The remote town of Birdsville, on the edge of the Simpson Desert, is now home to a best-selling children’s book. Author Kelly Theobald’s Onslo has been embraced by children Australia wide and adults are just as taken with the quirky outback tale.
Ms Theobald says that the idea for a children’s book set in the outback was conceived when she realised that there is a big lack of knowledge and interest about the outback in urban Australia.
“So many people know very little about the outback, which is a shame considering the uniqueness of remote towns, their characters and scenery as well as the economic importance of our pastoral industries,” she says. “My hope is to get more people visiting the outback and to do so, I’m starting with getting kids interested.”
Onslo is the story of a blue Volkswagen Beetle who dreams of crossing the great Simpson Desert, just like the four-wheel-drives who visit Birdsville. But, they tell him that he’s too small. Nevertheless, the determined little car and his friend, Geoffrey the galah, venture into the dunes. With the help of some friendly desert animals, the brave pair cross the desert safely and are celebrated as heroes upon their return to Birdsville.
When Ms Theobald, a journalist, and her partner drove the real Onslo, an unmodified 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, across the Simpson Desert in September 2012, the Onslo tale was born. They successfully crossed the 1200 Simpson Desert dunes via the French Line and QAA line, which is a popular route for 4WD enthusiasts, and Ms Theobald adapted the true story into the colourfully illustrated book for kids.
“I love writing for kids because they have such vivid imaginations and are so enthusiastic about a good story,” she says. “Kids love an adventure as much as I do and I was lucky enough to work with Paul, a fantastic illustrator, who brought my words to life.”
Onslo is the first book for the young author, although Ms Theobald says that there will be many more to come and all will be set in various locations in the outback. She thanks the people of Birdsville for welcoming her so warmly into their community and providing so much support. She says that since moving from Melbourne to Birdsville three years ago, she’s been inspired to follow her dreams of becoming a professional children’s author.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the success of Onslo,” she says. “I had no idea that it would be quite so popular but I meet so many people in Birdsville who have read the book or bought it for their kids and have decided to come out here. The real Onslo is always getting his photo taken with kids, and that’s so exciting to see.”
“I was a city kid who loved the outback and I was very lucky because my parents travelled around Australia extensively with us as children,” she recalls. “But, among my peers, this was unusual. So many of my friends have never seen the outback and this is my way of trying to get them out here.”
