“My Australian Heart” by Gina Browning, author of “Moonbeam Dreams”

About Gina Browning

Writer and illustrator, Gina C. Browning, says some of the verses in her poetry book first came to her in her dreams as she was recovering from surgery years ago.

The poems and illustrations in Moonbeam Dreams gradually evolved into “a keenly rhymed, fantastical romp through a fantasy land, with weird and wonderful characters for readers of any age to enjoy.” Her poetry truly is for the young at heart.

Browning thinks her dreams are fun and adventurous, as she always looks for the positive side to everything. Her book encourages children not to be afraid of the dark, and to believe in themselves and their abilities so that almost anything is possible. Browning says dreams can come true “either in daylight or night” if you believe in them strongly enough.

You can visit Gina online @ http://www.eloquentbooks.com/MoonbeamDreams.html

My Australian Heart

I was unimpressed with any talk of moving, until the day my husband came home and asked how I felt about moving to Australia. I said, “Pack your bags! Let’s go!” I’d always dreamt of going there, and moving there was even better.

We’d been married for not quite 6 years, and we’d just gotten our newly adopted son, when my husband left on May 12, 1989. Ryan and I stayed in the States for another 3 months while I took care of business, and spent time with family and friends before heading for the cobalt skies over central Australia.

Since Ryan was only 16 months old by this time, I decided I wanted to do the trip in ‘steps’, so I arranged to stop in Hawaii before continuing on. The first day in Hawaii, the company secretary called to inform me that there had just been a pilot strike in Australia and they wouldn’t be able to fly us to Alice Springs, but they could get us there via the trains…from Sydney, to Melbourne, to Adelaide, to Alice. Oh, and did I mention that it was just me, with a 16 month old baby plus 10 other bags/items to carry? Count with me: stroller, portable cot, toy bag, diaper bag, my purse, my carry-on, and 4 checked bags. (This was before the advent of limited carry-on’s, thank goodness.)

The train journey was memorable, to say the least. In Melbourne, we had to change trains which departed from different platforms; up some stairs, down a ways, around the corner, and then down some stairs again… So little old me, all by myself, had to take half of our things, plus the baby in the stroller, to the next platform, leave them behind while I went to get the rest of the things; all of this with hundreds of people streaming in all directions, going to their respective destinations. What a nervous wreck I was! But it all worked out, thank goodness!

The scenes from the train window were wonderful. Alternating with stands of gum trees scattered on rolling, green pastoral hills sprinkled with sheep or cows, there were residences and towns, houses too close to the tracks … (I wouldn’t want to live there…) and after we headed north from Adelaide, it became a whole bunch of wide open “nothingness”. All total, the train trip took 3 days, and we saw a lot of Australia, all at once!

Alice Springs is a very small, friendly, and somewhat transient town, with a population of about 25,000 and 5 minutes outside of town, you’re in the ‘Outback’. The gorges, gaps, and chasms of the rust-red weathered desert mountains and rocky out-croppings have forever left their impression on my soul. The colors of the desert, contrasting with the deep blue skies, and the green scrub and gum-trees makes my mouth water! This is the absolute heart of Australia and it has made its way absolutely into my heart of hearts.

We have now lived here, (and loved it) for a total of 13 years, combined, (from 3 different moves). Our lives have been forever changed and we are better people for having had these wonderful experiences.

About Moonbeam Dreams

Moonbeam Dreams is an intricately rhyming bed-time story written and illustrated by Gina C. Browning. It takes the reader and listeners on a magical, Dr. Seuss-like romp to the Land of Beddie-byes, where they meet all sorts of wonderful and interesting creatures. There are butterflies with gems dripping from their wings, dragons riding in red wagons, Lycra-wearing newts skating on moonbeams, unicorns, a frog climbing a kite-string, extra large snails and cats with fish-tails, and many, many more fun creatures to meet. It’s a positive, up-lifting and fun story that encourages children that almost anything is possible if you can dream it and believe in it strongly enough. It also encourages children to not be afraid of the dark, and that they have the ability to take control of their dreams. It also encourages children to welcome the weird and wonderful things that they might see in their dreams.

It is a story with a vocabulary that a child can learn from and grow into. It is also entertaining and interesting for adults to read as well.

It contains some interesting rhyming mechanics, alliteration and 22 bright and colorful, entertaining illustrations.

Book Excerpt

“I once spied way up high a bright butterfly

looking lustrous from even that height.

It was covered in gems that dripped from the hems

of its wings- then they’d brightly ignite.

The ‘fly gave a quiver, then off with a shiver

flew all around, much like a sprite.

It flew down to my finger where there it did linger,

and then at last, did alight.”

Read what reviewers are saying about Moonbeam Dreams!

“Be swept away into a magical, lyrical fantasy land where all your dreams can come true…Moonbeam Dreams will captivate young readers and keep them turning the pages…” -The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

“Moonbeam Dreams is such a positive and wonderful book for children and people of all ages…It is sure to bring continuous smiles for years to come!” – Café of Dreams

“If your child likes to dream and take fantasy journeys then this would be an excellent book for them to get their hands on.” – 4 the Love of Books