ASO READER’S NOTES
TITLE:
THE CLEO STORIES: The Necklace and The Present
AUTHOR:
Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood
PUBLISHER: Allen & Unwin
PRICE:
A$16.99
ISBN:
9781743315279
PUB DATE: October 2014
AUDIENCE: 5-8
READER:
Carolyn Walsh, Allen & Unwin
SYNOPSIS:
Cleo is a charming and bright five-year-old who uses her imagination to solve life’s little
challenges.
In the first of the two stories in this volume, Cleo goes to her best friend Nick’s birthday
party where she finds Sophie and Isabella talking about their new sparkly necklaces. Cleo
suddenly really, really wants one too but when she gets home her mum tells her that she will
have to wait for her birthday. So what is a girl to do but put her mind to the problem and find
a solution? Which Cleo does…with surprisingly delightful results.
The second story revolves around the problem of what to get for your mum’s birthday when
you only have $1.60 in your piggy bank. Cleo tackles this challenge with her trademark verve
and imagination and comes up with a solution that is literally ‘straight out of the box’.
AUTHOR STYLE:
Using simple, short sentences, aided by the immediacy of present tense, Libby Gleeson hits
the mark here for emerging and newly confident readers. Cleo’s frustrations will ring true to
little girls everywhere, but her solutions will surprise and delight adults and children alike
with their simplicity and cleverness.
Freya Blackwood's pencil and watercolour illustrations, combined with her mix of soft pastel
tones and warm colours, provide a warm, timeless mood and seamlessly work with the text to
extend and enhance every scene.
CREATORS’ MOTIVATION:
‘These stories were motivated by the creative play of Ivy, Freya Blackwood’s daughter. It
reminded me of the same sort of play of my own children, especially Josephine, when they
were small. The first story, the necklace, really happened although I have added some
details.’
Libby Gleeson
‘Like Cleo, Ivy has always had a lovely creative streak, so The Cleo Stories became a vessel
for me to remember and record some of her little creations. Most content when surrounded by
toilet rolls and sticky tape, Ivy’s favourite time was spent in her playroom making an
enormous mess and brilliant creations. So Cleo’s bedroom is littered with similar creations –
a teddy bear with a paper mane or a beak, toilet rolls with wings attached (but never butterfly
wings, always bat wings), a mask.
‘I‘ve always respected Libby’s liberal attitude. I was thrilled to read that Uncle Tom has
tattooed arms and that Cleo’s friend Nick wants tattoos when he is older. I have a good laugh
when I think what some parents’ reactions to that will be!
‘I also enjoy the characters Libby creates, and Cleo was no exception. She is such a
refreshing and very realistic character, and I had fun fleshing her out, using Ivy as inspiration.
Cleo often wears a set of rabbit or cat ears and an odd assortment of garments. She doesn’t
want to wear the nice summer dress but something mismatched and inappropriate.
‘Essentially, the value in these stories for me is that Cleo is encouraged to be creative and
resilient, by not getting everything she asks for. Parents are faced with constant requests for
things and saying no can bring about ingenious solutions. I see it all the time in Ivy’s
playroom!’
Freya Blackwood
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LIBBY GLEESON AM has published over 30 popular, highly acclaimed books for children
and teenagers, been shortlisted for 13 CBCA Awards, and won three. Libby has been a
teacher and lecturer and contributes regularly to national conferences. She chaired the
Australian Society of Authors from 1999-2001, and in 2007 was awarded membership to the
Order of Australia. She won the 2011 Dromkeen Medal, awarded for contributions to
children's literature. And in 2013 was awarded the Prime Minister’s Literary Award.
FREYA BLACKWOOD grew up in Orange, NSW. The daughter of a painter and an
architect, she began drawing at a young age. She produced many illustrated books at school,
but completed a design degree and became interested in filmmaking. She worked for several
years in the special effects industry in Sydney and Wellington, NZ, before eventually
returning to illustration. In 2010, Freya won the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal for Harry
and Hopper.
EDUCATIONAL APPLICABILITY:
Themes include: family, creative play, imagination, pets, friends.
Suggestions for discussion and classroom activities:

Before reading The Cleo Stories examine the front cover. What sort of story do you
think this is going to be? Happy or sad? Funny or serious? Who is it going to be
about? Come up with some words to describe this person. What, in the picture, gives a
clue to the answer to all these questions?

Cleo and the necklace: Look at the picture of Cleo drawing a birthday card for Nick.
Apart from a big number six, ask students what else might she be drawing or writing
on the card? What colours would they use to decorate a card for their best friend?

Turn to the first page of the party scene. Everyone is looking at Isabella’s bought card
and no one is paying attention to the card Cleo has made. How do you think she feels?
What in the illustration tells you that she feels this way?

Have you ever wanted something ‘really, truly’ like Cleo? Look at the four pictures of
Cleo on pp 12-13 and in your own words explain how she is feeling in each picture.

Pause the story at the point in which you read, ‘Then she had an idea’ and ask your
students if they can guess what idea Uncle Tom’s tattoos might have sparked. Now
read on and see if any students correctly guessed what Cleo’s idea would be.

Cleo and the present: In a general discussion talk about why we give presents to
people and why we like to find the perfect present for someone. Ask students what
presents they have given their parents and how they chose them.

Explain that when Cleo says her brain is ‘as empty as my shoes are when I take my
feet out’ on page 33 she is using a simile. Ask students to come up with other similes
to ‘As empty as …’, ‘As tall as….,’ ‘As wide as…’.

Look at the pictures of Cleo using superglue on pages 46-47 and explain what is
happening in each picture.

Pause the story at the point in which you read, ‘And then she has a wonderful idea’
and ask your students if they can guess what her idea might be. Hint: if they are
struggling point out that Cleo’s mum has just said that she (Cleo) is the best present
her mum had ever received. Now read on and see if they have guessed what Cleo’s
present would be.

In both stories Cleo has ‘used her brain’ to solve a problem that looked unsolvable.
Ask students to explain in their own words each problem and how she came to solve
it.
MARKETING AND SELLING POINTS:

Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood are widely read and respected by teachers and
librarians nationally.

Review copies of The Cleo Stories will be mailed broadly to relevant media.

The book will be featured in mailings and newsletters to schools and is on the Allen &
Unwin website.

The book will be advertised in the October issue of Literature Base magazine.