Like a Gannet - The Extended Metaphor

Thanks to Joy Lawn for the opportunity to write a guest post about Like a Gannet for her blog Paperbark Words. 

In a previous interview, someone had asked me about my favourite part of Like a Gannet. On reflection, I realised it was the extended gannet metaphor that I loved most and had most enjoyed writing. So when Joy asked me to do a guest post I decided to explore this extended metaphor a bit more.

The gannet is such an important part of the story, representing how we can feel awkward or out of place in some areas of life, but find our flow and confidence in others. I love how the gannet’s transformation — clumsy on land but magnificent out at sea — mirrors Francie’s journey, and I love being able to share more about how this idea took shape. I have included a small excerpt from the blog here as well as a link to the full post down below.

I wanted to show this unbridled joy and exuberance in Francie, the main character, when she was doing what she loves – swimming at her local pool. Comparing her to different water birds, like a duck, swan and cormorant, was a way to show Francie’s wonderful imagination and just how confident she was feeling in the water.

So confident, that when she sees her cousins diving like gannets off the high diving board, she wants to do it too.

So, the idea of being like a gannet really came from Francie and I thought it could be an effective literary device to create an extended metaphor throughout the whole story. It could help create this idea of Francie wanting to be like a gannet for young readers, while also helping to create a point of difference for this first experience story.

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When my publisher wanted an extra beat in the story I used this as an opportunity to strengthen the metaphor even more. I had Francie push ‘back through the squawking, jostling flock’ which was a great way to, not only show the crowd of children and how they were behaving, but also how Francie was feeling at this moment. And to learn a bit about gannet behaviour in the gannetry at the same time!

Then the line ‘Do gannets blush?’ again shows the reader how Francie is feeling. But I really love this line because the gannet has a rosy buff-yellow coloured head – almost like a blush.

The final line in the extended metaphor comes right at the end. To show Francie’s joy, I had written ‘Francie hooted.’ The sentiment was perfect, but it felt too owl-like. So I researched gannet calls, looking for something that was a better fit, and I found out that one of the noises a gannet makes is urrah. I was thrilled because urrah is so much like ‘hurrah’ and it expresses exactly how Francie is feeling at that moment! So no, it’s definitely not a typo. It’s the last hurrah of the extended metaphor in Like a Gannet!

Read the full guest blog here

Paperbark Words Blog

Like a Gannet - The Quick Six Interview

I loved doing The Quick Six Interview with Romi Sharp for my debut Like a Gannet. I’ve always loved reading other authors’ answers and I’m super happy to have a turn. And a big thanks to Romi for all she does to promote Australian Kid Lit creatives – it’s such a wonderful support. I’ve included some of the interview here and the link to the full interview.

What is your favourite part of this book?

Ooh, hard question. I think my favourite part is the gannet metaphor that runs through the text. I love how Deb has cleverly brought the gannet into the illustrations by having a mural at the pool with diving gannets on it. Many people have never heard of a gannet, even though they have probably seen one diving for fish off the east coast of Australia. I love how the mural shows the gannet in the different stages of the dive, as it tucks its wings back and becomes almost like an arrow as it hits the water. There are old faded murals at many regional public pools, so I love how she has captured this.

When did you begin writing this book?

My first draft was written in January 2021. It went to acquisitions at Windy Hollow and I was offered a contract in October 2022.

Why is this book meaningful to you?

It’s inspired by my memories of being a child with a bigger body shape who wasn’t very sporty but who felt capable and graceful in the water. So I really wanted Francie to have a bigger body type too. It’s slowly getting better, but I still think there’s a lack of representation of diverse bodies in children’s books. I hope Francie shows kids that, with courage, they can face their fears and strive for things out of their reach, learning along the way to accept their limitations and do it their own way. Just like gannets whose short legs and webbed feet make them slow, clumsy waddlers on land, but who transform into Queens of the Sea when they dive.

Read the full interview here

Like a Gannet - Newspaper Article

Thank you to Samantha Elley at The Northern Rivers Times for writing this article about my new book and my year of firsts as a debut author. This interview, done over the phone while I was on my lunch break at the library, was another first to add to the list. Thanks for making it such an enjoyable experience Sam - it's so lovely to have the support of my community. 

Like a Gannet - Lauren Hackney Interview

I loved chatting with @lbe.hackney about my debut picture book Like a Gannet!

When I was thinking about podcasts, interviews, and blogs to approach, I was super daunted. I’m totally in my happy place championing other authors and writing friends, but putting myself out there is super scary and outside my comfort zone. Thank you, Lauren, for responding to my email pitch in the most warm and welcoming way. If any debut authors out there are worried about doing podcasts and interviews, I highly recommend Lauren as a safe place to land. She was so lovely to chat with, asked great questions, was so professional, and was so genuinely interested in me and my book! And she was a fabulous listener. Lauren quickly made me feel comfortable, and then she could hardly get a word in edgewise (ha ha sorry about that Lauren)

I hope you enjoy our interview chatting about Like a Gannet half as much as I enjoyed doing it. And definitely check out some of Lauren’s other interviews on her YouTube or website — almost everyone from the AU kid-lit world is there somewhere. Thank you, Lauren, for your amazing and generous support of the Australian Kidlit community 💛

Like a Gannet - Picture Book of the Month

I was so delighted and honoured to see that Like a Gannet was named picture story of the month by @farrells_bookshop for October! How amazing to share a list with such talented authors with my debut. Below is the review they included in their newsletter:

A joyful tribute to summer days, swimming, and time spent with cousins. A fresh take on a first experience story. Like a Gannet is a celebration of being that not-so-sporty kid, but finding the courage to do it anyway – a little bit awkward and clumsy, but always feeling strong in the water (just like a gannet). A playful and inspiring read for the kids dipping their toe into the water for the first time or lacking a little bit of confidence. — Reviewed by Justine

Like a Gannet - ABC Radio Interview

This morning, I was the featured author in Bridie Tanner’s Book Nook segment from her ABC North Coast radio Breakfast episode. Below are some little excerpts from the interview and the audio if you feel like listening! Thanks to my sister Lisa for organising the interview for me 😘

Tell us about your local pool growing up. And did you have an experience like this where you had to be brave and go off the high diving boards?

Well, no, I actually can't dive. So I have always wished that I could dive all my life, so that's probably why I've got it in this story. But yes, growing up, I always remember going to my Nana's house; she lived in Dubbo, and we always went there for the whole summer holidays. It was boiling hot, so we spent a lot of time at the local pool. And yeah, we loved going there, I can remember. And we used to go with our cousins as well. Our cousins would be staying there as well. So yeah, I suppose that's some inspiration behind that as well.

Tell us about who this book is dedicated to.

Oh, the dedication! I still go to my local pool a couple of times, two or three times a week, to do deepwater running, and I've dedicated it to two ladies who I do deepwater running with, who are in their 80s and 90s, and my dad, who's 87. They all still go to the pool during the week, every week, to keep exercising, and they're very inspiring to me, to know that, you know, you can keep enjoying the local pool until forever, really.

Of course, in the end of your book, Kirsten, Francie says “again”, which is, I think, the natural reaction for kids once they get over that scary part.

Yes, and like I said, I can't dive, but I can remember the first time I did the roller coaster feeling that same thing, like really not wanting to go on, and waiting and waiting and waiting, and then when I finally went on, I went on lots of times. So yeah, that same sort of feeling when you push outside of your comfort zone and do something. But Francie does it her own way, so that's what I like as well. So it's a good book for kids who love swimming and summer days at their local pool and want to do what the big kids are doing, but also kids who might lack confidence to try something new, or who want to face their challenges their own way, like Francie.

Or check out some of Bridie’s full Breakfast episodes here.