Gogo Fish!' acclaimed in top children's literary award

22/08/05
A children's book published by the Western Australian Museum has achieved a prestigious honour in the Children's Book Council of Australia awards.
Culture and the Arts Minister Sheila McHale said that 'Gogo Fish! The story of the Western Australian State Fossil Emblem' had been awarded honour book status for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books.
Gogo Fish! was written by palaeontologist Dr John Long and tells the story of his discovery of a 375 million-year-old Gogo fish fossil in the Kimberly and the campaign by Dianella's Sutherland Primary School to have it named as WA's fossil emblem.
"To receive acclaim in the Children's Book Council of Australia award is considered a high honour for children's writing and I congratulate Dr Long and the WA Museum," Ms McHale said.
"The museum's publications arm publishes a range of information books for adults and children and this was the first time it had received a CBCA nomination."
Museum chief executive officer Dawn Casey attended the awards ceremony at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
"This award showcases the museum's role and that of its curators in the area of science," Dr Casey said.
"The fossilized remains of the Gogo fish have been found in rocky outcrops that were once reefs and helped reshape scientific thinking regarding the evolution of animals with backbones."
The overall winner of the Eve Pownall Award was 'To the Moon and Back: The amazing Australians at the forefront of space travel plus fantastic Moon facts'.
Dr Long has been writing children's books for 10 years and 'Gogo Fish! The story of the Western Australian State Fossil Emblem' is his first to receive this literary honour.
Minister's office: 9213 6900