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Peninsula Kids
Home»Spotlight»Local author spotlight : Cassy Polimeni
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Local author spotlight : Cassy Polimeni

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Bayside children’s author Cassy Polimeni doesn’t need an excuse to visit Mornington Peninsula, but the region has taken on new significance for her in recent years.

‘Generations of my family have lived on the peninsula so it’s always been a second home, but I’m spending even more time here these days. I’ve met so many wonderful local authors and illustrators and we catch up regularly to compare notes and support each other. I always visit Farrells Bookshop when I’m in Mornington, and this year got to sign copies of my own book there which was pretty special. Antipodes in Sorrento is wonderful too.’

Cassy dreamed of being an author from an early age, although she took a roundabout route to get there.

‘I used to sneak off when my parents had visitors to read up a tree, so the introvert urge was strong! I remember telling people I wanted to be an author from about the age of seven, and I’ve had a lot of bookish jobs, but it wasn’t until I was 40 that my first book was published.’

Cassy worked as a bookseller, then an assistant at Penguin Books before turning her hand to magazines where she worked for over a decade, including a stint as editor of Destinations Australia.

‘It’s a cliche, but maternity leave allowed me to dip back into writing for fun, rather than avoiding it because I’d already spent all day on a computer. For me this time coincided with the pandemic and the magazine I worked for shutting down, so all of a sudden I had all this time on my hands and all these ideas.’

The inspiration for her debut picture book The Garden at the End of the World came from seeing Adam Liaw visit the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, for an episode of Destination Flavour on SBS.

‘It seemed like something out of a fairytale to me – a treasure trove of seeds hidden in a frozen mountain, surrounded by this incredible Arctic landscape that is home to polar bears and the northern lights. All you can see of the vault from the outside is the entrance, which is lit by a sparkly green art installation.

‘The reason it exists – to maintain biodiversity and food security in the face of war and climate change – is heavy, but hopeful too. That combination of science and magic really captured my imagination. My daughter was two at the time and we were reading a lot of picture books, so the story naturally took that form for me. I was lucky enough to win a national pitching competition (Just Write for Kids Pitch It!), which got the story in front of my publisher, UQP.

‘It’s illustrated by the very talented and award-winning Briony Stewart, and she has done an incredible job bringing the Arctic to life. One of my favourite details are the endpapers which she created using cyanotypes (sun prints) of native plants.

‘The most rewarding thing about publishing a book has been connecting with little readers and watching them engage with the book at kinder visits and library storytimes. They make the best observations and ask the best questions!’

You can find The Garden at the End of the World at all good bookstores, as well as Diggers Club stores throughout Australia, including Dromana.

‘I’ll be appearing at the Harvest Festival at Diggers Dromana from March 9-11 if you would like to say hello, do some seed art and maybe get a book signed.’

Cassy has several other projects in development including a junior fiction series for budding eco warriors and a picture book that celebrates science and wonder.

‘The problem is never coming up with ideas; it’s seeing each one through and not being distracted by the next shiny thing. But the fact that I keep coming back to writing no matter how hard it gets makes me think I’ll be doing it for life.’

www.cassypolimeni.wordpress.com

Peninsula Kids – Summer 2023/24

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MSO presents Jams for Juniors at McClelland
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DOWNLOAD FROM LINK IN BIO FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! Winning entries will receive one of five family vouchers (family of five admission ticket) valued at $75 each to @ashcombemaze Email entries to info@peninsulakids.com.au or PM your artwork to facebook.com/MorningtonPeninsulaKids. Prize drawn on 14/11/2025. Winner will be notified by email. Prize must be collected from Peninsula Kids offices during office hours, 9am-5pm, located at 1/15 Wallis Drive, Hastings VIC 3915
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The countdown is on, school holidays are just around the corner and Acro Kids is the place to be! 22nd September – 3rd October in Mornington and Braeside. Reinvented full day programs designed for beginners to advanced skills, kids will learn wicked acro and parkour tricks and make heaps of new friends. Don’t miss out on the fun (and some time to yourself) book now to avoid disappointment – https://www.acrokids.com.au/school-holiday-program/ @acrokidsau #schoolholidays #springschoolholidays
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The Hawks are back in Frankston this weekend! Get your tickets here: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/hawthorn-v-carlton-2025-nab-aflw-season-10-frankston-23-08-2025/event/130062D7A58C195D Please Note Junior Policy: Children aged 0-17 as at 1 January 2025 are entitled to enter the ground at no charge; however, they must hold a valid ticket for entry. Persons aged 18 and over as at 1 January 2025 are classified as an adult. @hawthornaflw Hawthorn FC AFLW #aflw #kineticstadium #frankston
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Robots and magic and slapstick… oh my! Following appearances on Sesame Street, Universal Kids, and on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Mario the Maker Magician heads to Frankston next school holidays. Contagiously upbeat and full of heart, the ever-endearing Mario leads you through a romping explosion of energy and belly laughs punctuated with moments of heart and emotion that will catch you by surprise. Not "just a kids show", this is an all-ages theatre experience! Prepare for a world of vaudeville and magic, cardboard and robots, science and innovation, instilling a positive message that will last in the minds and hearts of all audiences. “The best kids’ magician in the world!!”- David Blaine "Magic with a soupçon of science." - The New York Times "Instant and infectious chaos in the best possible way" - One4Review MARIO THE MAKER MAGICIAN Frankston Arts Centre Tuesday 23 September, 2pm Tuesday 23 September, 6pm Wednesday 24 September, 10.30am (Relaxed Performance) Wednesday 24 September, 1.30pm Tickets: $20 (Family of 4: $75) Book at thefac.com.au or call 03 9784 1060 Frankston Arts Centre @the_fac #frankstonartscentre #magic #familyshows #thingstodowithkids
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Chasing Change, in partnership with Mornington Peninsula Shire, are holding our annual Walk for Suicide Prevention on Sunday the 14th of September. We hope that you can join us to gather, connect and remember our loved ones lost to suicide. You can find more details, including a link to register the name of a loved one for our memorial roll call, on their event page.

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Chasing Change, in partnership with Mornington Peninsula Shire, are holding our annual Walk for Suicide Prevention on Sunday the 14th of September. We hope that you can join us to gather, connect and remember our loved ones lost to suicide. You can find more details, including a link to register the name of a loved one for our memorial roll call, on their event page. https://www.facebook.com/share/16wCzifSWR/ @chasingchangeau Chasing Change - Suicide Prevention Network
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