ASO READER’S NOTES
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Hush Treasure Book
Hush Foundation
Allen & Unwin
A $29.99
9781760112790
July 2015
3-10
Carolyn Walsh, Allen & Unwin
Synopsis:
A glorious collection of stories, poems and pictures from thirty favourite storytellers:
Nick Bland, Karen Briggs, Kevin Burgemeestre, Michael Camilleri, Jackie French, Jane
Godwin, Bob Graham, Jacqui Grantford, Mark Greenwood, Ann James, Danny Katz, Fran?
Lessac, Alison Lester, Chris McKimmie, Doug McLeod, Glenda Millard, Stephen Michael
King, Tohby Riddle, Victoria Rohan, Judith Rossell, Paul Seden, Craig Smith, Shaun Tan,
Jane Tanner, Karen Tayleur, Mitch Vane, Julie Vivas, Anna Walker, Bruce Whatley,
Margaret Wild
From the forward matter of The Hush Treasure Book:
‘Hush is Australia’s charity for bringing together music and medicine. Founded in 2000 by
Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital physician Catherine Crock, Hush has produced
fourteen albums of original music to bring peace and hope to patients and their families…
‘With the Hush Treasure Book – a collection of short stories and illustrations by creators
from all around Australia who have been inspired by the Hush vision of better patient care –
Hush has expanded into an exciting new medium.’
And from the introduction by Catherine Crock:
‘…Some of these stories are truly moving: others, just plain silly! This collection is a jumble
of joy and reflection, a mixture that will whisk you away to a magical place.’
Style:
From inspiring verse to downright silly couplets, evocative narratives to a maze page drawn
by Judith Rossell…and even a recipe (of sorts), The Hush Treasure Book has a little of
everything and something for everyone. But this variety never distracts from the sense of
peace and hope that lies at the book’s centre. Careful editing and ordering, combined with
predominantly soft colours and lines, creates a pleasing narrative and pictorial flow that
draws and maintains the reader’s interest throughout.
Everyone will have a favourite piece: perhaps Glenda Millard and Stephen Michael King's
simple but profound unnamed poem and matching illustration, or the cadences and insightful
message of ‘ward’ by Shaun Tan (along with his beautiful drawing of a watching, waiting
owl).
Author Background:
Physician Dr Catherine Crock founded the Hush Music Foundation while working with
children with cancer at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.
She decided more could be done to reduce distress and promote an atmosphere of healing and
peace, so she brought together some of Australia's foremost professional musicians and
composers with an inspiring vision. This network of talented individuals volunteered their
time to create a collection of unique albums to help young patients and their families.
The result is HUSH's collection of musical albums, designed to inspire hope and calm in
people of all ages. HUSH has provided the albums to every children's hospital in Australia
and many internationally where it is used in treatment rooms, operating theatres and waiting
areas. Now HUSH has expanded its work into another branch of the arts: this Hush Treasure
Book is the result.
Dr Crock has received many awards for this work, including the 2014 Art Music Award for
Individual Excellence for her contributions to music.
Suggestions for classroom discussion and application:
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Before opening The Hush Treasure Book, consider the title and cover design. Discuss
what sort of story this might be; for instance, will it be happy or sad, funny or serious,
set in a real or fantasy world? What visual clues on the cover help you come to that
conclusion? Now look at the title of the book and discuss the key words. How is the
word ‘Treasure’ presented in the image? What does the word ‘Hush’ mean and is
there anything in the image or colours used to remind you of it?
Introduce the concept behind The Hush Treasure Book to your students and explain
that this is a collection of stories, poems and pictures to help sick children in hospital
cope with their anxiety about being away from home and in the midst of a scary
situation. Read a short extract from Dr Catherine Crock’s introduction, ‘Some of these
stories are truly moving: others, just plain silly! This collection is a jumble of joy and
reflection, a mixture that will whisk you away to a magical place.’ Now look at the
cover image again and find aspects that make you think about being ‘whisked away to
a magical place.’
Ask your class if anyone has ever had to stay in hospital. How did they feel when
their parents were with them? How did they feel when they were alone? Were the
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doctors and nurses a bit scary? What did they think about the machines being used? Is
it noisy or quiet there? If no one has spent time in hospital, talk about being sick and
the feelings that often go along with illness, such as loneliness, sadness, anger and
confusion.
Turn to the double-page spread by Tohby Riddle called ‘The Elephant Bird’. Do you
really think there is such a thing as an elephant bird? If not, could this type of bird be
representing something else? Given that the book is about illness, could it be that?
Now re-read the story and discuss how knowing that the bird is illness changes its
whole meaning.
Look at the double-page spread story by Chris McKimmie on pp 40–41. As with the
Tohby Riddle story, illness is represented here as something else. What do you think
that something is? Why do you think author has written about ‘My baked beans, my
sardines, my ice-creams…’ falling out? Why do you think he has written the word
‘fall’ on the page like that?
Is the owl real in Shaun Tan’s story, ‘ward’? If not, what do you think it really is? Is it
scary or comforting? Find lines in the poem that make you think that.
Why do you think the story of Dot the Tot on pp 32–34 might be in a book designed
for ill kids in hospital? (Hint: when might you need to be very still for a doctor?)
Write a simple narrative to ‘explain’ the story by Bruce Whatley on pp 44–45.
Which story, poem or image in The Hush Treasure Book is your favourite? What does
it make you feel when you read it? Imagine you have a friend who is very sick, and
write a story or poem to make them feel better. (During this activity, try playing the
Hush CD in class while your students are working quietly.)
Write and illustrate an acrostic poem using the word HOSPITAL.