Sunday Arts Magazine

11 Jun 2017

Interview:Maree Coote’s new children’s book–Robyn Boid Architect

Architecture, Arts, Books, Design, Education, Kids & Family, Literature

LISTEN TO PODCAST NOW

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 28:47 — 13.2MB)

Interview:Maree Coote’s new children’s book–Robyn Boid Architect

Writer, illustrator, designer, publisher – Maree Coote- from Melbourne Style is a regular guest on Sunday Arts Magazine, mainly because she keeps putting out new books! The latest is Robyn Boid Architect–a children’s book. Maree firstly talks about two of her previous books, both of which have won awards–i.e. Spellbound and The Melbourne Book: A History of Now (which she continually updates).

With regard to her new book, Maree discusses her love of Melbourne’s architecture, starting with the amazing art deco Manchester Unity building in Swanston St and then moving onto other Melbourne buildings, New York, the Chrysler Building and architects. Maree then talks about the influential Australian architect Robin Boyd mostly known for his beautiful domestic buildings (homes) particularly the one in Walsh St, South Yarra which now houses the Robin Boyd Foundation.

In Maree’s new children’s picture book, ‘Robyn Boid’ is a small female bird who builds nests on the ledge outside a Uni’s architectural school where she listens to the lectures; as she wants to be an architect! It’s a fun inspiring book with ‘a curriculum built in’–explaining the basic tenets of architecture for 2^nd grade kids– which can possibly help teachers get the message across too. There are teacher’s notes in the book, and more online which they can contact Maree about. Maree has also drawn all the geometric shapes, archways, buildings etc that the bird builds out of sticks.