Duleek pupils’ poignant book on lost koala
Students in a primary school in Duleek who created a fictional book about a koala losing its mother in an Australian bushfire as part of a junior entrepreneur programme were shocked to discover the real-life crisis unfolding before their eyes.
It was a case of art imitating life for sixth class students in Duleek Girl's NS who came up with the thought-provoking idea for the book last June entitled 'Where are you, Mammy?' as a way to highlight the impact of climate change around the world but they could never have predicted how their story would go on to play out for real according to teacher Ellen Costigan.
"Having participated in the Junior Entrepreneur Programme last year before the summer holiday the girls started talking about the different projects that they could do this year. We had everything from garden kits to baking kits to a sensory teddy bear. The fourth idea was the book.”
The entire concept for the book has been created by the students who came up with the heart-wrenching storyline last June that would later become the subject of headlines all over the world as the Duleek teacher explains.
"Jimmy the Koala is called by his mam to go out picking berries for their dinner. They head off and realise that all the forests and bushes around them are burning and they are saying that humans are to blame.
"His mam actually gets lost in the bush fire and she doesn't return, very upset Jimmy decides to go and see his friend Kylie the Kangaroo and they end up going on a safari to the artic to see their friend Penny the penguin.
Teacher Ellen Costigan with 6th class in Duleek Girl's NS
"They thought that things would be better for Penny but when they arrive they realise that Penny's home has been melting away as well and she is as devastated as they are.
"The project was two-fold first of all to give the girls an understanding of business and then to develop an awareness of climate change.
"By putting the koala as the face of climate change, it really does tug at the heartstrings of the human spirit.
"It became topical as the project went on and the children were flabbergasted to see that so many people and animals impacted by the fires. They were bringing in newspaper articles to do more research about the koalas.
The climate savvy 6th class then had to pitch their ideas in a 'junior Dragon's Den' even enlisting the help of a 'real' dragon.
"It was all completely student-led from the very start. They came up with ideas and then they researched them to see if the product existed already, if it was viable and would they potentially make a profit.
"We were lucky enough to get Gavin Duffy in so we feel we had the real deal along with Dr Eric Clinton who lectures in Entrepreneurship in DCU. They pitched to the dragons who asked them questions to which they justified why they thought this particular idea would be a good business for the class."
The thoughtful children were also keen to include a sensory element to the storyline as Ellen explains:
The climate savvy students have even messaged Greta Thunberg
"They had liked the sensory teddy idea because of the fact that there are two autistic units attached to the school so we thought about including some of the sensory aspects into this book which they have gone on to do.
"The character Kylie the Kangaroo has special abilities and has to overcome their own challenges as well as the bushfires. She doesn't like noise so she wears her red earmuffs all of the time and she carries around her little teddy bear. The earmuffs keep her calm and help her take on the world.
The girls pitched their ideas to Dragon Den's star Gavin Duffy
"We are putting it together using an online bookmaking tool during class time so they can see it coming together, they can upload and scan in pictures that they have drawn. We pull them in ourselves, change them around and we send it off in PDF form to be printed. The girls are all for cutting cost and maximising profit!
"The students have recruited a girl who is good at art in the other sixth class to do the illustrations and they are paying her a fee.
Students were inspired to write a book about a Koala losing its mother in a bushfire
"They are so passionate about the project and have even written to Michael D Higgins and messaged Greta Thunberg to tell them about it.
"They are already thinking of the sequel where Jimmy the Koala and Kylie the Kangaroo come to Ireland to see the dangers of climate change here.
"Five per cent of profits will go to the Irish Wildlife Trust and five per cent to the Australian Bushfire Foundation. The girls decided that they couldn't create a book about the Koala and the wildfires without giving something back into that area.
"We are hoping to have copies of the book priced at €10 that will come with a little koala teddy bear will be available from the school in the next couple of weeks."