‘Parrot Palace is an open invitation from the heart to step into a multi-hued, multicultural, inclusive world where difference is celebrated, tradition is valued, and the language of love is spoken. It certainly does ‘make the world a better place’ A Must Read!’ – Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Head of English, University of Delhi.
Three inventive and daring kids, along with their families, live in a three-story apartment block called’ Parrot Palace’.
Hari, Lily-Rosa, and Mikey come from different cultures, but their differences unite them as they form a close-knit team. They share their secrets as they navigate their dreams and challenges.
Will Mikey become a joker or follow in his dad’s footsteps as a builder? Can Lily-Rosa balance her dreams of becoming a firefighter, and a ballerina? And will Hari fix the disaster he created for his Nani and mother?
They join together and confront their arch enemy, the neighbour Mr Crabtree. It is here, that they eventually find the real answers to friendship.
PRAISE FOR PARROT PALACE
‘Growing up, some of my best friends were books, and how I wish I’d had a friend and a book like this, reflecting the true, warm, beating heart of Australian multicultural diversity. Hari and his friends will stay with you long after you’ve left Parrot Palace.’ –Dr Sunil Badami a writer, critic, broadcaster, academic and regular reporter for ABC and ABC personality.
‘Parrot Palace aptly illustrates the essence of humanity: love, care, and sharing what we have for the common good of the community we live in. I strongly recommend it to all our children growing up in Australia.’ – Dr Andrew Kwong, Winner of the 2021 Michael Crouch Award” ‘With great power, we can teach our children profound truths and timeless value.’ – Professor D.R. Pattanaik, Banaras Hindu University
‘An open invitation from the heart to step into a multi-hued, multicultural, inclusive world where difference is celebrated, tradition is valued, and the language of love is spoken. It certainly does ‘make the world a better place!’ A Must-Read!’ – Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Literature University of Delhi
‘An amazing story that brings India and Australia closer together celebrates human relationship which doesn’t change from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other and fosters ‘dosti’ (friendship) between the two great nations.’ – Indranil Halder Ambassador of Halder
‘A delightful story that captures the feel of summer, school holidays and the sheer joy of play. From the opening pages, our taste buds are tantalized with the honey of jalebi, the warm sweetness of ripe strawberries, apple pie and samosas. This is a story of now.’ – Dr Anne Benjamin Educator
‘Parrot Palace aptly illustrates the essence of humanity: love, care, and sharing what we have for the common good of the community we live in. I strongly recommend it to all our children growing up in Australia.’ – Dr Andrew Kwong
‘Very relatable and entertaining. I read it to my 6-year-old son and he enjoyed it thoroughly. He found it adventurous and loved how the kids helped Mr Crabtree in spite of him being mean to them. That’s a life lesson.’ – Neel Banerjee , Intercultural Theatre Practitioner
Paperbarrk – Susanne Gervay –
Diversity, inclusion and my family inspired this story. My family is from Hungary, and my nephew married a Chinese-Australia young women. So naturally 11-year-old Lily-Rosa has a Hungarian-Australian father and Chinese-Australian mother. That’s why you’ll find excellent Hungarian and Chinese recipes in the glossary. Mikey is inspired by my 11-year-old grandson who had red hair and is a great joker. The narrator is 11-year-old Hari, an Indian-Australian boy who nervously wants to become part of the squad of kids. Each of their families are as diverse as us. Mikey’s dad is a builder and his mum is pregnant with an (implied IVF) baby that is expected soon. Lily-Rosa’s dad is Hungarian, plays the violin and is a stay-at-home-dad. Her Chinese-Australian mother is Director of the local pre-school. Hari’s family includes his Indian homemaker grandmother, mother who loves being a nurse and him. If you are not in this mix-master squad of these young people, there is plenty of room to add yourself. Everyone is welcome, as our kids navigate diversity, acceptance and inclusivity, community.
It’s an exciting story, of course, as the kids confront their arch enemy. Mr Crabtree. Spoiler – Mr Crabtree sees the meanness of his ways and eventually everyone works it out.
The traditions of Hari’s family are woven into Parrot Palace. The kids are not sure why they have to take off our shoes entering a home. But Mikey is okay with that, although his feet stink like fish. The food is delicious and a feast for everyone. From the opening pages, our taste buds are tantalized with the honey of jalebi, the warm sweetness of ripe strawberries, apple pie and samosas. This is a story of today – the natural interweaving of cultures and customs; the interplay of the different shapes and styles of family; the fear and delight of a young boy Hari finding acceptance. The story is light-hearted and serious at the same time.
Co-creators, Pooja Mathur, multi award winning teacher-librarian ensured the story was true and real. Illustrator Sarah Tabassum is a little cheeky. You can see her illustrations of Hari who has a little crush on Lily-Rosa. Who wouldn’t? Sarah Tabassum’s parrots fly across the cover and bring joy to Parrot Palace.
Young people experience feelings such as self-doubt, embarrassment as well as pride of their cultural traditions, involvement in bullying as the bully, bullied, peer group, search for friendships and an array of sensitivities. Parrot Palace sounds serious, but I create with kids’ humour, fun, jokes and challenges that go to the heart of who they are.
The Book Muse –
The power of friendship and imagination is at the heart of this novel, where diversity is celebrated. Where everyone is allowed to be who they are, share their interests and find things in common to help each other and their community. Kids like the ones in this book show that acceptance is powerful, that diversity is important and that we become friends with people for so many reasons: we live near them, we go to school with them, we share the same interests with them, or we share the same values as them. And there are probably many more that I haven’t listed here that can impact who we become friends with. It shows the hope we have for the world.
I liked that it showed that there are simple things we can do to help people and include them. Even when they’re not very nice all the time, like Mr Crabtree. And another important thing is that it understands that everyone sees the world differently, and is written to help people grow and start to see things a little differently, even if it might take them some time to do so. Some things take time, and it’s important to remember that change won’t happen overnight. Gradual change through small actions is just as powerful and just as meaningful change as the big acts. Everything can combine to create change. Everyone can help bring about change in ways they can manage – I think that is one of the most important message about this book, and all sorts of diverse books these days. There are different ways to educate people. To talk about things. To celebrate culture and the things we love. This is a beautiful book about friendship and acceptance that should be widely read to show this power.
Dr Sunil Badami a writer, critic, broadcaster, academic and regular reporter for ABC and ABC personality. –
Growing up, some of my best friends were books, and how I wish I’d had a friend and a book like this, reflecting the true, warm, beating heart of Australian multicultural diversity. Hari and his friends will stay with you long after you’ve left Parrot Palace.’
Dr Andrew Kwong, Winner of the 2021 Michael Crouch Award –
‘Parrot Palace aptly illustrates the essence of humanity: love, care, and sharing what we have for the common good of the community we live in. I strongly recommend it to all our children growing up in Australia.’
Professor Meenakshi Bharat, Literature University of Delhi –
An open invitation from the heart to step into a multi-hued, multicultural, inclusive world where difference is celebrated, tradition is valued, and the language of love is spoken. It certainly does ‘make the world a better place!’ A Must-Read!’
Indranil Halder Ambassador of Halder –
‘An amazing story that brings India and Australia closer together celebrates human relationship which doesn’t change from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other and fosters ‘dosti’ (friendship) between the two great nations.’
Dr Anne Benjamin Educator –
‘A delightful story that captures the feel of summer, school holidays and the sheer joy of play. From the opening pages, our taste buds are tantalized with the honey of jalebi, the warm sweetness of ripe strawberries, apple pie and samosas. This is a story of now.’
Dr Andrew Kwong –
Parrot Palace aptly illustrates the essence of humanity: love, care, and sharing what we have for the common good of the community we live in. I strongly recommend it to all our children growing up in Australia.’
Neel Banerjee , Intercultural Theatre Practitioner –
Very relatable and entertaining. I read it to my 6-year-old son and he enjoyed it thoroughly. He found it adventurous and loved how the kids helped Mr Crabtree in spite of him being mean to them. That’s a life lesson.’
Sue Warren –
This is a book that highlights friendship, diversity, overcoming prejudices, and community living while wrapping it all in a engaging middle grade narrative. When Hari moves into the Parrot Palace apartment block with his mum and grandmother, he is immediately befriended by two neighbouring kids of the same age, Mikey and Lily-Rosa.
Although there is plenty of humour and fun in this story, there is also much scope for deeper discussions from which your readers will benefit. As always, Susanne brings the benefit of her own personal knowledge, experience, and connections to her work, giving it an authenticity that is apparent and very relatable.
I hope you will find the notes of some benefit should you choose to use this in your setting – either as a serial read or a class novel. I’m happy to give it a 5 🦜🦜🦜🦜🦜 for readers from about Year 3 upwards.
Sruthi Sajeev –
In Parrot Palace, an Indian-Australian named Hari, a Hungarian-Chinese girl named Lily-Rosa and a “dinky-di” Aussie named Mikey share a bond that gives them the courage to face their tough neighbour Mr Crabtree. Their differences give them the strength to face any challenge, big or small. This is writer Susanne Gervay OAM’s vision for young people in Australia.
This balance between delving into complex themes and creating engaging content for children is no cakewalk. And Gervay has spent much of her career trying to achieve the perfect mix. Take her highly successful series I am Jack, which delves into the impacts of bullying or The Edge of Limits which implores young men to actively stand up against overt sexual violence. Parrot Palace is another insightful addition to Gervay oeuvre of work. And the main character Hari is proving to be a fan favourite, especially within the Indian community.
Perhaps it’s a matter of time until Parrot Palace appears in the school curriculum?