History, upside-down!
Teaming up with author Alison Lloyd, Terry has illustrated three books on the amazing, funny, heroic and unusual histories of Australia and China.
Read the un-put-down-able history of Down Under: unexpected, heroic and sometimes tragic.
But never ever boring.
The story of Australia starts with a piece of land that went for a swim. About 200 million years ago it floated away from Africa. Very, very, slowly. It was home to dinosaurs and giant animals, then the first Australians showed up and got comfortable. And for a long time this wild and wonderful land was a mystery to the rest of the world. Until the English decided it would make the best jail ever…
Funny, heroic and tragic – the story of our country from prehistory to federation.
Winner of the 2019 NSW Premier's History Awards, Young People’s History Prize.
Imagine you're made king at the age of twelve.
You have plenty of enemies.
You have a million soldiers armed with all kinds of awesome weapons, you have tons of gold and a network of spies. What would you do with all that power?
It happened to a real boy, who made himself China's first emperor. He was brilliant and brutal. His legend, and the stories of his wicked warriors, have lived on for thousands of years. You might call him evil, but when empires are at stake, people do incredible things.
Fascinating dip into Chinese history, full of facts, fun and gore! Perfect children's book for kids aged 9 and up.
For anyone who likes their history funny, gruesome, action-packed and thrilling: the true page-turning story of the end of the Qing empire.
When an unknown girl marries the Emperor of China, can she take control and stay in power? Could you?
Imagine you were faced with: Dragons, Emperors who had run China for two thousand years, Devils, strange foreigners invading with guns and ships, and Rebels, Chinese bandits and warriors with supernatural powers…
Enter the dragon empire and explore the epic, true story of Empress Cixi. By the creators of Wicked Warriors and Evil Emperors.
This unique and lively introduction to Australian history combines modern interpretations with entertaining detail for an innovative approach to our national story. Avoiding the dry narrative that has bored generations of school children, The Upside-down History of Down Under, finds the humour and pathos in Australian history through bite-size accounts of important moments, interesting characters and absorbing facts. Ranging from the separation of Gondwana 200 million years ago to Federation in 1901, and from Aboriginal hand-signs to the Rum Rebellion, this is a history with something for all young readers.
Alison Lloyd's witty and absorbing prose is beautifully matched by Terry Denton's irreverent illustrations, and the text is complemented by lists, maps, timelines, quizzes, and even a series of upside-down footnotes, which artfully draw the reader into the act of reading. Just as important, The Upside-down History employs scholarly insights—from deep history, post-colonialism, and feminism—to tell a contemporary story for a diverse nation. The dead white men are put in their place.
Above all this is a book that puts its readers first. Equally engaging read cover-to-cover, or opened at random, The Upside-Down History, will delight and surprise. It makes Australian history fun.
~ Judges comments for the NSW Premiers History Award