Swan Lake

By Anne Spudvilas, Allen and Unwin, 2017.

Divided into three acts, the children’s picture book, Swan Lake, follows a similar format to the ballet. This is a clever structural technique used by the author/illustrator.

The book has slightly more pages than a traditional picture book, the pages are thicker, and the book overall has a high-quality feel to it.

This iconic ballet is a tragic love story of a princess who is turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. The book is set against the riverscape of the Murray-Darling basin, the longest river in Australia. Anne Spudvilas depicts this classic tale of passion, betrayal, and heartbreak with elegant and dramatic illustrations.

Swan Lake is a classic story folded into a modern format.

Awards

Shortlisted for Picture Book of the Year 2018 by Children’s Book Council of Australia.