Sally Rippin was born in Darwin, but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. As a young adult she lived in China for three years, studying traditional Chinese painting. Sally has over seventy books published, many of them award-winning, including two novels for young adults. Her most recent work includes the highly acclaimed children’s novel Angel Creek and the popular Billie B Brown books, which became the highest selling series for 6-8 year olds in Australia within the first year of their release. Sally is Australia’s highest selling female author and her Billie B Brown books have sold more than 4.5 million copies in 14 languages. Sally is a popular presenter in schools and at literary festivals both in Australia and overseas and has a regular program on 3RRR interviewing children’s authors and industry professionals. She is a passionate ambassador for the 100 Story Building creative writing centre for marginalized youth and has mentored many emerging writers and illustrators. Recently, she and her partner co-founded Story Peddlers, a hand-made performance tent that packs away into a custom-built bike, with the aim of bringing back the art of the roving storyteller.
Of course, when Billie loses her first tooth, not everything goes to plan! She's too busy and energetic and exuberant for this to be a straightforward life event!
I loved the bit of vulnerability about being the last one in her group of friends to lose a tooth.
And I liked the way Billie's development is once again paralleled with her little brother - making Billie the "big" sister.
18-Sally Rippin, “Billie B Brown: The Missing Tooth” (Prahran, Victoria, Aust: Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012). “'Maybe I can write the Tooth Fairy a note?' (says Billie).” (p37)
The 'Billie B Brown' series by Australian author Sally Rippin is a wonderful set of books helping young kids acknowledge and deal with their range of emotions that arise from various childhood predicaments. These books reinforce the positive outcome of good decision making.
I read this for work, as a result of how well they sell for 5-8 year old girls. I can see the appeal - Billie is adorable, and I love her rough housing, excitable behavior.