The role of a picture book for a society is to reflect the culture and attitude most required for nurturing the generations who read them, therefor they are unique to every country or community in which they are made. After having this discussion with my charming acquaintance David Gilbey I found that he wishes to cross several of the cultural boundaries with a future visit to Japan, a place very culturally different to Australia.

David Gilbey is an internationally renowned poet, lecturer and personality who knows his stuff when it comes to anything literature, and has had great influence on myself after enjoying a semester of his class English Literature 1.

Gilbey has lectured in Japan many times over the years about literature and children’s literature through which he shared with us the cultural differences and how they are expressed through the visuals and syntax of each book. Currently Andrew Daddo has swept through Wagga Wagga and one of his works ‘Good Night Me’ made an influence on Mr Gilbey and became what he thought a great tool to use to teach in Japan, due to it being so different from Japanese children’s books.

‘Good Night Me’  is a book written from the heart of Andrew Daddo, this book is reflective of his love for his own child. The character, portrayed as an orangutan in the book, gives the book the ability to be related to by any child of any age, gender or race.

‘Good Night Me’ reflects a new concept to the pastel colored, polite, gentle works of Japanese children’s Authors and Illustrators through the power of Australian vernacular and this attribute is what I think allured Gilbey to come to see such a book useful as a learning tool.

The fundamental difference to Japanese works is the concentration on the individual which is exhibited in many Australian and Western picture/children/young reader books. The trumpeting on the individual is identify the idea that the self or the one is important to the Australian ideas on nurturing young life/parenting. It is these elements that contrast around the role of the self in the community, something that is very important in Japanese society (a defining factor).

The picture books then in subtle ways employ the differences between private and public culture between the two nations and their different ideologies about parenting. ‘Good Night Me’ I think challenges parental stereotypes and norms as it is conveyed in a male speaking voice, not everyone may hear it in a males voice which portrays an Australian males consciousness and masculinity to the story and can in a some ways warp the Japanese perception of Australian fathers roles in society. It can reflect with the parents as they identify themselves in the role of the adult orangutang and identify the wild adventurous spirit that Australia is so well known for all over the world.

Overall it is my opinion that Andrew Daddo’s ‘Good Night Me’ is a work that accurately and positively reflects the Australia male parental persona. Whilst also symbolizing growing and childhood in a uniquely Australian/western sense. The true test of this will be from the use of this book by David Gilbey in Japan which can only exemplify my point and I look forward to discussing the outcome of his trip.

-Brandon