Hello from Nowhere
Raewyn Caisley and Karen Blair
SYNOPSIS:
A moving celebration of the Australian outback and the special connection between
grandparent and grandchild.
Eve thought that living in the middle of nowhere was better than living anywhere else in
the world...
Only one thing made Eve sad. She hadn't seen Nan since they left the city long ago.
Eve lives in a roadhouse in the middle of the Nullarbor and when her Nan visits one day,
Eve shows her all the things that are special about where she lives.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Raewyn Caisley was born in New Zealand but has lived in Australia for the past twenty years, in
Fremantle, WA, with her husband Terry and their son Jack. Raewyn is the author of books for
younger readers that include bestselling Aussie Bites and Nibbles titles such as Monkey Trix, The
Big Waves, The Mermaid's Tail and Tai's Penguin, and The Queen's Cubby. She is also the
author of junior sports fiction titles Not Cricket, In Union, Karate Star, Tennis Star, Great Lead,
Hot Shot and Top Marks.
Hello From Nowhere was inspired by the year she and her husband lived in the outback. That
was the year she discovered there are still places on earth where animals will come and look at
you because they haven't learned to be afraid, where you can leave a footprint in the dirt and it
will stay there until it rains (which could be a long time), and where people can have more
remarkable adventures than any writer could ever dream up!
www.raewyncaisley.com
About the illustrator
Karen grew up in Perth, Western Australia. She made her first picture book when she was nine
for a Year 5 project, and by the time she was in her 20s and living in the UK, she knew it was her
dream to continue. She now lives in Fremantle with her husband and two cats and works parttime as a primary art teacher. Recent titles include CBCA Honour Book With Nan, written by
Tania Cox; Granny Grommet and Me by Dianne Wolfer; Baby Beats and Baby Animal Farm, both
of which were written and illustrated by Karen.
STUDY NOTES/ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHERS
Pre-reading:
 What do we mean by the term ‘The Middle of Nowhere?
 What would life be like in the Australian outback?
 Imagine that you moved there from the city. What would you miss most?
 What can you see in the illustration on the end pages? What does this tell you
about life in the outback?
 What would it be like to live in a town with only 5 people in it?
 How does this street sign add humour to the story?
 What does it tell us about Nowhere?
Page 2-3
 What atmosphere is created by the colour on this page?
 What sort of life does Eve have?
 Who are her friends in this town?
 What sort of people would pass through the road house or service station in
Nowhere?
 Why would they be there?
P4-5
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P6-7
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P8-9
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Why does Livestock have to stay indoors? What does this reveal about the
weather in Nowhere?
Despite the fact that Eve has no one to play with other than the animals, how does
she appear?
What would be the positive things about living where she does?
How is Eve’s life different from yours?
Eve says that there were always plenty of people around. What sorts of people
come through their roadhouse?
How might this be more interesting than living with more people, but the same
ones every day?
What sort of education would Eve get living in Nowhere?
Who are the grandparents setting off on new adventures?
What term is commonly given to these people?
What sort of mood would these people be in?
How would they most likely treat Eve?
Why do the truck drivers stop at Nowhere?
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What sort of stories and jokes do you think they might tell?
P10-11
 What sort of child does Eve appear to be?
 What does she love about living in Nowhere?
 How does the vast space and the repetition of the image of Eve add to the sense of
nothingness?
 What would you do to entertain yourself if you lived in Nowhere?
P12-13
 What would be the best parts about living in Nowhere for Eve?
 Imagine that you are Eve lying by the billabong. What do you see, hear, smell and
think?
 What sorts of animals live in Nowhere? What does that tell us about the
environment?
 How do the colours create mood on these pages?
P14-15
 Why does Nan not want to come to visit Eve in Nowhere?
 Why might a postcard from Eve help to change Nan’s mind?
 Why does Eve write to her Nan rather than ring her up?
P16-17
 How does the mood change as Eve waits for her Nan to reply?
 How does the use of colour and images help to create this mood?
 How would Eve feel as each bus load of people arrived and left?
 Write Eve’s diary as she waits each day for her Nan.
P18-19
 How does Eve react to seeing her Nan?
 Why do you think Nan changed her mind and came to visit them in Nowhere?
 Why does Eve give Nan the biggest hug she had ever given anyone?
P20-21
 How different would it be for Eve to do all the usual things she does, but now
with her Nan by her side?
 What sort of bond does Eve share with her Nan?
 Who would you miss most if you moved away? Why are things more enjoyable if
they are there, even if they are the same things you always do?
 Why is it better to share experiences with a loved one?
P22-23
 Nan didn’t want to come to Nowhere because she thought there would be nothing
to do. How is she proven wrong?
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Who are the travellers from up the road?
What opportunities and experiences does Nan have in Nowhere that she could
never have had if she hadn’t visited?
How does Nan feel while she is in Nowhere? How do her expressions, actions and
body language support this?
P24-25
 What ‘magic’ is there in Nowhere?
 How would you feel watching 200 kangaroos?
 The kangaroos are right next to the highway. What does this tell you about their
relationship with the people and their confidence in their surroundings?
P26-27
 How does this illustration help to add to the sense of magic?
 Why do the stars appear to be more spectacular in places like Nowhere?
 How would it make you feel to stand where Eve and her Nan are standing?
P28-29
 How do you feel when Nan has to leave?
 How does Eve’s father appear on this page?
 Will life be the same for Eve after Nan has gone?
30-31
 What promise does Nan make to Eve?
 Why will that change the way she feels when Nan goes?
End pages
 How is this page different from the illustration on the other end page at the start of
the book?
 What is in each of these illustrations?
 How does this help the story end on a happy note?
 What is the significance of the red line that joins Nan and Eve on the map?
Activity
 Now that Nan has visited Eve and her father in Nowhere, she will understand so
much more when Eve tells her about it in her letters. Write a series of letters or
postcards sent between Eve and Nan that keeps Nan informed about all of the
interesting events in Nowhere. Join with another student so that one can write the
letters from Eve and one the letters from Nan.
 Imagine that you have a pen pal. Write him/her a series of letters or postcards
describing all the things that you most enjoy doing where you live.
 Draw your favourite things about your neighbourhood as Eve has done on the end
pages.