until she presents her story about the peacock lamp to the Princess and captures her attention. The yoga master with his deeply spiritual approach to life poses many questions for Amelia to ponder about life and change
The story is written in an accessible style with lots of dialogue, and the younger reader will read on to find out about the peacock lamp and to savour Amelia's stories. However more mature readers will be left thinking about the philosophical beliefs of the Yoga master and considering the impact of life choices and life style of the people around her.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story about Amelia Dee. It is a book for thoughtful readers who will become engaged in Amelia's journey of self discovery and the road back from bitterness and hatred for the Princess."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed by Pages & Pages Booksellers
"Our "Children's Book-of-the-Month". Amelia Dee lives in a house on Marburg Street, with a rare Peacock Lamp outside her bedroom door. Her father is an inventor, her mother is a sculptor, and the enigmatic LK Vishwanath practises yoga in her garden. Amelia herself has a lively curiosity and a talent for writing. The Peacock Lamp soon draws Amelia into its web and she meets the unpleasant Princess Parvin Kha-Douri who is also fixated by the lamp. A funny, touching, thought-provoking novel, peopled with memorable characters and pulsing with ideas. Chris and Renee"
The book reviewed by Natalie Crawford for Boomerangbooks.com
"Odo Hirsch’s latest novel takes us into the world of Amelia Dee, a young girl in the suburbs with an extraordinary neighbour—yoga Master L K Vishwanath. The action begins as Amelia’s curiosity about one of the Master’s students leads her to the original owner of the beautiful peacock lamp that hangs in her house. As the story develops, so does Amelia’s understanding of the Master’s beliefs and it is through her eyes that the reader navigates the spiritual landscape. Hirsch has created strong and credible characters in this fairly ambitious novel although the significant spiritual element to the story may make it difficult for some readers to grasp. The language and narrative style of the novel help to make the story more accessible as does the inclusion of Amelia’s own stories.
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is a thoughtful novel which will be well received in both retail and library environments. Suitable for ages nine-plus, this novel would be quite suitable for older readers because of the fairly advanced conceptual elements within. Although the novel may, at times, become overly philosophical, the strength and earnestness of the characters make this a delightful read that would make an ideal book club choice."
Natalie Crawford is the children’s specialist at Dymocks Claremont, WA
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed by Gleebooks
"An inquisitive child of creative parents, Amelia is intrigued by her enigmatic downstairs neighbour Mr Vishwanath, with his cryptic Zen comments, his veiled yoga studio and his sole student - an elderly woman who arrives in a stately chauffeur-driven car. Also of fascination is the ornate lamp hanging outside Amelia's bedroom; the peacock lamp whose detailed swirls inspire so many of the stories Amelia secretly writes. The awful day when Amelia invades the privacy of a yoga session prompts a new strand of story, marked by Amelia's shame and her reluctant apology which weaves a strange connection between Amelia, her treasured peacock lamp, and the mysterious elderly woman who is a princess in exile. Can people really change? With feather-delicate skill Hirsch explores wisdom, pride, empathy and imagination throughout this humorous tale of growth. Amelia is the constant around which her friends Kevin and Eugenie (such opposites!), and her parents with their creative differences revolve. This determined protagonist within the embrace of her community harkens back to Hirsch's earlier books such as Madlenka and his Hazel Green stories, although Amelia Dee gains much greater self knowledge. Welcome back Odo Hirsch!"
The book reviewed by Jane Connolly for Riverbend Books
"Odo Hirsch is at his best with Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp. A rare bronze lamp hangs outside Amelia Dee's bedroom door. It intrigues Amelia who longs to know its history and origins. When she meets Princess Parvin Kha Douri the puzzle of the lamp becomes even more perplexing. As Amelia sets out to solve the mystery she encounters many memorable characters."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
The book reviewed for Borders by Molly, aged 14
"Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is a very intriguing book.
Amelia Dee lives in a green house in Marburg street, the architect designed the house a long time ago expecting the area to boom in later years. Amelia's house is tall and narrow and since the house has been made it has always been green, different shades of green over time, but always green. Just outside Amelia's room an amazing lamp hangs, too high for anyone to see, too old for anyone to know how it got there. The lamp is too high for anyone to see its intricate detail.
Amelia is an only child, her mother is an artist who spends a lot of time in her studio, her father an inventor, he spends most of his time in the back shed, leaving Amelia able to thinking-up way in which she thought the lamp could've made its way up their. Throughout the book Amelia learns more and more about the lamp that has lead to so many imaginary stories. "
Comment by Angelica on menashalibrary.org
"Dear Odo, I've just started reading Amelia Dee and the peacock lamp. It is one of the best books I've ever read, I was wondering how u thought of such an interesting book!!!"
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Reviews by teachers for the book: as seen at http://www.allenandunwin.com
"The lamp hangs outside her room on the third floor, above the staircase, and Amelia Dee has worked out a way of seeing it more closely. If she holds onto her door frame, and stands on the banister, she has a closer view of the lamp with its wondrous carved animals. And peering as close as she is able, she can see it has a secret opening, but this is just beyond her grasp.
Downstairs lives Mr Vishwanath who teaches yoga, but seemingly only to one person, the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri, who comes in a chauffeur driven cream car, once a week. Invited to meet the princess, Amelia is told by her friend, Eugenie, that she needs to take a gift, and so she takes along her story, the one about the lamp, a story she has never told.
Amelia’s story has repercussions beyond anything she could have imagined. The princess knows the lamp, and recalls painful memories from her past. Her bitterness at the loss of her family and country has cast a pall over her life, but Amelia’s second story impels her along a path of reconciliation.
The enigmatic Mr Vishwanath offers Amelia explanations in the form of homilies which she cannot understand, but must consider and reorder in her mind to gain some enlightenment, rather like the book, which encourages readers to stop and think, ponder and discuss meanings and repercussions of people’s actions on others’ lives.
Odo Hirsch is an inventive and compelling writer who draws the reader into the small world he creates, peopling it with characters convincingly real. His microcosm is a fable for the world, as he shows that simple gifts can help others along the road to forgiveness and peace. (10+)"
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Fran Knight, SA
"This book is a delight to read. As usual, Odo Hirsch has delivered a wonderful story. Amelia lives in a green house on Marburg Street, where a rare bronze lamp hangs outside. She thinks that her neighbour, Mr Vishwanath [the yoga teacher], must be a failure, because he never seems to have any students – except for a cranky old Princess in exile. Her name is Princess Parvin Kha-Douri. From the moment the Princess and Amelia meet, they dislike one another. However, when the Princess sees the peacock lamp at Amelia’s house, a mysterious connection becomes clear.
Older girls will love this quirky Australian novel about defining yourself, rather than depending on others to do it for you. Recommended for age 10 and up"
Pauline Dunn, Mountain District Christian School, VIC
"Why is it that whenever we hear the word, ‘lamp’, we instinctively envision the mythical tales of genies and wishes associated with infinitive wealth? But what if the wish was simply to find happiness and the granter of such a wish came in the form of a young girl named Amelia Dee.
Amelia Dee lives a green house on Marburg Street. Upstairs, outside her bedroom door, hangs a rare bronze lamp which, she imagines, is as old as the house itself. Yet, Amelia’s vivid imagination could never forewarn her that the lamp with no apparent history, other than the fictional tales she hides in her drawer, will eventually lead her to its owner, whose history is as regal as the lamp itself.
Hirsch has created a superb blend of characters that represent the very things Amelia needs to find in herself, from her closest friends, Eugenie, the dreamer to Kevin, the realist. These individuals create equilibrium for Amelia, who is swaying between the choice to reveal her secret or maintain her silence. From her mother, the bold expressionist whose art moves through phases like the tides of Amelia’s own emotions, to her father, the brave inventor who aims to make the world a better place by simply moving forward. And finally, the yoga master, Mr Vishwanath, whose innate wisdom inadvertently leads Amelia in the right direction.
This novel is the wonderful translation of Amelia’s search for self and how her personal journey eventually helps another to find the happiness that was lost many years ago.
The story focuses on many topis including family, friendship, empathy and emotion. It opens possibilities for projects which explore monarchies around the world, along with their rise and fall. It is also an ideal novel for individuals who have experienced change or loss, and may also provide opportunities for creative writing experiences regarding emotions and memories. Individuals could also concentrate on creating their own history for the lamp and how it came to hang in the green house on Marburg Street.
Amelia’s tale of ‘The Happy Lamp’ is a significant turning point for the story. It is as though the very happiness of the princess is to be found amongst its pages, as Amelia eventually finds her own way to shine. Those who dream to walk in the shoes of the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri know that finding happiness can be a lifelong search...but the light that shines from the peacock lamp outside Amelia Dee’s bedroom will always offer a story to smile at."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Linda Zammit, Trinity Grammar School, VIC
"Once again, reminiscent of the Hazel Green books, Odo Hirsch has created a strong female character in Amelia Dee. She is a contemplative child, and her observations and ponderings give the story an unhurried pace. Almost the whole story takes place in and around Amelia’s unusual green, four storey house. The other characters, an inventor father, an eccentric sculptor mother, Mr Vishwanath the yoga master, the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri, and Amelia’s friends, Kevin and Eugenie, are all unusual in their own way. In fact, the only “normal” characters are the housekeeper, Mrs Ellis, and Amelia herself, who likes to write stories.
The peacock lamp becomes central as a link between Amelia and the Princess, and is instrumental in Amelia’s emergence as a writer of stories. Through their fascination with the lamp, both Amelia and the Princess learn more about themselves. One of the key lessons learnt in the book is commented upon by Mr Vishwanath when he says: “When we need other people to tell us we are important, we have lost sight of who we are. We do not know ourselves. We only know ourselves by what other people tell us.”
Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp is a solid read for the more mature child. It is slow-moving, and has neither suspense nor excitement in the plot to keep the reader hooked. Its appeal may not be to the taste of the average child, as the concepts explored are more adult in nature. I found it to be a satisfying, if unexciting, read."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Marie Miegel, The Glennie School – Junior Years, QLD
"This is a delightful tale, of Amelia Dee and her quirky family: Mother who pursues artistic phases, making sculptures which are only exhibited in the garden and Father who is an inventor but never really expects his creations to be successful. Mrs Ellis brings normality and stability to the household and keeps Amelia fixed in reality. They share their grand old mansion with Mr Vishwanath, the eccentric yoga teacher who is happy to wait for pupils to come to him rather than actively recruit them. His one student is Princess Parvin Kha-Douri who intrigues Amelia. The Princess is reclusive, irascible but intriguing, so Amelia manoeuvers to meet her and cheer her up. The catalyst for this is the large bronze lamp, hanging in the stairwell outside her bedroom door, which has fascinated Amelia all her life and allowed her to create imaginary worlds in her head and in her writings. Amelia gives the Princess the only story she has ever shared with anyone and as a result, the Princess finds the courage to return to her home country from her self-imposed exile. Hirsch has created a wonderful cast of characters and this book would be an excellent entrée to the study of characterisation. A good companion and comparative book would be Hirsch’s first novel, Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman which shares a similar theme: a child able to facilitate the healing of adults’ emotional traumas. Several other themes could be explored: exiles and refugees; the causes and effects of political unrest; family relationships; friendships (peers as well as inter-generational); memories. The book could be a springboard for creative writing though it would not necessarily enthuse everyone.
As is often the case with Odo Hirsch’s writing, this slow-paced but thoughtful novel will appeal to mature young readers and reflective teenagers, rather than those who expect a faced paced narrative. However this does not detract from the enjoyment which it will bring for the right readers."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Maureen Mann, TAS
"Amelia Dee’s immediate world is quite different from the “norm”. Amelia’s mother is a sculptor who is consumed by her work and ever-changing phases. Her father is a somewhat absent-minded inventor – luckily with one successful invention to his name. The house they live in is an ornamental, green, four-storey construction situated in the middle of a street of plain, single-storey dwellings. And in the house, right outside Amelia’s bedroom, hangs a large bronze lamp – the peacock lamp.
The first floor of Amelia’s house is let to Mr Vishwanath – a yoga instructor who generates much town gossip due to the fact that he only seems to have one student. Mr Vishwanath spends many of his non-teaching hours meditating in Amelia’s backyard and providing Amelia with food for thought through his short, and often cryptic, utterances. It is also Mr Vishwanath who introduces Amelia to the Princess Parvin Kha-Douri – and so the mystery of the peacock lamp and its previous owner (the Princess) deepens. With a little encouragement from Mr Vishwanath, Amelia takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of the lamp’s secret – and in doing so, discovers that her own secret is nothing to be ashamed of.
Although very enchanting, occasionally humorous, and a lovely story about discovering yourself, the Year 6 students whom I read this story to were not as enthralled by the characters and descriptions as I’d hoped. The story would probably benefit from a more thorough examination by senior primary/middle school students – with the time taken to point them in the direction of the ideas and themes it contains; or simply as a beautiful story to be read for sheer enjoyment to middle primary students. The story itself brings with it many opportunities to engage in artistic activities which explore the book’s main themes (or simply to recreate the lamp) as well as to initiate creative writing experiences which tell the stories within the lamp."
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Kellie Nissen, Evatt Primary School, ACT
"The mysterious peacock lamp hanging over the top-floor landing outside Amelia Dee’s bedroom is exquisitely wrought from bronze. Amelia wonders how such a marvel has come to be in the old green house she shares with her eccentric parents, a no-nonsense housekeeper and the enigmatic Mr Viswanath, a yoga teacher with just one student. Amelia is sure she will be able to solve the mystery of its origins. Then, when she meets Mr Vishwanath’s student, the icy Princess Parvin Kha-Douri, a refugee from her past and any feelings of hope, Amelia begins a journey of discovery about life, love, friendship and her own place in the world. The lamp, in the end, is the key to everything.
There is much humour with a wonderful cast of characters including Amelia’s unreliable parents (her mother is a passionate sculptor, closeted in her studio, endlessly creating pieces to fill the back yard, while her father is a distracted inventor, liable to blow up the shed at any time), her loyal, but slightly left-of-centre friends Kevin and Eugenie, the housekeeper, Mrs Ellis, who doesn’t live in the house, but “almost might as well”, and Mr Vishwanath, a gentle guide as Amelia struggles to understand what is happening in her life. Finally, there are Odo Hirsch’s gentle philosophical explorations of individuality, honesty, the healing power of good relationships and his metaphor of the power of story.
Activities:
• Explore themes/ethical questions of honesty, individuality
• Read and write short stories about being new/being outcast/starting again – explore how this must feel (eg, refugees/moving town/starting at a new school)
• Look at metaphors in this story, how they add to meaning and create some for a story or poem
• Consider fables and their power to teach; try writing one individually or as a class"
Back to Top (Click Here!)
Kim Kitson, Valley View Public School, NSW
Buy the book at the following places:
Purchase an ebook edition from an ebookseller
Buy the book from Angus & Robertson online
Buy the book from Readings online
Buy the book or download online from Dymocks
Buy the book from Reader's Feast
Buy the book from Abbey's Bookshop
Buy the book from Network Educational Australia
Buy the book from Book Abyss
Buy the book from Harleys
Buy the book from Booksurf
Buy the book from Lamont
Book titles performed in the past by 'Tony Bones Entertainment include:
SHORT LISTED “BOOK OF THE YEAR” PICTURE BOOKS PERFORMED
2007 "Water Witcher" by Jan Ormerod
2006 "Irving the Magician" by Tohby Riddle
2005 "At the Beach - Postcards from Crabby Spit" by Roland Harvey
2004 "Milli, Jack and the Dancing Cat" by Stephen Michael King
2003 "Bear and Chook" by Lisa Shanahan & Emma Quay
2002 "Horrible Harriet" by Leigh Hobbs
2001 "The Singing Hat" by Tohby Riddle
SHORT LISTED “BOOK OF THE YEAR” YOUNGER READER’S BOOKS PERFORMED
2007 "Being Bee" by Catherine Bateson
2006 "To The Light" by Pat Flynn
2005 "Billy Mack's War" by James Roy
2004 "Stella by the Sea” by Ruth Starke
2003 "Tom Jones Saves the World" by Steven Herrick
2002 "My Story - A Different Sort of Real, The Diary of Charlotte McKenzie, Melbourne, 1918" by Kerry Greenwood
2001 "Something's Fishy, Hazel Green!" by Odo Hirsch
2000 "Captain Mack" by James Roy
SHORT LISTED “BOOK OF THE YEAR” OLDER READER’S BOOKS PERFORMED
2002 "When Dogs Cry" by Markus Zusak
2001 "Touch Me" by James Moloney
2000 "Tyro" by David McRobbie
You can visit the CBCA at their website at www.cbc.org.au
|
